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It is an auto with a bad setup for quench (pistons are .100 in the hole), which appears to be a great combo for detonation. Maybe I'll try the slightly stiffer spring tomorrow depending on rain.

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What made you decide to build it this way?

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Pistons were in the block when I got it. The pistons were pert near new. I have no idea how long ago it was rebuilt but I've owned the block for over a decade before I tore into it. It looked like it had been run low on oil. We polished the crank, new bearings, new rings, pin fit the rods, and resized the big end and put it back together. I helped in the machine shop quite a bit to keep my bill down. I'm a student (though a rather old one). The goal was to keep the price as low as possible while also purchasing any long term parts that could be reused many times (i.e. rocker assembly, heads).

The next question is "why a 440 then?" or something along those lines. That is what was in the truck when I got it and was one of the reasons I got the truck. I got it about 3 years ago so my wife and I could work on our house without having to rent a truck or pay for delivery. I could have gotten something more reasonable but that wouldn't be any fun. When the crank broke in the truck in September I decided it was best to use the block I had in storage and save the one from the truck for later (still not quite sure what went wrong, I was following a Honda minivan on a ramp onto the interstate so you know I wasn't reaming the pi$$ out of it).

I use the truck frequently as a daily driver; use it to haul lumber, yard supplies, and occasionally new appliances; never use it on the strip; and some times use it to turn rice into rice crispies.

I also have a dog and cat.

Answering these kinds of questions really doesn't solve the issue or even help anyone really learn much. It is what it is man. But some people just gotta know I guess.

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Pistons were in the block when I got it. The pistons were pert near new. I have no idea how long ago it was rebuilt but I've owned the block for over a decade before I tore into it. It looked like it had been run low on oil. We polished the crank, new bearings, new rings, pin fit the rods, and resized the big end and put it back together. I helped in the machine shop quite a bit to keep my bill down. I'm a student (though a rather old one). The goal was to keep the price as low as possible while also purchasing any long term parts that could be reused many times (i.e. rocker assembly, heads).

The next question is "why a 440 then?" or something along those lines. That is what was in the truck when I got it and was one of the reasons I got the truck. I got it about 3 years ago so my wife and I could work on our house without having to rent a truck or pay for delivery. I could have gotten something more reasonable but that wouldn't be any fun. When the crank broke in the truck in September I decided it was best to use the block I had in storage and save the one from the truck for later (still not quite sure what went wrong, I was following a Honda minivan on a ramp onto the interstate so you know I wasn't reaming the pi$$ out of it).

I use the truck frequently as a daily driver; use it to haul lumber, yard supplies, and occasionally new appliances; never use it on the strip; and some times use it to turn rice into rice crispies.

I also have a dog and cat.

Answering these kinds of questions really doesn't solve the issue or even help anyone really learn much. But some people just gotta know I guess.

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What are names of the dog and cat?

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I looked up some more detailed info on the carb and it has a 21 metering plate and that works out to a 75 jet for the secondary. Additionally, the power valve is 65 and that is very close to what I would get if I were to follow Holley's instructions for sizing a power valve (halve the idle vacuum then multiply by 10). A 55 would be close too but am I that far off with the 65 to cause this issue?

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Still has the same sound at 75mph with light application of throttle over what it takes to maintain speed on flat land. I checked the vacuum at which it wants to

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Could this be a phasing issue?

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Could your clatter be valvetrain noise? At certain RPM'S I get a clatter. Just from the fast ramp of the cam.

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That's what I'm kind of thinking. Even though it is a hydraulic setup could I have put too much preload on the lifters? I think I may check the preload today or tomorrow. But I'd really like to eliminate the possibility of detonation before I give up.

I don't know where to get race gas or I'd do it today. I'll have to call the engine builder because he'll know where to get some locally. I'm not running an hour north of Atlanta to the "Atlanta" Dragway to get race gas.

I've got one more thing I'm thinking of but I don't know how it could be it. When I mated the engine and trans together the torque converter had just slightly more than 1/8" play, something like .150 IIRC. I called Paul Forte and he said all would be okay as long as the flex plate bolts weren't hitting the torque converter. It was really close. Maybe I'm getting just enough flex in something that its touching... seems far fetched though. Either way, I picked up some washers this morning and found a matched set of four to try out.

Of course my wife wants to go to an art's festival today so I'll have to suffer through that before I can try this out.