5.0 backfires - problem solved!

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UPDATE...

The motor is running much better now. We never put a timing pointer on it when we dressed the front-end because I swapped to explorer pieces I bought here and there and never even thought about missing the pointer. Keith robbed a pointer for me from a local pick-n-pull and cleaned / painted it up for me. We were in such a mad dash to get the rig to last year's Charlotte event that we only timed it by ear with open headers so it would drive itself on and off of the trailer.

I ended up having to remove the entire pass. side explorer bracket to get access to the lower front cover bolts to install the pointer, but got it on and back together. I was running several degrees retarded. After remembering to unplug the spout I got it timed and it is running MUCH better now. No backfiring so far and smoother idle. I will probably pull it out in the yard tomorrow to give it a load and see what it does.

Oh yea... no more glowing cherry red headers either! I didn't let it run long in the garage today but hope to check it out more tomorrow.