Need help NOW!!! (not any more, I raced)

bb429power wrote:Well we talked to a guy and he told us to tighten the rockers in a different manner, that worked. So we fired it up, after some backfires and moving the distributor, it ran great. Ten minutes into the break in it stalled, but of course we had a dead battery on our hands so we'll finish it up tomarrow. The #4 wire got melted a little bit so we think that's why it stalled, luckily we had a spare. This engine has been running for a good amount of time now, we just replaced the ca, lifters, timing chain, oil pump and shaft, pickup,and distributor. We also were about 1/8 a tank of gas so we filled it up a bit more with premium. Hope all goes well. Me no cry no more.

I think we have all been the man, my first Cleveland rebuild was such a pain I started beating it with a wrench because i got frustrated
Just keep your head on straight and work through it. good job getting the engine back together!

Thanks. But did you beat it like the guy in the movie "Hot Rod"? That was a chebbie he was beating on.

Good job! We all go through the issues like that. I have spent the last 4+ weeks dealing with trying to get my Gilmer belt drive to work correctly without ruining my $30 belts but no matter what I did I couldnt get it right. So I am now back to V-belts on a March pulley setup and it works fine finally. Now to deal with my issues of the motor being a big turd and having no go! Lmao! I am trying to get the timing right but its a bit hard with no pointer. Just keep pluggin like I am an eventually it will work out.

I don't think I'll ever mess with a small block after all the problems I have had with them over the years. But I want to build high performance engines for a living so I'll have to mess with them.

Told ya you'd get it!! I always find if I keep it simple and start with the basics it goes better!

Is the race this weekend? Should be fun! I wish my highschool would have had something like that!!

Bill

bb429power wrote:I don't think I'll ever mess with a small block after all the problems I have had with them over the years. But I want to build high performance engines for a living so I'll have to mess with them.

Just so you know, sounds like your having motor problems not small block problems. One thing about it, if your ever figure this stuff out and remember all of your problems over the years then it gets easier and easier. most of us can solve problems because we have seen it before or done it before. good luck with your race. One piece of advice that I have for you is to create a log book and log everything you do. I have mine on computer so I can keep track of everything. that way we can always go back and figure problems out. If you pm me your email, I will send you the log book file that I created.

bb429power wrote:Thanks. But did you beat it like the guy in the movie "Hot Rod"? That was a chebbie he was beating on.

well i did break the distributor cap which turned out it was my dizzy that was pissing on my parade

bb429power wrote:I don't think I'll ever mess with a small block after all the problems I have had with them over the years. But I want to build high performance engines for a living so I'll have to mess with them.

Im in the middle of schooling for my general auto and machanical certification right now. Plan on going for a performance course on top of the one i start soon. Fun stuff!

whatbumper wrote:Just so you know, sounds like your having motor problems not small block problems. One thing about it, if your ever figure this stuff out and remember all of your problems over the years then it gets easier and easier. most of us can solve problems because we have seen it before or done it before. good luck with your race. One piece of advice that I have for you is to create a log book and log everything you do. I have mine on computer so I can keep track of everything. that way we can always go back and figure problems out. If you pm me your email, I will send you the log book file that I created.

X2 on what whatbumper said. things do get easier overtime (unless engines keep morphing) cant wait to get my grubby little paws on the new ford 5.0

Okay, we now have just over a 1/4 of a tank o gas. I checked the rotor because we were thinking the oil pump could have jammed up again and caused it not to start. Rotor turns fine. But the carb doesn't spit out gas when you hit the throttle, I checked the fuel filter and its no where near the level it should be at. So I'm going to have to crank it over and have a foot mashing fest to get it pumped to the carb.

I was joking about small blocks because all the motors I've messed with and FINISHED were sb's and they gave me problems. But I know a TON more from when I messed with them, then I was just learning how to change the cam out.

I know I was told to put the timing at 20 btdc but I want to ask. What would be the best for the drags, and what would be best for street/strip but mainly played with on the street. You know, like hotroding and getting on it up to 5,500 rpm's. The timing tape on it is a bit off, I'll talk to my dad about taping it. The tape on it is from the P/O.

And by the way, I guess you showed that distributor who's boss.

I may have missed this but are you running the distributor locked out or are you using the advance? To be honest with stock heads and pump gas I would have my base timing around 10-12 degrees. More timing will not make more power but it will increase heat in the motor. I would just run the factory mechanical advance and set the base timing to the numbers above.

This is the distributor.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/PNX-D130800/
I haven't changed anything in it, its out of the box settings are in tact. So I should set it at 10-12? Sounds about right, I'm not always going to be running premium. Usually its regular or medium grade. Of course, now that we bought one I see the vacuum advance one. That would have been a little bit better, maybe.

billandlori wrote:Told ya you'd get it!! I always find if I keep it simple and start with the basics it goes better!

Is the race this weekend? Should be fun! I wish my highschool would have had something like that!!

Bill

Yes, its the 24th on Saturday. We get there WAYYY early. We take racing seriously. The drags are setup through the track, the school doesn't do anything for it and if anything, they don't like it. They wouldn't let the one auto shop teacher have a decal on his backglass that included the schools name. The teacher told the principle that he wasn't going to take it off. They don't want people to see the school as low class or an automotive school, you can just tell. Which is bull shit being that they talk about other sports and clubs all the time. It ticks me off that they are like that, its not too classy of a school if you ask me. I'll tell you why I think that if you want me too, you've probably heard of the one thing on the news.

Yep, whatbumper is right. I was saying 20* just to make sure it fired off quickly for you. When your getting the engine fired up the first time, you don't want to be doing a bunch of cranking.....

Bill

Well now it isn't getting fuel and that's why it stalled and wont start. So my dad is sending it to a collision shop in which he knows the owner as we speak. I just hope they can get it done in time for the drags. I'll see about the 20 btdc, but I don't know if the shop will be adjusting the timing or not.

Yeah, I think most schools frown on racing - even doing it LEGALLY at a track. There is actually WAY more science and physics in drag racing than playing a flute in a music show or a football game. They could make it quite a learning deal if they would open their minds a bit.

Most folks seem to end up somewhere around 32-36* btdc total all in by around 2500rpm. Usually this works out to be 12-15 initial and then the mechanical advance on top of that.

Bill

billandlori wrote:Most folks seem to end up somewhere around 32-36* btdc total all in by around 2500rpm. Usually this works out to be 12-15 initial and then the mechanical advance on top of that.

Bill

I agree.

the combustion chambers on the factory heads were not that good. on closed chamber cleveland heads (very worked over) we have run 40-45 degrees successfully but with the windsor based factory stuff we usually stuck around the 36 degree range. with the newer technology heads like the twisted wedge or victor series we have run in the 26-28 degree range NA with success.

we run a strange timing situation now. 15 degrees start, 32 degrees idle, 52 degrees on the brake until we get 4psi boost then it gradually comes down to 25 degrees on boost. this comes from a LOT of testing over the years.

bb429power wrote:Well now it isn't getting fuel and that's why it stalled and wont start. So my dad is sending it to a collision shop in which he knows the owner as we speak. I just hope they can get it done in time for the drags. I'll see about the 20 btdc, but I don't know if the shop will be adjusting the timing or not.

A collision shop ? think I see the problem

bb429power wrote:

And by the way, I guess you showed that distributor who's boss.

It had it comming

Hope you get the carb problems squared away. Did you check the fuel pump and accelerator pumps on the carb?

DanH wrote:

bb429power wrote:Well now it isn't getting fuel and that's why it stalled and wont start. So my dad is sending it to a collision shop in which he knows the owner as we speak. I just hope they can get it done in time for the drags. I'll see about the 20 btdc, but I don't know if the shop will be adjusting the timing or not.

A collision shop ? think I see the problem

We did all of the work on it. My dad didn't have the time to mess with it and he just wanted it done so he took it to the shop. He knows the owner, that's the only reason why he's taking it there. He just didn't want to deal with it now because the schedule is too tight. They found out that the bolt that holds the eccentric on came out and ruined the eccentric and pump. The eccentric had already looked a little shabby but had a smooth surface. They are putting an electric pump on it and it should be ready in a couple of minutes. Then break in time, we have to drive 45 min. to get to the shop though.

Okay, the car is back and we just need to do a couple of tiny things to get it ready. But I have lost interest in going to the drags after my dad decided to take all his stress and anger out on me because I made the smart choice of using my brain.

Well, we got her goin. The shop owner is really cool, I've talked to him before and his employee's are cool too. He was saying "You got a fresh cam in it and you'll do great". Then he started talking about running it all out and said "Come on.....Lets go"! The way he was saying it.

I gave her a wash at 10 PM, what an experience, then I spun the tires and pulled it in the garage. I will post video's as soon as I can if I am able to race. Getting up EARLY like them fishing boys I get up early for school every day. But here's the plan, leave at 6, pick up grandpa and grandma, get there by 8, and then wait until the gates open at 9.

Hell yeah! I was kickin ass and takin names today! I was unstoppable, and I bringing home the bacon and giving our school points. I finally got eliminated by an Escalade, he had a handicap and I walked right up on him. I was neck and neck at the finish and he got me by 0.0221 and I was sooooooo damn close. I was multiple car lengths ahead of all the other cars I raced, I will upload results and video's soon. Man that was fun!

bb429power wrote:Hell yeah! I was kickin ass and takin names today! I was unstoppable, and I bringing home the bacon and giving our school points. I finally got eliminated by an Escalade, he had a handicap and I walked right up on him. I was neck and neck at the finish and he got me by 0.0221 and I was sooooooo damn close. I was multiple car lengths ahead of all the other cars I raced, I will upload results and video's soon. Man that was fun!

I guess we know what will happen to all his disposable income for the foreseeable future. Glad you had fun.

bb429power wrote:Hell yeah! I was kickin ass and takin names today! I was unstoppable, and I bringing home the bacon and giving our school points. I finally got eliminated by an Escalade, he had a handicap and I walked right up on him. I was neck and neck at the finish and he got me by 0.0221 and I was sooooooo damn close. I was multiple car lengths ahead of all the other cars I raced, I will upload results and video's soon. Man that was fun!

very cool man .... this is a great thread !!! keep up the great work and you should be very proud of yourself

Nick Bruno

Well photobucket is taking way too long to upload the videos, but I'll post them. The shop owner said that the rear cylinders on the right aren't getting fuel like the front ones. I cant think of the word he used, but he said the pistons could end up with holes in them. He was talking about how the headers for those cylinders were red and that the intake was feeding the front cylinders first. But the A/f mixture screw on that side was a bit off, so could that have caused it? I think what he said was that they were scavenging for fuel.

maverick wrote:I guess we know what will happen to all his disposable income for the foreseeable future. Glad you had fun.

Where do you think my money HAS been going? Ever since I got my truck, all I have spent my money on is car parts.

On the way out to Milan, it started sprinkling a couple of times. I though it would be a repeat of last year when we got rained out.
https://2img.net/h/i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae245/bb429power/IMG_0313.jpg
Waiting at the gates, like always, we were the first there. It was 7:30.
https://2img.net/h/i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae245/bb429power/IMG_0314.jpg
Taking the exhaust off, who needs that stuff?
Just got back from a run, notice the white slip.
https://2img.net/h/i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae245/bb429power/IMG_0324.jpg
Just before we left.
https://2img.net/h/i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae245/bb429power/P4240048.jpg
https://2img.net/h/i976.photobucket.com/albums/ae245/bb429power/P4240050.jpg
Videos soon to come, waiting on photobucket.