I took off the intake, new gaskets, reinstalled, and now it runs like crap. I am pretty sure I have it timed right, all plug wires are hot (not certain that they are sparking, I am testing the wires with a timing light). When it is running, I can see that the timing marks are about at the right spot, plus or minus 5-10 degrees (because it is not at idle). When I first tried to fire it up, it backfired a couple times. Then I verified #1 was at TDC when the dampner said so, and I was at #1 in the dizzy. But it will only run now if I keep it gassed, and then if I get it down to about 1000 rpm, it slowly starts to slow down and die, and there is a very strong odor of gas in the area, which I never had before...kina like it used to smell when I was running on 6 cylinders (before new valves, etc.) All I did was swap out intake gaskets. The only thing I did different is I did NOT use RTF around all the ports, but just around the water ports and bolt holes. Should I have RTFd all the intake ports as well? I always have, but it is a mess to clean up and the instructions don't say you have to. Am I off by one tooth on the distributor, even though it shows being timed on the light?
If it had a vacum leak before and you sealed it with the new gaskets, I'd agree it's probably runnig a little rich now. The vacum leak would have leaned out the mixture with extra air.
Hey scoop, if you got your master degrees the way you have to learn about cars off this board it would have taken you 15 years at least. I mean it as humor of course.
IT was a vacuum leak...a big one. I forgot to hook up the vacuum line from the back of the manifold to the transmission. So, there was a 3/8" big leak at the back. Also, I agree with the engine running richer now, as there is still a lot of fumes in the garage when I am running it now. So, back to fine tuning. Haven't had it out of the garage to test drive it. but did get it running smooth. Also, disconnected the vacuum line to the distributor and capped all the ports off. I have 38 degrees total advance at 3000 rpm, and about 15 initial advance at idle, without the vacuum line...just running the mechanical/centrifugal advance. I will drive a little while, maybe tomorrow, and see where I am on air/fuel mixture, and adjust as needed. Thanks to MaverickGrabber who gave me a phone call and when he mentioned "vacuum leak" I remembered that I left that manifold line off because I wanted to put a vacuum guage on it and see what kind of vacuum I was running. Never put it back on to start the car, though, so it ran like crap. I am pulling 12 in/hg on the high port on the front of the carb, should I leave the 8in/hg spring under the metering rods, or should I back off to the 5 or 7? Edelbrock tech told me to cut the vacuum in half and use that spring, but I don't have a 6, and I would rather run lighter with the 8 or 7 than with the 5.
Scott; read your vacuum at the low port, below the throttle plates. The upper is ported vacuum, and is for things like the vacuum advance. I noticed you had problems with your vacuum advance, and that may be the problem. If it is on the manifold vacuum port, it will max out all the time. Sorry didn't catch this before. IF it is on the lower port, move it to the upper, and see how it goes. Good luck!
I am sorry, I am calling the lower port on the carb, with the higher vacuum, the "high port". And vice versa. I will try to call the lower one on the carb, with the higher vacuum, the low port. On my Edel, they are both on the front of the carb, the high vacuum port is on the driver side and is only about 1/2" lower, the 0 vacuum port is on the pass side. There is another one on the back of the carb that is plugged, and one on the back of the manifold running to the transmission and split off to the flap controller for the A/C-defrost. I currently have it going only to the trans until I figure out where all my trouble is coming from. I have been using the port with the 0 vacuum at idle and 6-8 vacuum at rev, not the one with the 12 vacuum at idle (the lower port with the higher vacuum). Right now, I both the front ports plugged, and will run with 15 degrees initial, 38 full advance, and see how it runs. I can always add the vacuum line back on later. Where is the correct place to run the line from that goes to the transmission, and to the flap controller in the A/C-defroster? Can they share the same line or would everything work better if on separate lines?
Scott; I would think they would work better with separate lines. The trans uses manifold vacuum to sense when the vacuum reaches a certain point from a low signal. I am not sure about the a/c door. I think there is a small vacuum tree on the back of the manifold that feeds all these points. They essentially have the same signal, just going to different places (if that makes any sense).
Thanks, I will dig around for a second line, if I can find one. If not, it seems to have been working well this way, I will just put in the correct fittings and connectors (I currently have two sizes of hose inserted inside one another and siliconed sealed together as a transition from one size tube to another).
Bluegrass...If I had gotten my masters degree by INTERNET...it would have taken at least 15 years Luckily, you don't get a masters in clinical psychology by trial and error, and asking a bunch of guys (and a couple of girls) on a forum. If I had, I would have gotten a much better education, and not just a bunch of "book smarts" :16suspect Anyway, I have to go run this thing a bit, see where my mixture is running, make some adjustments, and see if I have to buy a rebuild kit (and start saving for a Holley!!!).
Running again. Still sputtering, but not as much, so at least some of the problem was vacuum. It doesn't accellerate as well without the vacuum advance, so I guess I will hook it back up and live with the fast 50+ degrees advance. It never pings, even on 87 octane, so I can live with it. I will still have to buy a rebuild kit, or at least take the carb apart and see what the inside looks like. A good cleaning can't hurt, and I will buy the rebuild kit if it looks like it needs it. Since there is some vacuum problem, I wonder how much might be leaking from the PCV port? I just have 3/8 fuel line hooked up there, and it is kinda loose. When I took it off, the engine sputtered and died. I cut the last inch off and reinstalled, but I wonder if a tighter fitting rubber hose might work better Plugs are burning a nice light tan color again, so I will not mess with the high speed mixture, but I did lean out the idle mixture, figured it wouldn't hurt, and might cut back on gasoline smells in the house and on my clothes. Never had that until recently, so I know something is still not quite right :confused:
put a clamp on the 3/8 hose to tighten it. the mech adv only should be quicker than with vac adv. in another of your threads i said to advance a few deg at a time until you get a hot start slow crank, then back off until it hot cranks ok. that should get you close to optimum timing. then fine tune at the track. i know on my son's mav hooking up the vac adv costs 2 tenths. i think you still have other issues. if all is good, more mech timing usually makes car more responsive, not less. more adv cleans up bottom end. but if you are lean to begin with, it would hurt.
igo...good advice...I hope my local track opens soon so I can test this stuff out in person...supposed to open in March, but...???
