Well I have a problem with my new engine in my car and for the life of me I don't know what is going on. Hope it is something simple.

First, What I have. A Jasper rebuilt engine, that I placed a big valve head on. The head had new seats and valves and guides installed. I had a used cam that was .490 lift that was installed at 98 degrees intake centerline.( 4 degrees advanced) I have a new blaster coil, New HEI module, new cap rotor and wires. I have a known good 500 CFM carb on it.

What it does. When I pump the gas it will fire off but will barely keep running. It sounds like something is way out of time or something. I can pump the gas while it is running and it is just like it is not getting fuel. Then all of a sudden it will speed up almost on its own and then it will shut off. When it shuts off it stops right now. As in quickly. It is very loud with open headers in the garage, but it just sounds wrong. It is not backfiring through the carb.

What I did - I actually thought maybe I had the cam in wrong. That is how bad it sounds. So I pulled the radiator and mounted my degree wheel, and checked the intake centerline (This was off the rocker adjuster bolt) and I got about 96 or 97 degrees. Not exactly 98 where I thought it was but with how I was measuring it was close. So I put it back together.
I put the distributor in 10 different times. No dice. Actually Ryan helped me today and you can see the timing mark at just about 10 BTDC while we cranked it over. So that should be close too. I took the carb off and placed it on another truck and it sat there and ran fine. Re-install carb. I replaced the HEI module with another new one. It acts the same. I rechecked the HEI wiring and it is correct. ( I have installed 2 other ones and have had no problems) All vacuum lines are plugged, PCV valve hose is plugged. I have a new thick intake gasket, new carb base gasket and gasket between the carb plate and intake is new. No open ports anywhere. It has new fuel in it. I disconnected everything that wasn't needed to eliminate any problems ie. low oil pressure cut off, tach wire to coil...etc. We ran a compression test and all the cylinders were between 145# and 160#. I checked the air gap on the distributor pick up.

I'm really sorry this is long, but I'm stumped, or stupid, or both. I would appreciate your help. Maybe this is a bad dream.

Rick Covalt

_________________
2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

Did you accidently fill it up with diesel?

Rick, make sure you have a good seal between the carb mounting plate and the intake. They will act just like that when you have a vacuum leak under the plate.

Weak spark will do the same thing.

_________________
Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

No to the diesel.

Dennis, I will pull the carb and check it again, but I did pull the plate yesterday while I had the carb off and it looked fine.

Rick

_________________
2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

try a points dist test run
sounds eletric 2men

_________________

slant six's RULE!
http://www.usajon.com

What's the fuel pump pressure?

I'm thinking not enough gas is getting to the carb.

_________________
Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

Sorry, I don't have a fuel pressure gauge. I didn't have fuel to the carb at first, and I had the current pump in my garage. It looked nearly new, but I'm not sure where I got it. I put it on and got fuel right away, but I don't know the pressure.

_________________
2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

Why 98° ? Which cam are you running?

CJ

_________________
Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

Ceej,

I got the cam used. Gentleman thought it was a MP cam. He had run it for just a short time in his car and didn't like it on the street with an automatic. I measured the lift at .490 (with 1.5 rockers) And when I looked up that cam I found a 102 intake C/L. When I installed it the bushings I had got me to 98 and I thought 4 degrees advance would be fine. I since have seen that cam listed at 104. I honestly didn't know exactly what I had for sure. But the plan was for this to be a short term engine until I get my "real" motor built.

Rick

_________________
2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

No problem with 98 deg cam timing. I've played around some and ran the '64 Dart at 96 for the last several years. Ran a MP 0.490" at 99 deg for about 7 yrs and that was near perfect.

What valve lash are you at? Back em off to 0.030"/0.030" and see if that helps. The MP 0.490" is listed at 0.028"/0.032" and I ran mine just a smidge tigher (around 0.026"/0.030").

However, I also vote for weak spark or a carb baseplate leak. I like the points dist try. Dead simple test. I had the Pertronix in Project V hooked up to the hot wire AFTER the ballast, and it did just about what you are describing.

Don't worry, you will fix it!

Lou

_________________
Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

I am not sure where I am on lash. I will have to check, but I think I set them at 18 and 26 cold. So I will back them off tomorrow. I am pretty sure have a point type distributor I can drop in to check that out. I probably will just get a new fuel pump while I'm at it too.

I did check the Ohm readings on the Blaster coil and it was right on according to their web site.

I may have to grab 2 small mufflers to bolt up to the headers too. It is very loud in the garage. Then I can hear a little better.

I'll report back,

Rick

99% sure it is not a base gasket leak.

_________________
2 Mopars come with Spark plug tubes. One is a world class, racing machine. The other is a 426 CI. boat anchor!

12.70 @ 104.6

I still think it's eletric
you know you can back fill a carb manually and it should start/run until empty
I do it on starting sitting cars we buy
also using choke too.

just be careful fire ! ! !
I do it outside/no garage

_________________

slant six's RULE!
http://www.usajon.com

Valves are very tight if MP 0.490" cam. Sleep well tonight - it will work soon....

Lou

_________________
Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Sounds like your onto something with the lash.

A few thoughts:

The adapter plate that goes into the Offy/Clifford manifold has four screws. A leak at that point had us chasing our tails for a bit. It's unlikely to be what your experiencing, but I got in the habbit of sealing the heads of the countersunk screws with RTV after that. Sealed them up, and it ran fine. It messed up the idle/transfer circuit somehow.

A standard square bore gasket can be marked and punched for the adapter to manifold. I skin both sides of that gasket with RTV now as a precaution.

Double check the adapter to make sure it's flat. I've had those warp. They don't seal worth a plug nickel once that happens. I also stopped using phenolic spacers after that fiasco. I've not experienced warping with the aluminum four hole spacers.
After buying a new one, I took the old spacer and put it in my press between two iron plates. It straightened up fine, though generally with aluminum that won't be the case without preheating.

CJ

_________________
Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

Every stock Offy adapter plate (from offy) I've seen is junk. They are some knid of crap pot metal and warp/distort very easily.

Lou

_________________
Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988