Cam Swap

[65RHDEER]

S'what I thought too...before this farce I had 180 but that was with 10.25:1 compression.
I'm using a thicker head gasket now.

What was the specs of the old cam that gave the 180psi?

I have had a look at the timing set that Edelbrock specify for your cam, I can't see anything that says it's any different in regard to camsharft timing compared to any other timing set.
I see on the cam card that you must use the 7801 timing set but I don't understand why.

[malc]

The old cam was a Crane for computer controlled
motors.
I bought for the original 305.
When I swapped that for the 355 I thinks....
why not try that cam, it's a torque cam and might work.
It did work and with my World Products 58cc
cast heads really pulled hard.
I don't have the specs any more.

As for the timing chain I just think Edelbrock want to sell timing chains too.
The one I installed was just under double the price of the Edelbrock....

[malc]

Tomorrow on "Crass Dummy Cam Swap"....
malc searches for a vacuum leak and installs a fresh power valve.

Weather permitting.

[65RHDEER]

Also check the line going to your vacuum gauge, make sure it's not pinched, cut, got a hole somewhere or even disconnected at the firewall or somewhere.

You can check by just sucking on it, you should see vacuum at the gauge also.

[malc]

IT "RUNS".......albeit a tad rough, I need to re clock the distributor.

I did find a vacuum leak, the tube had pulled from a T which goes to a
vacuum gauge in the car and one on the firewall.
That was re installed and shrink wrapped to hold it and seal it.
It must have pulled when I was upping and downing the motor to install the
new oil pan seal etc.
Next up I replaced the power valve with a new one, Iīve found if the engine runs rough
a new valve usually helps.
Next I re lashed all the valves, cylinder by cylinder EOIC then IOEC.

I was at several points scared to death to even crank the motor...

[cstmwgn]

IT "RUNS".......albeit a tad rough, I need to re clock the distributor.

I did find a vacuum leak, the tube had pulled from a T which goes to a
vacuum gauge in the car and one on the firewall.
That was re installed and shrink wrapped to hold it and seal it.
It must have pulled when I was upping and downing the motor to install the
new oil pan seal etc.
Next up I replaced the power valve with a new one, Iīve found if the engine runs rough
a new valve usually helps.
Next I re lashed all the valves, cylinder by cylinder EOIC then IOEC.

I was at several points scared to death to even crank the motor...

EXCELLENT NEWS!

I have been down similar roads and at times have peered over the edge and wondered .....

[Deaf Bob]

You guys are lucky...you can hear and quit cranking when you hear weird stuff!
Usually when I figure out something is badly "off" damage results..

My second headered car was my 57.. After a hard play session, I had the hood up and heard a knock... Parked it till a friend from 2.5 hrs away came home for the weekend.. All it was was a blown header gasket on one tube.. Later on, maybe a year, again after playing, ran really crappy.. Oil pressure was good-bad-good... Ran rough to boot. So to save the good motor I swapped it out.. Few years I took it apart to freshen it up.. Found bits of plastic in the pan.. It was the oil pump shaft collar.. NONE of my engines after that had that collar!

[65RHDEER]

When you said it showed no vacuum that pointed me to check the line going to the gauge, a motor must make vacuum to pull the charge into the cylinder.

I guy in Australia helping getting a car running in Spain via a USA website!

Good on you for keeping at it, well done.

[silver_bullet]

Once again, your persistence paid dividends! Awesome!

[malc]

Well.....here we are again.
It "ran" but I couldīnt do anything with it, nothing.

Had it all apart and finally went for the Edelbrock timing chain which they tell you is the only way to time that cam
correctly.
Itīs a big single roller and I have my doubts about it.....


Iīll be surprised if it doesnīt fly off at any high rpm.
So I put it all back together making sure all the dots lined up etc.



Got it started....pretty much the same as before, and managed to get my vacuum gauge on it.
The best it can do is 13", should be 16" according to Edelbrock.

So 13" Iīm told is late valve timing....

Valve cover off driverīs side plugs out and watch as I turn the motor over by hand......everything happens as it should.

Then I find out 13" can also be a leak at the intake manifold so yesterday I do that, new intake and carb gaskets.

I left it twenty four hours to let the silicon set up and added coolant.

Start it up this morning....runs like crap still.

It runs like there is a big misfire, advancing the timing 14 on up makes no difference.

I wound the mixture screws out two whole turns....no difference.

What next, new plugs and a carb rebuild.....just because I īve run out of ideas and thereīs nothing else to
change.

Next week Iīm getting a CVR two piece timing cover and that will be the end of dropping that bloody oil pan.

[malc]

It took me ages to do that last post due to being buggered about on font and picture size then when I tap "Post Reply" the pictures get shuffled about.

JUST WHEN is this site getting upgraded ?

[anotheridiot]

No matter how far you move the distributor you cannot get it past 13? I mean thats great to me, I run at 7 and am lucky to find 10 with that bad distributor. Late valve timing is simply the rotor not lining up with the cap properly, so you move the cap until that gauge finds normal and you have to ignore the balancer. If you can advance the distributor to get it reading properly, then adjust your mixture screws until you get the highest vacuum, then you can go back and try to turn the dizzy back down.

Its either or at this point, trust the gauge or trust the timing light, not both.

[malc]

I am right now the proverbial "Porker in the poop......"

After my last post I went out to the car and did one of two things mentioned above.

A.......new plugs.
B.......a carb rebuild.

Which of those do you think I did in that time to make it run

Easy innit ?

It stills pulls 13" at idle, 750, but does go to 16" at 1000rpm as Edelbrock states.

Mixture screws I reset to one turn out before this startup.

I put the car in drive and moved it six inches forward, the most itīs been since November......I think.

Tomorrow Iīll tune it, wash it, drive it and treat it to a synthetic oil change.

No more oil additives for me.....

[Deaf Bob]

On my 77 flatbed with the RVII cam, I set the timing under load (often loaded ) and with the light and the vac hooked up the mark is almost to the 12 o'clock position.. Was told it pings so backed it off slightly. Nothing is "proper" about it except it hauls and moves.

I have always found the bicycle type timing chains slightly loose..

I know that "late valve timing" glitch too well..

[BBR]

Holy smokes that chain seems loose.