327 question

[milkdud99]

hey (if youve read my other post) my car is getting better.. its soo close. i think i narrowed down the problem, but i have a question

when the car idles, it sounds like every so often a plug isn't fireing. so i tested all of the wires, and they each hae electrisity going threw them. then i started the car, and pulleg the spark plug wire from the #1 cyl. and the car got ruff. so i figured that worked (my thinking is, is that if the car has no change in sound, that the plug on that cyl. is bad.) Well i went around to all 8, and found that pulled the spark plug wire off the #2, #3, #5, and #8 plugs the car made no difference in sound. ok so i figure i had a bad batch of plugs.... but to back this up, i pulled the plugs from the #2, #3, #5, and #8 cyl. each, and made sure that each plug was sparking (which they all are)...

I even pulled the wires from the 2,3,5,and 8 at the same time, and had no change in idle????

Im confused... and convinced that this car is possesed!

Is there any reason on why these cyl. with no power to the plugs are having the engine at a smooth idle??

 

[Subfixer]

That's pretty strange... If you go through the firing order, thats every other cylinder.

1, 8, 4, 3, 6, 5, 7, 2

Bad cap? Misadjusted valves? Got to be something simple....

 

[IH2LOSE]

I would start with the basics to get your car running correctly.


Read your plugs they tell alot of about a motor.

Pull them out one at a time and see what they look like.If they are oiley or full of gas it could be why they are not fireing.

What are they gapped at,if your running an electronic ignition I think they need to be gapped at around 45 to take advantage of the hot spark.

How are you getting a reading on the plug wire to see spark.

How old are the wires

Are they wires meant for a high energy distributor

Have you ever ran the motor at night to see if the wires are leaking electricity.wrong wires or crack wire or burnt wites .When you run the car in the pitch black you can see them shorting and arking to metal parts on the car

Have you checked your plug wire locations to the fireing order.

How is the inside of the distriputor cap any cracks or signs of voltage jumping ,how do the contacts look from the rotor to plug wire connections.

When ever I am working on a car I realley get to my basics first.

Have you checked for vacum leaks around the manifold and carb base?
What kinda vacum are you running at idel.
Have you done a wind test to see if any cylenders are out of line with the others

When I was 12 or 13 I was given a R.A.C. Engine tune up kit,(I still have it) it has a pressure gauge,vacum gauge,timing light,feeler gauges,timing light,(I just up graded my timing light to an adjustable in the last 5 years)Dwell meter with an electrical analizer.Remote starter,compresstion gauge,And the most important thing it had was an instuction book that I used to follow to the tee when tuning a car.It explained where to start first.and what you should be looking for.this is what taught me how to tune a car. If you plan on keeping a collector car I would recomend having these diagnostic tool avalable to you
Good luck I was told sears still sells a kit like this.

PS I was givin this kit by a person on my old paper route who had a old tractor in his back yard.and he was restoring a gto.I traded him 2 days labor cleaning his engine bay and frame area and motor and trans that was out of the car with kerosine.

I only asked for the tractor and was going to push it home.

He gave me the engine analizer kit,a new pair of coveralls,and he delivered. the tractor to my home,with a new battery.

Good luck I am on the east coast and just leaving for a parade drop me a pm with your phone number.Its easeyer to talk for me then to type Ill be back around 1 pm or so

 

[youwish2bme]

A friend read your post and asked me to post this about your problem....

"This engine behavior is typical of a broken valve spring on one of the cylinders that you pulled. The reason it affects more than one cylinder is that the intake manifold is a dual plane manifold.

To better distribute fuel to the end cylinders, dual plane manifolds use half the carburetor to feed some cylinders and half to feed the others. This arrangement equalizes the length of the runners and keeps the four center cylinders under the manifold from getting a rich mixture and the four end cylinders from getting a lean mixture.

If the valve spring on a companion cylinder is broken, the vacuum to the four cylinders will be lower and they will all be more or less affected by the bad cylinder."

 

[no1agitator]

Your problem is NOT the electical system. Look at the valve train, bad valve or a broken spring on one of those cylinders. gmjunkie is on the money with his post, low vacume

 

[milkdud99]

This is not Strange at all!! On a stock chevy Intake 8,3,5,2 pull from pass side of Carb.,1,4,6,7 pull from driver side of Carb !! Be my gess you have a vac. leak in Carb, Intake, or a vac. port in rear of intake,or a vac leak in one way vac. valve going to acc. Heater, A/C, Cr Con.,or Head lamps

i have a feeling ur onto somthing! im cheking out the carb right now!

 

[Subfixer]

This is not Strange at all!! On a stock chevy Intake 8,3,5,2 pull from pass side of Carb.,1,4,6,7 pull from driver side of Carb !! Be my gess you have a vac. leak in Carb, Intake, or a vac. port in rear of intake,or a vac leak in one way vac. valve going to acc. Heater, A/C, Cr Con.,or Head lamps Depending on Year and vehicle Opp.

I guess I didn't think far enough.. Learn something new everyday. You guys are right on the money... Sounds like a carb or vacuum problem.

 

[JohnZ]

Have you adjusted your idle mixture screws with the engine running and a vacuum gauge to make sure both idle systems are operating and are adjusted for highest steady vacuum? If you've pulled those four plug wires (all of which are in cylinders fed by one plane of the dual-plane manifold) and it doesn't affect the idle, and the plugs are firing and aren't wet, those cylinders aren't getting any fuel.

 

[milkdud99]

Have you adjusted your idle mixture screws with the engine running and a vacuum gauge to make sure both idle systems are operating and are adjusted for highest steady vacuum? If you've pulled those four plug wires (all of which are in cylinders fed by one plane of the dual-plane manifold) and it doesn't affect the idle, and the plugs are firing and aren't wet, those cylinders aren't getting any fuel.

yeah thats what i figured, right now im trying to fool with my holley i just put on, it starts, but isn't staying afloat, and ive been all over the place with the idle mixture and the idle speed screwes any advice on this???

 

[IH2LOSE]

yeah thats what i figured, right now im trying to fool with my holley i just put on, it starts, but isn't staying afloat, and ive been all over the place with the idle mixture and the idle speed screwes any advice on this???

I realley recomend you get past the basics prior to bringing a new carb into the mix.If the motor is not running correct youll never get it set correct.

Best of luck

 

[milkdud99]

I realley recomend you get past the basics prior to bringing a new carb into the mix.If the motor is not running correct youll never get it set correct.

Best of luck

i see ur point, but i know that the other carb wasn't delivering the air fuel, because the one side of the manifold was completly dry (the non firing side) so i figured the new carb would deliver the air fuel mix.

 

[IH2LOSE]

Yea !:bang :bang Beat it off with a 8lb Hammer and Put a Real carburetor back on it!! Not a Flote Stick'n, Car Burn'n Holley!! :confused I thout you wanted it to Run right and be Dependable!!:nono :nono gmjunkie!!

I can translate for you.Not every one likes holleys.Sometimes they bring more trouble to the table then there worth.

 

[IH2LOSE]

i see ur point, but i know that the other carb wasn't delivering the air fuel, because the one side of the manifold was completly dry (the non firing side) so i figured the new carb would deliver the air fuel mix.

But was the dry side of the motor determined to be the carbs a fact,Did you assemble this.Any chance of a rag down the throat of the intake,wrong intake gasket, Problems with the valves? Wrong rockers on the heads,NASTY vacum leak.crack in that area of the plenumn.

You know its dangerous but I was taught to find vacum leaks with carb cleaner,You would spray it on possible leak areas and listen to what the motor says to you.

Again good luck

Just to give you an idea of holleys.After days of watching some one play with a brand new holley I insited he install a borrowed used preditor carb on his car and the thing is just completely out of control. It now winds up like a 2 stroke motor.He built a high winding small block and this carb is bringing it all out for him.Yes the carb is brand new but we just could not get it to wind up, Both carbs are nearley identical in cfms

 

[no1agitator]

sometimes ya feel like your up against a brick wall
Agi



​

 

[youwish2bme]

sometimes ya feel like your up against a brick wall

Agi




​

Why do I understand that so well....... Dave...

 

[milkdud99]

But was the dry side of the motor determined to be the carbs a fact,Did you assemble this.Any chance of a rag down the throat of the intake,wrong intake gasket, Problems with the valves? Wrong rockers on the heads,NASTY vacum leak.crack in that area of the plenumn.

no rag is down the intake, that was the first thing i checked. intake gasket was right, it fit right, and came in the rebuild kit. valves are all adjusted right loosen till clack and now a half turn in.

now with the holley on it, it sounds like its ready to go out and drive. all i've gotta do is tune it up.

AND can someone tell me the reason behind the "if it aint stock its not good" attitudes lol theres some things that should stay stock, but NOT EVERYTHING has to be, like the carb, or even down to the stock oil pump. people just have to realize that some things do get are made better with tchnological improvements.

 

[IH2LOSE]

AND can someone tell me the reason behind the "if it aint stock its not good" attitudes lol theres some things that should stay stock, but NOT EVERYTHING has to be, like the carb, or even down to the stock oil pump. people just have to realize that some things do get are made better with tchnological improvements

Sorry If I am or if we are giving the wrong impressions here.I think on this forum you find a greater mix.Me personally have built a factory correct 66 I am hoping to have Flight Judged thru the NCRS,But on the other hand i am building a 1962 with a tube frame and far far from factory correct and I have never heard a complaint from one person saying what I am doing is sacroligous.

Ill share a short story, I used to be into snowmobiles I mean HIGH PERFORMANCE sleds.I built up a large luxury barge.but I built it proper.I installed a exchaust pipe on it.I then installed a new intake to bring in more air for the pipe to exchaust,Once I brought in more air I had to rejet the carbs to add more fuel to the added air I was bringing in,Now I was making alot more hourse power and I needed to change my clutch engagement to take advantage of the new power, Now since I am getting more power I had to install more studs so the sled would dig in to put the power to the ground. So imaginge I had this giant 2 person sled that I had me my wife my son and my daughter on it and we could woop just about any body in the trails in a flat out drag race.

Now the others were doing performance mods like adding more studs,but with out the added hourse power it was worthless,Guys were installing $700.00 exchaust systems But they never added extra air or fuel.Needless to say we had a blast with this old man sled because I purposley built it,I just did not go throught a performance magazine.

I dont know if it makes sence to you but a holley is not always considered performance improvement. Me personally used to rebuild my own carbs(if you could call it that,take it apart,clean it and put it back together),then one day I sent one out and had it rebuilt,they took it apart and replained all the surfaces clean all of the throttle bores out and re bushed them.when this carb was done it was absolutely better then new, I would always recomend a stock rebuild by a real rebuilder (not the mills the auto part stores purchase from) over a new holley purchase.

And yes I do own a holley on my 66 but it the stock one from the factory.

Again Good Luck and me personally am here to help every one I can.

I owe this board so much it has helped me thru 2 car builds and loss of a freind

 

[vintagecorvette]

Building a good motor is not simply buying the largest most expensive aftermarket accessories you can afford. Building a good motor is matching the right parts together. Too large of carb on a too small of motor = problems. The factory build everything to match and you should try and do the same. I am not saying that you have to stick to 100% factory specs, but you should try and match all the mods that you do. oWEN


and by the way the people here are trying to offer assistance. If you want to dump money into useless mods that are causing nothing but problems then do it. I just recommend that you do not ask for help when you have a problem and continue to ignore the the advice. This is the best site, for advice. Less drama than others I visit.

 

[milkdud99]

Building a good motor is not simply buying the largest most expensive aftermarket accessories you can afford. Building a good motor is matching the right parts together. Too large of carb on a too small of motor = problems. The factory build everything to match and you should try and do the same. I am not saying that you have to stick to 100% factory specs, but you should try and match all the mods that you do. oWEN

Agreed!

it just gets annoying when people act like money and time isn't an issue. but i guess thats my fault, due to people not knowing my situation. so i'll give a brief overview.

Im a 20 year old college student working on this car, to one give my parents somthing nice to drive, and 2, invest my money into it. i understand the whole stock components create a more pricey car (unlike most kids i know) Ive been working on a limited budget, and am now broke lol

Im in florida right now, trying to get this car up to 100% the fastest/cheapest way possible so i can go bck to my house in NJ. this is the only thing holding me back, and i figure instead of trouble shooting old parts, a new part (that should work, but sometimes don't) will get me outa here sooner. for all of the put it back to a stock carb, i will... (if im not pleased with the holley) once i get the one side fixed..


Thats my background lol (if anyone cars)

hopefully i'll be driving around 2morrow and testing out the "new" old car