smoking 360

[dolinick]

Base line the carb, see:

http://www.bob2000.com/carb.htm

A 292 cam is not going to idle at 550-600, I'd say go for 800-1000. With a stick as long as it isn't idling on the transfer ports you it doesn't matter a whole lot.

Lets set the timing using total timing. If you have an advance timing light it is easy using the knob on the light, if not you will need to locate and paint the appropriate timing mark.

I would shoot for 34-36 degrees at 4000 or more RPM with the vacuum advance disconnected and plugged.

I read some of that bob200.com website. It looks like some excellent
information. I don't know what most of it means though. So my engine
will always idle at around 1000 rpm? What is 'total timing'? I just have
a plane jane timing light. Should I copy the timing marks up to 40 or 50?
It stops at 20 I believe. So with a tachometer open the throttle up to about 4000 and look for 34-36 degrees with vacuum advance disconnected and plugged?

I had opened the mixture screws way more thant 1.25 turns. It isn't
running well enough for me to drive it anywhere at the moment. I had
driven around the block at just idle to park next to my driveway the other
day and that's about it. Otherwise I drove it about 2 blocks to the gas
station and filled it up with super. I also had driven it a few blocks to
a tire shop to get the tires aired up. Actually I hadn't monkey'd with
anything except the timing after that. The lifter(or something) was making
a heck of a racket at that time but but the engine was running sort
of okay at that time. I had driven it across town. I just cruised on
the interstate. It was fun to drive. It seemed to have some power.
That was the day I brought the truck home to my house.
That was the first time I had driven it with the new engine installed
except for a few blocks down to get the muffler hooked up when
I was paranoid I was going to overheat the engine. We had put
some water in it but It took a couple of gallons more after that trip
to the muffler shop. I'm not telling it very well.

I bought a set of motorcraft sp-420 bsf42c spark plugs. I don't know
what the gap is supposed to be or exactly how to measure the gap.
I have a little round guage. The plug would slide almost up to the .0450
mark. They were all pretty close to that out of the boxes.

Dan

[Finleyphoto]

Now you're getting into the extreme science of wild cams and other hotrod performance parts.

I just try and fix what's in front of me out in the shop.

Maybe it's time to get back to basics. What was your original problem with this engine? It smoked a little when you started it for the first time?

Have you driven this truck any since installing this engine? It may need to loosen up after sitting.

Is this oily smoke? Or is it loading up with fuel and flooding?

If it's flooding you might try setting the float a little lower than specified until you get the thing running where you're comfortable with it.

I'd also reset the mixture screws to 3 or 4 turns out each.

Make sure your cap, rotor, wires and plugs are good, and the coil, then start it up and let it run.

Keep an eye on the Temp and Oil lights/gauges.


Dennis

[Finleyphoto]

The late "Old Man" Cullen taught me how to set up a Holley 20 years ago.

Set yer float(s) a little low until you get the car running and mixture screws about 4 turns out.

Get everything else running right, then readjust the floats and mixture screws later.

Also to use Automatic Transmission Fluid on the O-rings on the tube between bowls and gently twist it together.

Lot of good information died with that man...


Dennis

[DuckRyder]

So my engine will always idle at around 1000 rpm?

Probably, theres more to the cam than only the lift and duration, but any cam with that duration is going to lope, you can probably set it at about 800-850 but it will probably smooth out quite a bit at 950-1000.

What is 'total timing'?

Your engine receives advance from 3 sources: base or initial (what you set it at at idle), centrifugal (from the advance weights and springs) and vacuum (from the canister). My reference total timing is technically incorrect as true total would include the vac advance, but any how....

I just have a plane jane timing light. Should I copy the timing marks up to 40 or 50? It stops at 20 I believe. So with a tachometer open the throttle up to about 4000 and look for 34-36 degrees with vacuum advance disconnected and plugged?

Yes, you can probably find a timing tape at one of the big box stores, measure the diameter of the balancer, that is all that matters, or simply measure the distance between the existing marks and continue around the balancer.

I had opened the mixture screws way more thant 1.25 turns.
Dan

Ok, to start lets run them in to between 2-4 turns (evenly) and make sure the floats are not too high. If you don't have the instructions for the carb, download them from Holleys site, they are pretty straightforward.

Your plug gap is fine to start.

Also, lets make sure the balancers not turned, pull the number one plug and have a helper manually turn the engine while you try to plug the hole with your finger, you should feel it trying to push your finger out. once that starts have the helper slow down and watch as the balancer comes up on TDC. it should stop pushing your finger out right about TDC and begin to suck shortly after. You can also shine a flashlight in the cylinder and see the piston stop moving at TDC.

The reason that I am suggesting that you shoot for 34-36 above 4000 is that the Accel is probably adjustable by spring weight and stops, and we have no way of knowing how it is set. Lets disconnect and plug the vacuum line and set the initial + centrifugal 34-36 at 4000 RPM. Once you do that, you can see what the initial is at idle, and also you can slowly accelerate the engine speed while watching the timing marks to see at what RPM it reaches the 34-36 that you set. Record the initial and the RPM that it reaches the 34-36 that you set it at and we will know how much centrifugal and what RPM its "all in by".

You might get the number off of the distributor and see if you can download those instructions as well.

In your Holley instructions you should be able to determine which vacuum port is the "ported vacuum". It is probably on the metering block near the mixture screws. You need to make sure there is NO vacuum at that port with it idling, if there is it is onto the transfer ports and thats bad, slow the idle down until there is nothing there at idle. Depending on the exact cam grind this may be an issue...

Once all of this is done it should run decently and you can fine tune the mixture.

[DuckRyder]

Here are a few links:

http://www.holley.com/data/Products/Tec ... 0219-3.pdf

http://www.holley.com/data/Products/Tec ... R10308.pdf

http://www.jacobselectronics.com/Instru ... ?BrandID=3

On page 2 and 3 of this thread there are some sound files of my truck, while I am not suggesting it is perfectly tuned, it may give you an idea of how yours may sound.

http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... c&&start=1

Also, if you do decide to have someone work on it for you, you should find someone familiar with performance engines. You may want to ask for suggestions on the FE Forum.

[dolinick]

When I got home from work I monkeyed with the carb some
more. I got it to run better but still smoking. The idle
advance with the advance vacuum hose plugged up and
disconnected is about 14. I don't have a tach but It will
go close to 30 when revved up a bit. It's scary to me
to rev it that high. My Kenworth only revs to about 2000
and I'm sitting safe and quiet in the cab. I lowered the
float about half a turn and I believe the idle mixture screws
are about at 2.5 or 3 turns now. After the engine warmed up
and I got to stand there and listen. It just sounds really noisy
to me. Am I paranoid or is it supposed to make that
much racket?

I plan on getting a tachometer or vacuum unless I let someone
else look at it first.

Oh, I was lowering the float and opening the mixture screws
and I got a couple of backfires out the tailpips. Nice and loud.
I have a bad ignition switch but I don't know for sure if that
was it. Once we were driving to blanco, tx and the engine just
shut off for a few seconds when it restarted it let out a loud boom!
It was my ignition switch I believe. I got a new one I don't know
if it is the right year and I don't have a key for the new one yet.
I just grabbed it from u-pull it.

Dan

[DuckRyder]

Do you think it could be a solid lifter cam?

In your other videos it sounds like it might be...

There are a couple other clues in your last post.

Does the timing stop advancing at "close to 30" if you continue to raise the RPM?

[Finleyphoto]

Are you sure you've got a good coil and coil wire on this thing?

Dennis

[dolinick]

Here is a film clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwLbqsWUYY8

Dan

[dolinick]

Are you sure you've got a good coil and coil wire on this thing?

Dennis

I'm not sure of anything anymore. I think I'm killing my engine.
I am not a mechanic by any means but it sounds mechanical or
like an exhaust leak or something. It's really making an ugly noise.

The coil and wires and distributor and carb and intake for that
matter are fairly new. They were all put on this engine a few
years ago and the owner to my knowledge didn't drive it much.
I assumed he had taken excellent care of the truck and engine.

He did have headers which I bought but did not install. I currently
have the old stock exhaust manifolds on. um, you know what
I need to check my mufflers to make sure they are good. It had
sounded quiet when I had the tailpipe connected at this muffler
shop the first day I tried to drive it at all.

Dan

[DuckRyder]

I think it is idling way too fast (based on the sound I would say about 1500)

You really need to get a tachometer and vacuum gauge on it.

Check your firing order... it almost sounds like it has a crossed wire. Also get some wire separators on the plug wires and get them unbundled... they can cross fire when they are bundled together like that.

As for the noise, I still think it might have a solid lifter cam, if it does it is fine.

Does it have an oil pressure gauge?

The smoke, lets get it tuned before you worry too much about it.

[dolinick]

more clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkcUOTcy7ec

Dan

[dolinick]

I think it is idling way too fast (based on the sound I would say about 1500)



As for the noise, I still think it might have a solid lifter cam, if it does it is fine.

Does it have an oil pressure gauge?

The smoke, lets get it tuned before you worry too much about it.

The oil pressure guage moved a little to where the white section starts.

Dan

[Finleyphoto]

Also get some wire separators on the plug wires and get them unbundled... they can cross fire when they are bundled together like that.

That's what I was gonna say...

Does the smoke small gassy or oily?


Dennis

[Finleyphoto]

Also, try unpluging the vacuum hose from the distributor and plugging it, then let's see how it runs.

This will isolate the vacuum advance workings inside the distributor if there is a problem there.

Dennis