Ho- 302 that lacks power

[kimcrwbr1]

It`s a balance act between timing and fuel delivery Allways adjust the carb after you change the timing. Ford V-8s run best all in just before it pings. Base timing is not important as total advance and curve. Keep playing with it until you get it dialed in unless you have access to a machine.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

http://www.realspeedautomotive.com/dynotuning.html

 

[Rowdy Fitzgerald]

Hey guys sorry I havnt checked this thread in a while. So I pulled the timing cover off and the cam/crank gears were dead on. I'm toying with the idea of swapping over to a mustang intake and going EFI. What's your opinions on the idea? The way I see it I can get a new computer that's been flashed and reprogrammed for my setup and then I won't have to worry about adjusting the dang thing any more. I'm gonna keep playin with the carb for now though.

 

[Psychopete]

This is the first time I've messed with carbs.

You won't learn much this way. Go to your library and pick up a book on Holley carbs, read it 3 or 4 times and come back to the problem (and buy a trick kit). You will have answers, I guarantee it. This is the thing with carbs, in the time you spent not wiring up EFI, you will spend tuning a carb. In the time you spend wiring up EFI, if the engine is not too extreme, it will just work and that will be all you need to do.

 

[baddad457]

The way I see it I can get a new computer that's been flashed and reprogrammed for my setup and then I won't have to worry about adjusting the dang thing any more. I'm gonna keep playin with the carb for now though.

If you'd take the time to learn to tune a carb and the ignition, plus buy the right parts, you shouldn't ever have to "keep playing with the carb" once it's done correctly. The last two engines I had in my Ranger needed no tuning once they were both set up. Tune ups would last me 2-3 years between plug changes on both engines. One of them had three two bbl Holleys on it, it's been 8 years now since I tuned that setup for the engine, it's in it's second vehicle now. With the right intake, carb, cam and ignition, you can expect EFI like performance and reliability.

 

[Rowdy Fitzgerald]

Ok guys I'll take ur advice an learn carbs. I appreciate any and all your help. I just wish I had someone like you guys here to show me and teach me so I don't ruin my engine while I'm learning ha ha.

 

[Rowdy Fitzgerald]

Other than needing a paint job and wanting to reshape the front fenders the truck looks great. I'm waiting for payday to take the rear drive line in to be lengthened then I'll be able to drive it. I swapped the C6 out for a NP435. It really sucks ring on a budget lol.

 

[Rowdy Fitzgerald]

Ok so after I pulled the timing chain cover and checked the timing I was warming the motor up to adjust the carb. It didn't want to idle so i reved it up to use the fuel in the bowl so i could set the floats then I shut it down. Well it back fired through the carb as it stoped rotating. I looked the cam, timing chain up. The specs showed that the sprockets can be advanced or retarded. It's set at 0 deg right now. Should I leave it as it is or change it? For reference it's bored .030 over, has a crain E303 cam, Pro Comp 3037 heads, weiand stealth intake and a holley 570 street avenger carb. I've tried looking it up but couldn't find anything on it so I'm hoping someone here has ran this setup and can help me. My Cell is 559-907-3703 if some one can call or text me and explain it to my ignorant ass I would greatly appreciate it!!! Also im worried about my crank case pressure. It seems to be kinda high. After I let the timing chain cover set 24 hours it started leaking from the front of the oil pan gasket on the pass side. will it go down as the motor breaks in? Im wondering what my compression should be and will I be able to tell if my rings are lined up wrong in one cylinder from a compression check or do I need to do a leak down test? Would a reg compression guage work for that?

 

[dangerranger83]

Was reading up on carbs and saw something about another person that was having similar issues and said that it was caused by an internal vaccum leak in the carb.

Also when adjusting the idle, it was also said to do it one screw at a time, in for lean and out for richer.

 

[Rowdy Fitzgerald]

I stayed up last night researching holleys and I decided I've gotta get a tach and a vaccume gauge so I can tell whats goin on as I adjust the carb. Apparently the air mixture screws being out of adjustment will cause it to back fire. And after I get those and adjust the mixture screws I'll be able to tell if my accell pump cams are the right size.
Danger- I sure hope it isn't leaking internally. My friend and I just rebuilt it last month! I'll go through and try adjusting it first then if that font work I'll see if it's malfunctioning. Thanks for the input!

 

[theturbokid83]

i would say about 150psi dry should be a good cyl. but cam timming can effect compression greatly. and no cyl should be more then 15%-20% different from your best cyl.

 

[Rowdy Fitzgerald]

Ok so I havnt gotten around to running a compression check yet. I was adjusting the carb and the vac gauge wouldn't hold still. I put hose clamps on all the vac hoses and it helped some but still it was shuddering. Took some break cleaner sprayed around the intake and she bogged hard. The only thing I can figure was when it back fired it caused it to leak. The intake ports on the heads are so big the intake barely covers the top of each port. Some are worse than others and range from 1/8" to 1/4" of surface contact that seals the top of each port. So that's tomorrows project. Oh and what I thought was excessive crank case pressure is actually negative pressure from the carb through the PCV. I'm gonna bypass it tomorrow cuz it already sucked a hole throught the oil pan gasket. Sorry for the novel ha ha.

 

[Psychopete]

Oh and what I thought was excessive crank case pressure is actually negative pressure from the carb through the PCV. I'm gonna bypass it tomorrow cuz it already sucked a hole throught the oil pan gasket.

I would seriously consider pulling it back out, fixing the pan gasket, especially if pieces of it are in the engine now.

What valve covers did you use with that lower intake manifold ???

 

[Rowdy Fitzgerald]

Psyco- Yeah that's what'd on the agenda for today. I'm a seasonal fire fighter for the state of Ca and I don't start working again till the 25th so I'm trying to get her finished or I won't have much time to work on her for a long while.
I put old stock aluminum powered by ford covers on. They have 3/8 groves running the length of them i think theyre off a older mustang? I'm on a iPhone and I can't upload the pictures to the sight from it or I'd have a bunch more in my albums.

 

[Psychopete]

The 1988 HO EFI engine had the PCV valve in the back of the engine in the lower intake. Should work if you have the PCV valve in one cover and a breather in the other cover with an aftermarket lower intake. Do you just have a PCV valve in one side and an standard oil cap in the other?