Hi there well Ill "try"to keep this short and sweet. Just built my 350 and after I got it back from the shop I drove it for about 550 miles. When I got on it a bit it was fine, then let my dad drive it. He definitely took advantage, I thought it was fast but I knew it needed timing because these assholes forgot to put a timing tab.so next day I light em up at a street light, might have hit 4800 rpm( day before dad probably got it too 5500) then a pop , then a small click to a loud clicking. Limped it home. Sence the shop built the short block I figure minus well have em fix it, so ends up blown a right head gasket cause of detonation, my timing was FUBAR. Think he sayed 27 intial with like 14 mechanical plus vac adv lol so he timed it, total is 36 and I think he sayed he liked having all advance in by 3500, I told him about wanting it all in before 2500 but he sayed it could cause detonation so whatever figure if need be I change it myself later. So I drove car first time sence I got it back to house, got on it and same thing happen as last time.now can't blame it on timing.. I'm right next door to San Jose Ca if anyone wouldnt mind helping, dam Chevy friends talkin smack about the buick :spank:
Hi Buick, Sorry about your engine. I have a bad head gasket right now myself. I'm just burning a bit of coolant now is all tho. The Weather is turning colder and the Skylark is getting ready for it's 6 Month slumber. I have a bunch of .02 steel shim head gaskets that I can sell if you want. What year is your engine. I live just South Of Flint, worked at The Buick in Flint and drive a BUICK. I hate seeing all of those Funny Furrin Cars running around here. Sorry about your backward Chebby buddies as well. I'll be changing Two head gaskets this Winter and a cam. Let me know what you need, if anything. PONCH
Thanks, now am wondering if it might be something else.. Guy at shop sayed he milled them so iuno.what's the deal with those gasket ? I bought two off TA and I guess when the shop was breaking in the motor coolant started coming out from under the heads.. Sayed he didn't like em, but are they suppose to be leak free ? And it's a 69 block with 70 heads, switched to later style oiling too.it's all good they should know its only a matter of time till someone gets a potatoe shoved in their mufflers aha I don't like driving anything else ,I love my 69 skylark.something about it.Am James btw, right on for replying.
I think you would have heard a lot of ping long ago with that much timing but being all in by 3500 isn't a big issue. Must have a newer timing cover .early covers the tab is cast into cover
You are saying that there was a coolant leak at the head gasket during engine break in.... I say that is the trouble right there... I would not be quick to blame the gasket... Ask the shop to provide the torque sequence they used when torquing the heads to the block.. My guess is they just tell you it is the same on each engine and they have done 3000000 engines and this was the first one that had an issue.
I would also suspect head and deck flatness, and even the surface finishes which can be problematic after improper machining. Devon
Yea I was listening for it and nothing obvious thought it sounded rough but I got the ta 284 so I thought that was it. And I figure if timing was terrible it wouldn't ran good.. But I thought it did but it's my first car and I don't even know how it felt stock so.. And during break in about 2 minutes in the heads leaked. So shut it down then I think they put fel pro gaskets and it was fine, no leaks. I will ask about the torque specifications I just figure they should freaking know. Go figure shoulda just did it myself:afh and yea I put new timing cover, did a lot to it. Tried not to cut corners,I think I already know but if they torqued it like a Chevy would that mess it up real bad ?
With that hi of timing it should have been hard to start .I had one that high once and it blew starter nose off it trying to crank over.
Well yea sorta, but I just figured My starter bad because whenever I drive for a while then turn off car. Il be lucky to be gone Ina couple hours.. But I meant like after it would start it would die a few times unless I hit the gas a bit then it would be fine but take couple off timesif I didn't do that. when I picked up car I stopped at gas station and wouldn't start again had guy jump me and it started after a couple turns so iuno. I was Gona replace starter and alternator next, but I think starter gets hot seeing as how it's right next to my header. ---------- Post added at 10:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:56 PM ----------
Am using the Mallory comp ss, I know there is kuz when I first took it out of box I remember there being a number on the side right underneath the cap
Should have a fully adjustable mechanical advance, and that would be explained in the instructions. Did you adjust it?
Honestly I've read em a million times and i couldn't even figure how to take cap off ray: So I decided for the sake of all that money I should ask nick rescino ( guy at shop ) to curve it for me. So he did told me to get on it if I wanted to have fun.. So I did and here we are.. car wont even start now, all I'm getting is a clicking when I turn ignition ? I assume that would be my starter ? Maybe not.. ---------- Post added at 06:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:02 PM ---------- https://ne1-attach.ymail.com/us.f12...46&partner=ymail&sig=jzqqG.N5e.7dcLqeQDK9ZQ--
Well, it has been my experience that ignition timing is one of the most misunderstood topics in auto mechanics, and seems to give owners the most trouble, which is why I wrote the power timing thread in the first place. If you get overly aggressive with the ignition timing on an engine, and then beat the snot out of it on pump gas, you may get into detonation, which will reduce your engine to a boat anchor if you do it often enough, or one time too many. Heavy detonation at WOT is probably one of the worst thing you can do to an engine. There really is no reason for it because ignition timing isn't rocket science. I've tried to explain it 6 ways till Sunday, but some guys just need to be shown in person, which I would gladly do if you lived close to me. I'm not confident you know exactly what your timing is, initial, mechanical, and vacuum. I know someone set it for you and told you what it was, but I'm not so sure. I believe most Mallory Comp SS distributors come stock with either 20 or 24 crank degrees of mechanical timing, and if your initial timing is north of 20*, well, you do the math. I urge you to get a handle on the timing if you haven't already hurt the motor. Hopefully, you haven't. Do you have a part number for the distributor? I might be able to find the instructions online. Is it this one? http://www.summitracing.com/parts/maa-4264311/overview/make/buick
Oh for sure I've read that thread feels like 20 times and it makes more sence but I'm not Gona say I completely understand. Sean helped me more then he should have and I relayed the info but all I got was " I do this for a living". That being sayed I really hope he didn't mess up this motor kuz ima flip out. When he took the head off he sayed there was no damage, and after it was supposedly timed it did sound smoothier then water, didn't before. A lot quieter under the hood.and yea that looks like mine, but I got mine off TA. Don't know if that would make a difference
Well, see if you can find out what he adjusted the mechanical advance to,, and when it is all in. Also what the ignition timing at idle is. Do you have a timing light?
Yea I got a timing light , I'd need to be able to start the car though. I'm most likely Gona take heads off myself cause I can't afford to have them do it. What kinda damage would I be looking for ? And he sayed having timing in by 2500 or under would cause detonation ? Is this true ? From what we agreed on 36 total timing, I mentioned about spot welding the vac adv plunger to half of its movement, never sayed if he did or not. He mentioned liking it all in by like 3500, I was admitent about 2500 or less but after a while I was just like I can always change it..
Maybe, maybe not. I encourage guys to experiment. It is just changing springs. If the starter is just clicking, the battery could simply be dead. Make sure your starter and cables are good, and that all connections are tight and clean. That is usually all it is. Check the simple things first. I wouldn't pull the heads unless you are leaking coolant externally from the gaskets, or into the engine. Heavy detonation will damage the spark plugs in many cases, and if you look at the porcelain, you will see what looks like little silver balls. That is very small pieces of the aluminum piston. Do a little investigation before you start pulling things apart. It may be OK.
Ok.. I just took Battery and it's at 50 % and I bought it a month ago.. I put the battery in the trunk with 2 gauge wire. That's fine. And il try to start it again, I just cringe when I here that clicking when the cars on, I should have tried to spot where it was coming from before I turned off car, it just sounded exactly when I blew the last one.. I was just too disgusted. Needed tequila lol if it starts il take a vid and put it on YouTube. With my luck with car so far I just expect the worst now.doesnt look like it's leaking, how would I know if it's leaking into motor ?
The oil will look like a milkshake, and it will make the exhaust smell like burned coolant. The exhaust will have a lot of steam in it even when warmed up. Pull the dip stick and have a look.
