They are about two weeks old with some light driving and a quite a few steady heavy accelerations and a few wot runs (not from a stop) Plugs are AC Delco R45TS with a gap of .040 Initial timing is 16* Mechanical is 18* and vacuum advance is about 7* Do these plugs look like there in the right heat range? I know you can not see the mark on the ground strap from these pictures, from the base it is black about 1/8 - 3/16 up. (not near the bend) does this indicate that the timing is advanced to far?
Re: How do these plugs look? I know they say you can only get an accurate reading after a WOT pass with clean plugs and immediately shutting down the car after the pass. Don't know who has time or can arrange that, seems like a PITA to me. If I pulled those plugs from my car, I'd feel good about them. It kind of looks like the cylinders towards the firewall are a little more lean, but i think that is common with the fuel distorbution of stock intake manifolds. Is that what you're running? Also, QJet, Holley carb? I guess it would be possible to stagger your jets with the Holley and try for a more even distrobution, but again, I'd be comfortable with those plugs.
Re: How do these plugs look? Thanks for the positive news, I did notice that the rear plugs were leaner so I checked the TA headers and the rear bolts were coming loose again so I re-tourqed them. I guess I will have to watch this often. I'm not sure if that would effect the plugs but it seemed like it might. The intake is a TA-SP1 and the carb is a Edelbrock (maybe a Holley in the spring)
I have a question about engine building Can anyone tell me is there something that could be done during a complete engine build that would cause the initial timing not to read accurate on marks. My car is timed just the way Larry's thread says to. What I have is 34* total @3200 rpm. using the gauge that is on the motor now with a dial back light. The reason for my question is: Strange at it might seem, the further I advance the timing at the distributor the better the car runs. I stoped advancing at 22* today because I was afraid to go any further. Thanks, Tony
Re: I have a question about engine building Are you talking about your initial timing and it's effect on how the engine idles? An engine with a moderately sized cam will like a lot of initial. Problem is that if you advance the initial to where the engine likes to idle best, with the most vacuum, it will over advance at higher RPM when you add in the mechanical advance. You can either have the distributor modified for less mechanical advance, or you can lock out the distributor and run a constant timing. If you do the latter, you should use a start retard so hot starting will not be a problem. Some aftermarket CD ignition boxes have a built in start retard.
Re: I have a question about engine building The idle seems fine, after every +* adjustment to the initial timing (advance pluged) I readjusted the idle speed to 800 rpm and adjusted the mixture screws in until it starts running rough then back them out a turn in a half. What I was trying to say was that the car runs smoother on a heavy acceleration (less sputtering). A wot run from about 20 mph it stumbles a little then catches and runs really strong. It pulled more rpm's after I did this also. I did put the 18* recurve kit in the mallory few weeks ago when I was following your direction on your posted timing thread. I thought it was a carburater problem and it still very well might be but the car ran better today when I advanced the initial timing.
Re: I have a question about engine building Well, then you should have around 16* of initial timing to have 34* total at 3200 RPM. It could be a carburetor problem. Whenever you start a thread, what readers really need to know is every part of your combination. Without that, we need to ask questions that take up space and time. What I did was create a signature that tells you everything about my engine build. That is what you need to do. Look at my signature. I have no idea what you are running, stock engine, rebuilt? If rebuilt as you said, what cam? What distributor (Mallory), what carburetor? Put all the details in your signature. That way, all someone has to do is read your signature. It gets added every time you post.
Re: I have a question about engine building Sorry Larry, I have chatted with you before on my thread "430 engine is stumbling" My complete engine info is there, and I think that I answered your last question for you but never saw a reply. I will try to copy and paste that info at the bottom like you did.
Re: I have a question about engine building Go to settings, at the top of the screen. Create a signature. It will all be there every time you post. My memory isn't that good. ---------- Post added at 07:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:57 PM ---------- OK, this is what you have on the first post of the 430 thread, What I have is 430 engine .030 over / All new internal parts / Stock crank was ground & balanced Stock heads / All new internal parts / Surfaced / TA1125 Springs and TA1450 Retainers installed. Spring pressure open 280-300 Closed 100-110 Cam / TA-310 Intake / TA SP-1 Edelbrock Performer #1411 750 CFM w / electric choke TA Mecanical fuel pump TA Oil pump TA Water pump Mallory Comp SS Breakerless Dist. Mallory 29440 Coil MSD 8.5mm wires TA Shorty Headers Flowmaster 2.5 dual exsaust Ron Davis alumn. radiator TH350 / New sprag drum / Shift kit TA - 11'' 2500 Stall converter Bone stock rear (don't know ratio) it is a 10 bolt / 8.2 non posi 14'' x 3'' drop base air cleaner My first thought is the cam is a single duration instead of a split duration. That kind of cam is more suited to Stage2 heads, or heavily ported Stage1 heads. You have less vacuum than I think you should have. Was the cam degreed? Also, that carburetor is like a Carter AFB. The secondary air valve is counter weighted, not something you can adjust. When I was using that carburetor on my 350, years ago, I could never get it to transition into the secondaries cleanly. That may be what you are feeling. Jetting changes may help. I didn't re read the 430 thread yet to see what else you tried, but I think our timing is fine. What I want to say is that it's a mistake to start a new thread for the same problem. People forget about your other thread, and then we start from scratch, and we ask the same questions all over again. Just keep posting on the 430 thread.
Re: I have a question about engine building Send a PM to Flynbuick (Jim Lore). He is a moderator. He can merge the 2 threads. Ask him to do so. http://www.v8buick.com/member.php?253-flynbuick
Re: I have a question about engine building so, if the car likes more timing then I can adjust the initial timing (with vacuum gauge hooked up for most vacuum) and then go ahead and recurve the distributor down more to stay within the 32-36 total range? Should the vacuum gauge be hooked up to ported or timed on the carb?
Re: I have a question about engine building No. You will wind up with WAY too much initial advance if your goal is highest idle vacuum. Excess initial timing is often used as a crutch for improper idle fuel mixture (too lean at idle or just above idle.) Ported vacuum is the same thing as timed vacuum. There are three kinds of carburetor vacuum: Ported (timed), venturi (only recent application is to open the secondaries of Holley vacuum-secondary carbs) and manifold vacuum. If I were you, I'd verify that TDC on the damper/timing pointer is actually TDC on #1 piston.
Re: I have a question about engine building Thanks, I will do that. There is a problem somewhere I will verify TDC and then go from there. If in fact it ends up being that I'm a gonna feel like a dumb a..!!!
Re: I have a question about engine building You can do it with the head on,I've degreed cams with out removing the heads. first make a piston stop.I use a old spark plug. knock out all the innards of the plug.I then took a tap and threaded the bottom part,where the electrode was,to a size matching a bolt I have,thread it in and cut the bolt head off.Make sure it extends alittle over an inch past the plug. when you thread the plug/stop into the head it will stop the piston before it gets to TDC. Insert the plug into #1 hole. Remove the bottom crank pulley,attach a small degree wheel to the balancer and line up the 0 degree mark.TDC.on the wheel with the 0 mark on the balancer now rotate the crank till it stops when the piston hits the stop,note the degrees on the degree wheel,for example,34*. rotate the crank in the opposite direction till it stops and note the degrees,if the balancer is correct the numbers should be the same,just on the other side of the 0. gary
Re: I have a question about engine building Question, some of the below numbers are what the engine builder filled out on the cam card. Does this not mean that he degreed the cam? He closed up shop before I had finished the car so I can not ask him. Looks like I need to check his work out. Cam Specifications Grind / 54198 Make / Buick Engine / 455 Lobe Seperation / 110* Part # / TA-310 Lift 1.6 / Intake .515 / Exhaust .515 Duration / Intake 284 / Exhaust 284 Valve Lash / Intake -- / Exhaust -- Open / Intake 32* / Exhaust 72* Close / Intake 72* / Exhaust 32* Data for Degreeing Cam at .050 Tappet Rise Lobe center 110*-110* Exhaust Lift .322 / Intake Lift .322 Degree Intake / Lobe to 106* for 4* Advance Exhaust Opens 46* B.B.D.C. / Intake Opens 6* B.T.D.C. / Exhaust Closes 6* A.T.D.C. / Intake Closes 46* A.B.D.C. Exaust Duration 232 / Overlap 12* / Intake Duration 232
Re: I have a question about engine building Not necessarily, he may have just copied down the specs from the TA cam card. gary
Re: I have a question about engine building Correct me if I am wrong here guys but, don't you think that carb is too small but also will have a weak idle circuit? That 310 has a fairly good lump to it and by increasing the Int timing it will smooth out and if you are guys are worried about the harmonic balancer mark being off why go through all that trouble to find TDC in car? Why not just buy another balancer and plug it on and compare the marks to the old one? There is no way I would be ripping the front off the engine to fit the degree wheel on it over a balancer swap. If you are going to degree the cam you have no choice other to pull it apart.
45s are too hot if anything more than 8.5 compression. At least need to drop to 44s. I would go with 43s. Ignitions these days are a lot stronger than in the old points days and you can get away with a colder plug. Colder plug also allows running more timing.
I can not confirm that this method is correct but my neighbor says that it is TDC on #1 "pretty close he say's" (he say's to be 100% sure the head needs to be removed or done some way with a dial indicator with valve cover off). We made a piston stop put a piece of tape about half way around the balancer turned the motor clockwise until it stopped and made a mark from the 0 on the indicator on the tape, did the same in counter clockwise direction. the center of those two marks were in the balancer mark. measured out at 4* + and 4* - on balancer mark. removed stop plug turned crank until the balancer mark was on 0 pulled the cap and the rotor was pointing directly accross from #1 180* to #8 plug wire. He then put a rubber grommet in the plug hole turned motor over untill the thing shout out. Removed the cap and the rotor was on #1 he said that is TDC on compression stroke. Since the plugs were already out, I changed them to NGK-UR5 / gap .040 I did go ahead today and used the smallest curve that came with dist. 14* and when I get that good dial back light back I am going to set the total timing at 34* so that would put my initial at around 20* Also I noticed something today on the back of the Edlebrock box, it says that the recomended intake is a duel plain and I have the SP1 single plain could this also be a cause of the of it not running right? Are these vacuum readings OK Vacuum test at idle (800 rpm) was bouncing between 13-14 Hg (engine fully warmed up) Vacuum test at 2000 rpm was steady 20 Hg
