What vacuum can I expect from a TA 288-94H cam?

Hey . just gigin ya. I had a problem like this and Larry was right. I put a fresh set of plugs in and it stared right up. I posted earlyier take it out and just drive it. Trash on it some,clear out the clynders let her BRRRRRRReath a little. But, I have had my ole GS run out of gas and smell the fuel vabors being pumped up.If it is a carb problem and it is pumping that much gas out you should see coming out the top of the carb vent.

 

Well, it's a problem either way. If I need plugs, no plugs till Monday- they are an order item. If it's the carb, I need a rebuild kit- order item. If it's the ignition, I might be able to get parts, but it's not a stock HEI- order item. I am preparing myself to get in the shower, put on a happy face, and go wrestle with the engine

 

Chris..soap/shampoo....order item!! Keep your wits about you!! Later,Tony.

 

?
It's hard to find these parts on the shelf. Even the local speed shop had to order my plugs

 

Hey Chris.Do the TA heads take a small body spark plug?? AC R44TS or R45TS(45`s are a bit hotter) might not be hard to find.I would think they would at least get you up and running for now if plugs are an issue.Just a thought.Later,Tony.

 

You can't use taper plugs in the TA heads, is the problem, Tony.


So, I wrenched for about 6 hours today...

Larry was right on the plugs, all fouled, badly. I cleaned them up, she started right up. I cleaned the bowls and needles and seats in the carb on geenral principles.

So i drive it. It's OK, not a screamer. Maybe a little slower than with stock smog heads and a stock type cam. What the???

I only drive for 5 minutes. It's not doing anything bad, and I figure, well, it does need a tune thrown on it. I'll just check the oil pressure at 20 mph, 30 mph, 40 mph, and go home. So I do that. The least oil pressure I saw was 40 psi, at a stop light, and the brakes were great.

I go back home and have lunch. After lunch, I am going to tune it...but the car won't start. The battery can barely turn over the engine. What the heck is going on now?? I wonder...Rrrrr...rr...rrr.rrr....rrr....rr.

I get my multimeter out...battery has 12.54 volts. Um, ok, what's going on here? I check my starter connections. They are good. I try to start again. Rrrr..rr....rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Well that's better! the battery is spinning the engine fine, it won't catch though. And then, when I let go of the key, it backfires through the carb and runs for a split second. Not good. What's with my timing? I think to myself

So I key it again. Rrrrr...rrr....rrr. BANG!

Bang? Oh, not good. I know what that sound was, I think to myself. I know it without a doubt. But how can that be possible? You checked torque on everything. You made a worksheet and filled it out as you progressed.

So, knowing what is is, I take off the timing cover. I know what I'll find. It's like deja vu. I even knew where to look, precisely where to look.

There, laying inside the timing cover, next to the oil pump drive shaft, is one of the bolts that holds on the cam sprocket. Not stripped, not damaged, just laying there. i screw it into the cam by hand, nothing's broken, I take the timing chain off, no damage, I don't even have cam walk, it looks like.

All the time I was taking off the timing cover, I went over in my head "could you really have left one of those bolts loose?". The answer was "no".

My Dad came by, and I showed him. He said "No way, I was with you when you tightened that, you marked it on the sheet". Yup, I did, but here's the bolt.

I torqued it again for yuks. It's tight uzzled: I have no idea what happened or how it came loose.

The good news: I sliced my thumb open on the drive gear on the cam, blood went all over the cam and block. So it has had it's sacrifice now, I'm sure all will go well

So: I may as well toss the cam in 4* advanced while I'm at it, degreeing still waits for spring. I have one problem though: I misplaced the instructions on how to 'read' the crank sprocket. I am 99.99% certain i understand it, but I want to make 100% sure.

It's a TA billet double roller. It has a dot up high near the gear teeth for 'straight up', and another dot, down low near the woodruff key, so that when it's installed straight up, the high dot mates with the cam sprocket mark, and the low dot matches up to the woodfruff key. I get that.

It's a 9 keyway set. What I am almost sure of is this: to make it 4* advanced, you simply place the crank sprocket on, turned clockwise, so that the "4" mark that is up high near the gear teeth (just like the timing dot) lines up with the cam mark. Now, when you do that, the slot that reads "4A", down low on the sprocket, just like the low dot, will be on the woodruff key. So, when it's 4* advanced, the number 4, high up, is my new timing mark, that mates with the cam sprocket mark, and the "4A" mark is where the woodruff key goes

I'll make up a diagram. i think I'll check out rollmaster's website and see if there;s a clue there.

I am almost certain I understand this properly, but I want to make sure

Can't get over that bolt

 

OK. So I make the 4 the timing mark, and the 4A is where the woodruff key goes. Gotcha. But big deal, all that does is turn a bit of aluminum, that doesn't change the crank and cam position.

So I must have the crank in the position it should be for "straight up", and then turn the crank clockwise 4 teeth (which is where the 4 mark is in relationship to the timing mark), so that the 4 is my new timing mark, lining up with the cam mark in the vertical plane.

The woodruff key is at approximately 2 o'clock 'straight up' when I advance the cam 4*, the woodruff key on the crank will now be just shy of 4 o'clock, with the 4 on the crank sprocket and the dot on the cam sprocket aligning vertically.

Is that it? It's kind of like retarding the crank more than it's like advancing the cam, isn't it?

Here's my crummy diagram

 

??? I'll try again

What I don't get is why there are nine keyways, if what I just posted was true

maybe once I put them on, I'll see the issue

 

Chris,

Since you're using TA's stuff, they have most of their instructions on their site:
http://www.taperformance.com/timing2.htm

 

now, why didn't I think of that? :laugh: Long day

 

I like the part about "use loctite" the best

Don't ever think these things can't work their way free if they're just torqued to spec! I got very lucky that no damage other than a small dent on the inside of the timing cover is present (that's where the bolt bounced off!) from this episode

 

Chris, Congratulations you have just received your degree in the school of HARD KNOCKS . Welcome fellow graduate. In this school anything that not suppose to happen will and the bloody sacrafice was it from a virgin(Mechanic)? HA!HA!HA!

 

Hey Larry, is that the new TA catalog?? How'd you get your hot little fingers on it? Does this mean mine's in the mail?

 

I'm not a mechanic, Leo

 

You are now but don't worry we won't tell anyone. I am keeping up with this for one reason. I know how you will feel when YOU get it right. Because it will feel sooooo gooooood and you did it. Stay with it!

 

Hey Chris.Ditto to what Leo says.This is a very informative and interesting read.A lot more interesting that a "Car Craft" or "Hot Rod" article.Nice to see you use a "play by play" sheet.I did this with a cam swap and my GS engine swap last year.Very helpfull if your memory is a bit foggy after doing something a month or two prior.Where does this bolt go?? does not happen as often then.Keep at it,everyone`s rootin` for ya!!Later,Tony.

 

Hey Well Where are you?