I have rebuilt a 455 from a 70 electra. I am using a TA cam I cant remember stock#. I t is two steps bove stock. The motor runs good if I tune it by ear. Does not if i try to set it to stock rpm and timing> Is this to be expected? Any advice would be helpful.
You are experiencing a similar situation as this post. Once you change the cam your tuning will be different than stock. http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=209492#post209492
I have just rebuilt my 400 with a TA 212 cam. I have been working on the tuning for about a month (don't work on it every day). It is just about right but my tranny's converter is not working exactly right so the stall is lower than it should be. My recommendation would be to tune it to ear then go and drive the heck out of it for at least 50 or 60 miles then come back and put your gauges and tach on it and tune it. Everything needs time to seat and pound in before a fresh rebuild comes into its on, especially with a different cam. Bottom line is that the stock values do not work for a rebuilt engine with a different cam. I am running about 14 degrees of timing at idle at 900 rpms. Be patient with it.:grin: :grin:
Thank's for the advice. I will run it a bit as you said.I have a few minor issues like a bad choke pulloff to fix in the meantime. How bad do you think it was to just inslall this cam with the dots and not degree it properly?
I don't know which cam you have but when my engine was put together it was straight up. It was almost impossible to get it to idle. Talked with Dave at TA and they recommended advancing it at least 4 degrees and maybe 6. I bought the adjustable gearset from TA and installed it 6 degrees advanced. Made a difference. I am running 12 degrees advance timing at idle at 900 rpms in park. I am going to degree my distributor next. Right now I have 24 degrees engine timing with no vacuum advance and about 43 with full advance. Contact TA as they were helpful with my situation. I have a switch pitch transmission that something is wrong somewhere, I am not getting the stall at idle, so I am going to replace the transmission with a freshly rebuilt one. You may have to change converters to keep it from cutting off when you put it in gear. If yours idles ok and you are able to adjust the carb. at idle then you are fine. There are some modifications that you can make to the carb. but I wouldn't do them unless you just have to. Let me know how it works out.
