General Category > Quadrajet Carb Talk and Tips
LOW budget engine not working well....HELP!
Kenth:
Chevy 350 crankshafts has the keyways at the same spot.
What differs are the dampers and timing scale that needs matching.
Cliff Ruggles:
"I keep saying everything is bone stock except for bored cylinders .030 over and then honed. Everything else is OEM stock stock stock!
That's BS right there and I'm calling it."
I asked about head gaskets, got no info.
Did you even take the time to measure how thick they were? I went into detail about it earlier on this thread.
"Stock" head gaskets were .020" thick. Even with .020" thick head gaskets the compression ratio with dished pistons and 882 heads is a dismal 8 to 1. Doing the actual "math" on some of those mid-1970's engines I've actually calculated less than 8 to 1 BEFORE you throw on a Detroit .060" thick head gasket!
IF you installed a "builder" gasket it will be .040-.060" thick so you knocked at least 1/2 a point of compression right out of this build from where "stock" would have been.
It's still unclear what you did for a timing set but likely a cheap POS double roller set was installed since this build appears to have been done with the absolute MINIMUM amount of investment.
No one ever puts a used cam back into one of these engines, that's a recipe for disaster and we never got an answer as to whether you put all the old lifters back on it or bought new ones?
It also appears that you sold this vehicle at some point and are having tuning issues with the engine. Not sure what dog you have in the new owners fight, but coming on here bellyaching about how my you paid for the work back in 2017 then having issues on this low-end half-ass attempt at a rebuild isn't working to well with me.
I pride myself in doing things right and don't get all caught up in those sort of things. If someone wants me to re-install a used cam and pick the lifters I pushed out onto the dirty shop floor back into their engine I would very quickly hook the cherry picker to it and drop it in the back of their truck and send them to a local "guru" who deals with that sort of thing.
Engines are EXPENSIVE, time consuming and require great attention to detail and the best parts you can find for them. Honing one with a rock and stuffing it back together with a bunch of used parts is a poor plan, and likely you'll end up on a Forum bellyaching about how it's not working well.
That's where this thread came from and has gone to. I'm renaming the thread and will let it run a little longer. I should have canned it from the start, but I don't get my panties all wadded up when someone starts busting my balls and trying to insinuate that something I did isn't making the grade.
My goals are to help and get a good end result with these things. If this thread goes any other direction I'm going to can it.......Cliff
jberenyi:
I can't believe how far off base this thread has gone and it's all my fault. I never meant to offend anyone. I was only looking for help. I offered what I knew and looks like it wasn't enough or done correctly. I should have let my friend who did the assembly after it left the shop do all the typing and info sharing since he could have answered all your questions accurately and in a timely fashion. I was only involved in the timing and carb adjustment after it was completed and installed. I honestly didn't know there were so many variables in an engine build that can cause issues later. So sorry for everything everyone. I promise to do better next time. Clifford, if you want, just delete the thread and again I want apologize to you and everyone else involved :( Stay healthy and be safe everyone. :(
Mudsport96:
--- Quote from: jberenyi on August 04, 2021, 06:04:33 AM ---I can't believe how far off base this thread has gone and it's all my fault. I never meant to offend anyone. I was only looking for help. I offered what I knew and looks like it wasn't enough or done correctly. I should have let my friend who did the assembly after it left the shop do all the typing and info sharing since he could have answered all your questions accurately and in a timely fashion. I was only involved in the timing and carb adjustment after it was completed and installed. I honestly didn't know there were so many variables in an engine build that can cause issues later. So sorry for everything everyone. I promise to do better next time. Clifford, if you want, just delete the thread and again I want apologize to you and everyone else involved :( Stay healthy and be safe everyone. :(
--- End quote ---
Hey, it happens man.
I see where this got all wonky now.
So you didnt do the assembly, you just got called at the end of the deal to be "the tune guy".
This is like when i show up for night shift at work after day shift had been fiddlefudging with a machine all day and have to take over with half the info on what was done.
Yeah, if you sisnt personally assemble the engine and ( IF YOU ARE CONFIDENT IN YOUR TUNING CAPABILITIES) you can not get the tune right.... assume someone assembled something wrong. Especially, if it idled fine before... something mechanical changed to make the old settjngs of the carb inadequate. Simple disassembly and reassembly with " the same stock parts" wouldnt change that. So if you didnt assemble it, just maybe something isnt as "stock" as you were told.
Cliff Ruggles:
In only delete threads and ban users when we don't follow the rules for posting.
There are a few things you need to be aware of with engine "rebuilds".
The SBC engine is a perfect example.
99 percent of the "builder" pistons supplied for them in oversizes have a REDUCED pin height. This is some lame attempt to put the pistons lower in the holes at TDC and not raise the compression proportionally with the overbore.
Few if anyone out there knows this, not even machine shops, engine builders and local "guru's".
Most SBC builds also get a "double roller" timing chain, recommended by every "guru" on every Forum out there as some sort of "upgrade". 90 percent of them are JUNK, and even the top end varieties aren't as strong as a factory Morse type chain nor to they provide constant tooth contact and "smooth" drive for the camshaft, distributor and oil pump. Speaking oil pumps it will also get a "high volume/high pressure pump" that does nothing more than rob 10hp or so from the assembly and put a LOT of additional load on the distributor gear and oil pump drive. I don't even use the HP pumps on full race stuff as the SBC has an EXCELLENT oiling system and if you know how to clearance things its fine with stock pressure and stock pump volume.
Continued.....
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