dollarbill425

iTrader: (2)

Sorry for the length. The car was an 89 rs 305. I swapped a non roller 350 years ago with the stock 305 heads and over the years slowly got the parts to complete the 350 swap. Till now the car has only had a few short trips around the block and/or started to move it around. (Injectors,prom, etc.) the car was running before i started this head swap just didnt run right and needed high octane (expensive gas). I got some tbi heads from a tbi truck had them cleaned up at a machinist and put them on. Right none I'm trying to set the motor on base timing and can't cannot get it to idle or even fire on a few cylinders for more than a second. So far I've adjusted the valves twice to ensure I did it right per the Haynes book. Twisted the push rod till tight then half a turn. The distributor is new only a few months old , fresh gas, I have a fuel gauge inline that sets at about 13psi. No codes. Vats is bypassed.
I see a fine cone spray of fuel everytime I try to start it, but seemingly intermittant spark. I have an accel coil hooked up that I've had for a few years now. Timing light pointed at me so I can see the flash. Sometimes it flashes sometimes not. The motor sputters while cranking but doesn't quite seem like timing is right. If I manually work the throttle it will catch but run like crap and die as soon as I let off the throttle. I got it running enough times this way to set the timing at zero. I thought It mignt have been 180 out on the dizzy but it wouldn't do catch at all when I tried that so I swapped it back. Right now it has open headers, accel header plugs set at .35. Took a few plugs out and they were sooty (too much fuel) so I cleaned them and reinstalled. Swapped out my fuel pressure reg with a good used one and still had the same result.
Plug wires aren't that old but I will be getting a new set anyway. When I wasn't getting spark on #1 I tried moving the timing light pickup to cylinder #3 and no spark there either. At a loss I stuck the pickup on the coil wire, had lots of flashes there so I moved the dizzy again and it tried fire up. Then I was getting spark again on #1. I know new parts can go bad as easily as old so I was thinking the pick up coil in the new dizzy might be bad? Most of the time it has spark. I looked over the wiring from the ig module to the coil and it was fine, even did a continuity test. Also swapped CPU and still have the same result. I also checked to make sure all the push rods were seated in the lifters properly when I checked the valve lash and they were ok as well. Please help

UnderCover89TBI

iTrader: (25)

I really think the timing is off.

Jonesyfxr

iTrader: (2)

What timing cover did you use for your 305 to 350 swap? What balancer did you use?

The reason I ask is this....

I was working on a 81 El Camino for a customer. It has a Goodwrench 350 in it, but was a 305. I had a hell of a time setting the timing, no matter what I did the timing mark was straight up. After talking to some of my stock car buddies, I found out that whoever installed the 350 used the 305 balancer on the 350. The 305 gets timed from under the water pump, where the 350 has the standard timing mark at about 2 o'clock.

So, what I had to do was pull the #1 cylinder plug, roll the motor or over while having a hunk of coat hanger to get as close to TDC as I can. I then marked the balancer, rolled it straight down, masked and painted a new white line, then timed it.

Now the car runs great. This car wouldn't get out of its own way when I first got it, now it runs great and after installing an old school Fairbanks shift kit, it actually chirps the tires to WOT!

Hope this helps!

dollarbill425

iTrader: (2)

I've been timing it at two o'clock as you say. When the notch is at the zero mark on the timing cover the rotor points towards #1. I'm not completely sure which cover was used.

Jonesyfxr

iTrader: (2)

Do like I did, using the wire in the #1 cylinder. See if the mars line up. If they don't then you know the timing is close.

dollarbill425

iTrader: (2)

I'll try it after work today, but I stuck a screw driver in the #1 hole when I had it at zero and the piston was at the top.forgot to mention I read a lot about the coolant sensor, so I tried unplugging it and the fuel spray turned into more of a fuel gush.

RBob

iTrader: (1)

This is the issue, the valves are hanging open, never fully closing. Toss the Haynes manual in the trash.

Back off all of the valves and adjust by jiggling the pushrod up & down. Tighten the nut until play is eliminated, and no further. Do this for each set of valves in the proper order. Then when done go down each row of rockers in order and add a half-turn.

RBob.

dollarbill425

iTrader: (2)

Ok, to be clear after adjusting all the valves in this manner do I tighten them another half a turn all at the same time after the intial setting or do I go through the order again to set the last half a turn? Thanks

Jonesyfxr

iTrader: (2)

Do it just like this.....

http://www.compcams.com/v002/Pages/4...ableValveTrain

RBob

iTrader: (1)

No need to do the last half-turn in order. Just go down the row of rockers and do one after the previous.

RBob.

dollarbill425

iTrader: (2)

Ok, thanks. Looks like it'll be tomorrow morning before I can get to it.

dollarbill425

iTrader: (2)

Thanks RBob, that was the problem.

Start up video
http://s250.photobucket.com/user/dol...0af7e.mp4.html

RBob

iTrader: (1)

You're welcome. I am at a loss as to why so many sites, publications, and so on show/tell to do the "spin the push rod" trick. With used, broken in parts they are just to slippery to feel for the extra tension from the lifter.

I don't do the order thing either for adjusting valves. To much to keep track of. What I do is to loosen all rockers so that there is up/down play in all of the push rods. Then go around the engine and tighten all rockers to zero play.

Now rotate the engine about 1/4 turn, and tighten any rockers that have play. Again to zero up/down of the push rods.

Again rotate the engine about 1/4 turn and again tighten any loose rockers to zero play.

Repeat this until the engine has been rotated at least 2 full turns. Can do some additional rotations to double check the lash.

Then add the desired preload and lock down the adjusters (if required).

RBob.

Schurkey

True, for folks who have not developed a "feel" for what is correct.

EVEN EASIER--FASTER:

Once every rocker is tightened to zero lash the way you described above, turn the crankshaft EXACTLY one revolution. SOME rockers will now be loose. Tighten all loose rockers to zero lash. Leave the tight ones alone.

Then, tighten ALL rockers another half- to one full turn, your choice--whatever you want the lifter preload to be.

Done. Put the valve covers on, have a beer.

It DOES NOT MATTER where the crankshaft is positioned when you start, as long as you turn it exactly one full turn after putting them all to zero lash, and then tightening all the loose ones again.

No need to turn the crank by 1/4 turns.

My thanks to Motor-Daddy from another forum for teaching me this.

dollarbill425

iTrader: (2)

The beer step I never miss.