So I just got the ol girl running but it deffinatly needs some help. I think I can hear ticks or a hissing noise almost somewhere? and when I step on the gas it feels like the cam is still there instead of smoothing out. and my carb ( holley 600 ) boggs or just doesn't like to go when you hit the gas. It will spit fuel back on you every now and again when you do so. any advice here? mostly on valve tuning. lots of valve train noise here. what might be causing this, any ideas?

 

Sounds like you bought a project car?

Adjust the valves cold.
Fix any exhaust leaks. Sometimes they sound like loose rockers.
Buy a rebuild kit for the holley and freshen it up.
Follow Sofakingdom's Holley tuning sticky to get it working the best it can.
Make sure there are no vacuum leaks. Inspect all hoses.
Make sure the plugs and ignition components are working up to snuff.

 

Much appreciated, ill update when I get to it!!

 

As he said adjust the rockers cold and there are a lot of vids bout how to do it on YouTube.

Sofas holly tuning thread is amazing it has my carb running perfectly do not skip any steps. It won't work out right if you do.

The hissing is most defiantly a vaccume leak get a can of starter fluid spray around the area you hear it coming from. You will know when you find it.

 

Thank you for the information! it has helped greatly and the valve adjusting has helped much. I still have a few loose exhust pieces that are making it hard to tune though so until that gets sorted It will have to do. As well I need to get just about an entire exhaust made from the headers to the muffler, ( no y pipe and or intermediate pipe). whats better, taking it to a shop or just buying the kit online??

 

i've discovered that the best way to make sure you get the valves adjusted properly is to give them a final adjustment with the engine up to temp and idling... some will say that it isn't needed- and it usually isn't- but it's the only way to know for sure that you got them right... after warming it up, pull one valve cover and wedge a piece of cardboard in there to collect oil flying off the rockers... start it up and loosen each rocker nut until you feel it start to tap thru the ratchet, then tighten it down until it stops... repeat this on all 8 rocker arms on that side, then shut the engine off.. turn each nut an additional 1/2 turn and put the valve cover back on... then repeat the process on the other side.. if you don't have a bunch of crap in the way, you can do both sides in about 10 minutes from the time you take the first valve cover off to the time you put the second one back on. of course, this is more tricky (but not impossible) of you have roller rockers due to the poly locks, and only works with hydraulic lifters.