cruiser787904

Alright I have a 79 El Camino with a 305...I wanted to freshen up the top end of the motor and get a little torque so I went with a RV cam and a timing gear.

The timing gear is kind of my signature so no flaming. When I installed the timing gear I set it 2 degrees advanced with the dots on the timing gear and cam shaft lined up. I rotated it 360 degrees to put cylinder 1 at TDC compression stroke.

It fired right away with out a problem and was idling pretty high about 2000 rpms(est I dont have a tach) Well I adjusted the valves with the car running and everything was as normal.

Now I cannot get the car to idle any lower and it is not a crazy cam at all. When I get home I am going to throw a vacuum gauge on it to check for leaks. When I touch the gas it revs flipping quick. I am almost wondering if the cam is not what I ordered. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks.

Here is what the cam card says:
Cam Style: Hydraulic flat tappet
Basic Operating RPM Range: Idle-5,500
Intake Duration at 050 inch Lift: 204
Exhaust Duration at 050 inch Lift: 214
Duration at 050 inch Lift: 204 int./214 exh.
Advertised Intake Duration: 262
Advertised Exhaust Duration: 272
Advertised Duration: 262 int./272 exh.
Intake Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.420 in.
Exhaust Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.442 in.
Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.420 int./0.442 exh. lift
Lobe Separation (degrees): 112
Intake Valve Lash: 0.000 in.
Exhaust Valve Lash: 0.000 in.
Computer Controlled Compatible: No
Quantity: Sold individually.

Camshaft, Hydraulic Flat Tappet, Advertised Duration 262/272, Lift .420/.442, Chevy, Small Block, Each

jmm98LS1

iTrader: (28)

What is your initial timing set at? A good starting point would be 8-10* btdc initial with that cam. Why did you advance the cam? With such a small grind, I'd put it in straight up.

cruiser787904

Well there really is no good reason as to why I advanced the cam and hind sight always being 20/20 I should have kept it simple. I am going to get the timing light on it tonight after I put new weights and springs in the distributor. The ones in it are from my Camaro drag car so I think that could be a lot of my problem with getting full mechanical advance way to soon on top of the 2 degrees I built in...

I will check it out tonight and post my findings....

Worse comes to worse and I will by the cam I should have gotten in the first place...

ZONES89RS

iTrader: (25)

+1 check timing.

jakeshoe

iTrader: (14)

How did you adjust the valves? Probably too tight.

cruiser787904

I adjusted them live backing them off until they clacked and then tightened them until they were quite and went 1/4 turn more. I am going to double check that because I did do things in a hurry.

I re-weighted my distributor and but didn't have time to to fart with it anymore that is my project tonight....

Everything checks out so I am going to say its a vacuum leak or the valves are to tight

Thanks guys

67rsss

iTrader: (4)

Not the best way to adjust hydraulic lifter. They should be set as a net lash, look in your Chilton. As for the cam, that seems pretty reasonable to me. You should have set it straight up. I would be looking at timing and vacuum leaks. What carb are you running? You should check what you full mechanical advance, and what you full vacuum advance are. Your motor will like to see between 6 and 16 degrees initial. Are there any other symptoms?

cruiser787904

Those are the only symptoms I have noticed thus far but it has been either idling like a banshee or dying trying to get it idle normal.

Tonight I can devote some time to it hopefully diagnose it...I have always adjusted Hydraulic lifters that way and have never had a issue...I will check my haynes manual and see the reccomended way...Thanks for the direction,,,

cruiser787904

By the way it is a Edelbrock 650 carb that was factory remanufactured....

jakeshoe

iTrader: (14)

Forget the Chilton manual,
your method is fine. The Chilton manual is for a stock cam and even then not the most accurate way to adjust valves.
If you wanted to get technical you could do it using the EOIC method and do each cylinder one at a time while rotating the engine over.
I usually do valve adjustments with the engine not running and using the EOIC method anymore but I've adjusted hydraulics countless times using the method you employed and it works well.

Look for a vacuum leak... You didn't leave the brake booster or PCV line off did you?
Those are big leaks and can cause an issue.
I've also seen some timing sets that would be one cam tooth off when the marks appeared to be lined up, caught them when degreeing the cam, and that makes the cam timing off enough to not want to idle well.

Crank the initial timing to about 20* until you get it sorted out, it will help it idle. Most engines like 20* of initial or more.

cruiser787904

Thanks for the input. I will go over the valves again tonight and hopefully it all comes together. I am guessing it will once I just get time dedicated to it....I found info on the EIOC method and have done that method before but it didn't work out so I adjusted them live anyways..

jakeshoe

iTrader: (14)

Nothing wrong with adjusting them while running. The EOIC method works great but requires you to be able to tell when you actually have zero lash, and "spinning the pushrod between my fingers" never worked for me so I do it a bit differently.

I just prefer to do it on the stand because it is cleaner.

cruiser787904

Well I through my vacuum gauge on and it instantly told me I had a manifold leak...Sprayed some carb cleaner at the base and sure enough it was sucking in like no tomorrow. Off with the manifold and swap the gaskets and all should be good...


Thanks guys,

PS I got revving pretty good so I am looking forward to the first drive....

cruiser787904

I just replaced the intake manifold gasket and carb gasket because that was damaged some how...Everything seems to be running perfect now. I should have guessed it was the manifold gasket because I dropped a nut into a oil passage on the head and had to take the manifold loose to get the nut. So it probably didn't sit correctly.

I have no clue how the carb gasket ripped but this whole project has been everything but typical. I have done over 15 SBC build ups and this had to be the simplest one but the most aggravating...And it has to be a 305 giving me all the trouble...

Thanks again guys....

cruiser787904

I have the El Camino and the 305 running really smooth with easy start ups and revs seamlessly with out a miss.

My issue is that the timing mark on the balancer comes no where near the timing marker unless I want it it to run horribly. The pointer and balancer are the same one's that I had on it before and didn't have an issue with it.

When I put my vacuum gauge on it I set the timing as far advanced as possible to stay in the normal engine range and the mark on the balancer is a good 2 inches away from the pointer. If I advance the timing it will line up with the pointer but run really rough and rich.

I don't think the balancer has slipped its outside ring because it was fine the day before. I am not overly concerned because it is running good and the vacuum gauge confirms it as well as reading the spark plug. I am open for suggestions as to why the anomaly though...

67rsss

iTrader: (4)

Dampers slip. Find TDC, and mark the damper using the pointer to locate the 0 deg mark. That will help with timing in the short run. While adding the tape, paint a line accross the hub and damper. If it is slipping, you will know pretty soon as the paint line will not line up anymore. If it is slipping, get a new damper(harmonic balancer).

This will sound silly, but is this the original balancer and timing cover? THere are several different timing pointer arrangements, and if the two are not working together correctly, you will not get accurate information.

slow95z

iTrader: (33)

it sounds more like a vaccum leak to me making it idle very high(possibly vaccum line off on the carb. or p/brake hose leak) i just put a motor in my 72 c10 and had a line loose and idled around 2k until i located the leak.