Chuck’s engine build thread!

[ChuckN]

Well I MAY have found an issue. I pulled the distributor, and connected the ground wire to the ground on the battery, positive wire to the battery wire, and put the test light to the C terminal/ positive battery post and rotated the distributor. The test light barely lights up if it does at all. Something is definitely awry with the distributor.

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[82SquareBurb]

Good catch! The way you described it cutting in and out makes me think ignition. Hope you get it sorted out.

 

[ChuckN]

Good catch! The way you described it cutting in and out makes me think ignition. Hope you get it sorted out.

Me too. Summit has a nice Blueprint engines HEI distributor for a hundred bucks. I ordered it up 2nd day, will be here on Saturday. I’m not messing with Amazon junk, I’m sure this is what this one is.

 

[Radiohead]

Uh oh. Well, now you have a new set of spark plugs for down the road....

 

[ChuckN]

Well, I’m firmly on the struggle bus now. Can’t get rid of the miss. I was working on it yesterday, after putting in the new distributor and at least trying to get it up to temperature, and then it started leaking coolant to the top of the intake manifold at the front corners.

I had planned to check it for an intake leak but I thought the better part of valor was to drain the coolant in case the leak started into the valley as well.

I had wondered if I was going to have problems of this nature since with the bigger intake ports, the Performer RPM ports weren’t lining up good at all and sitting too low so I had used thicker 1266 intake gaskets- and I suspect the angle of the intake and the cylinder head mating surface weren’t lining up perfectly. So this time I’m going to RTV both sides of the intake gasket on all ports and hope for the best. In a perfect world I’d have the manifold surface planed flat but then it would remove material and make it sit even lower.

My wife asked me if I need to take break, and if I was still having fun. Well, I don’t want to take a break because I want to enjoy this thing, and also no, I’m not having fun anymore.

 

[idahovette]

WELL SH!T!!!!!!

 

[Confused]

Hang in there. It is frustrating to say the least. I have been taking a break on the C10 and the Duster for about 6 months now. I need to finish one to drivable status before they go to crap sitting there. They can both be driven as is but are not up to snuff so they aren't really enjoyable. That and no a/c in 100 degree weather,I'll pass.

 

[82SquareBurb]

Dohh! Unfortunate, the intake tends to be a challenge spot on well machined blocks. Hope you get er sealed up. Perhaps fighting a possible vacuum leak in addition to coolant I wonder? Might complicate the miss issue if so.

The upside you are ruling systems out of possibilities as you move through the process of troubleshooting, Good work man!

 

[ChuckN]

WELL SH!T!!!!!!

Yeah, couldn’t have said it better myself.

 

[ChuckN]

Dohh! Unfortunate, the intake tends to be a challenge spot on well machined blocks. Hope you get er sealed up. Perhaps fighting a possible vacuum leak in addition to coolant I wonder? Might complicate the miss issue if so.

The upside you are ruling systems out of possibilities as you move through the process of troubleshooting, Good work man!

Thanks for the encouragement! Everything you said is true.

 

[legopnuematic]

You can do a quick check for an intake leak on a V8 using a vacuum gauge on the dipstick tube, blocking off the breather and PCV. If it is leaking on the valley side of things.

Some type of flammable spray on the outside, vacuum gauge in a manifold port on the carburetor, with a vacuum leak one or or two cylinders you’ll see a drop in vacuum on one or two cylinders (how ever many are leaking) as it’s sucking air from elsewhere.

If you wanted to be real fancy about it, use a Pico scope with a pressure transducer and inductive pickup for vacuum and spark and graph it.

Hang in there though, you’ll get this figured out.

 

[ChuckN]

You can do a quick check for an intake leak on a V8 using a vacuum gauge on the dipstick tube, blocking off the breather and PCV. If it is leaking on the valley side of things.

Some type of flammable spray on the outside, vacuum gauge in a manifold port on the carburetor, with a vacuum leak one or or two cylinders you’ll see a drop in vacuum on one or two cylinders (how ever many are leaking) as it’s sucking air from elsewhere.

If you wanted to be real fancy about it, use a Pico scope with a pressure transducer and inductive pickup for vacuum and spark and graph it.

Hang in there though, you’ll get this figured out.

Thanks! I refer to that when I get it running again.

So one problem was that the ARP intake manifold bolts were too long for the front blind holes on the head. They were bottoming before the clamping force was applied. So there is that.

One thing I noticed though was that the intake manifold gaskets were pretty saturated with gas. I don’t know it that would indicate a leak or not, but would certainly be that gas was sitting internally there. I’ve seen some carbureted LS guys say that they see that and it means nothing.

Either way, it was enough to dissolve the High Tack spray I used to hold the gaskets in place, it’s absolutely nowhere to be seen.

 

[legopnuematic]

Too long of bolts definitely not good.

The wet gaskets I’m not sure, to me if they were totally saturated and the spray is missing I’d heavily lean towards not sealing, wether it be a geometry issue or torque issue.

Ive scraped old/original intake gaskets off of small blocks that were an absolute pita to get off, like stuck good enough you could likely lift the engine by the intake with all the bolts removed.

You have a wideband don’t you? Notice any irregularities on it or fluctuations?

 

[ChuckN]

Too long of bolts definitely not good.

The wet gaskets I’m not sure, to me if they were totally saturated and the spray is missing I’d heavily lean towards not sealing, wether it be a geometry issue or torque issue.

Ive scraped old/original intake gaskets off of small blocks that were an absolute pita to get off, like stuck good enough you could likely lift the engine by the intake with all the bolts removed.

You have a wideband don’t you? Notice any irregularities on it or fluctuations?

Ok, well, first off, do you think it’s possible that the corner bolts not clamping enough could cause enough lift to make the intake ports not seal?

I do have a wide band but as long as I’ve had the Edelbrock when you’re revving it out of gear, it’s consistently running on the transition slots and it always reads rich. Any way you look at it that clouds the picture.

If I guy were to put some sealant on both sides of the intake ports on the gasket, what would you use? I’m thinking some Permatex Aviation. I do have that stuff in a good quantity. Not that I’d overdo it.

 

[legopnuematic]

On its own, maybe, but looking back through the pictures, I see you had the intake on and was lifting from it, in that case, I think loose bolts could definitely allow the intake to lift and break the seal.

Anecdotally, years ago I read someone put a slant six back in their car, the exact situation I don’t remember if it was a rebuild then ran outside of the car, or was pulled for engine compartment work, or what, but it was a running engine before being reinstalled in the car. Ended up having zero compression in a few or all holes. Theory was the head had lifted off the block when reinstalled into the car.

As far as a sealer, I’m not really sure what’s kosher. Think a for sure no on using RTV around the intake ports.