Freddie's Transplant

[MacDee]

Well, we tried my carburetor on Roger's truck. It worked just fine.
I went back and borrowed Carter's "swap meet" Holley and tried it again. This time I scavenged all the missing parts from my Holley so I could drive it. In truth, it may work a little better than my carburetor, but it still runs so bad, I'm now convinced the problem is probably NOT my carburetor!
It only has about 10 in Hg vacuum at "idle", but I can't find a vacuum leak (doesn't mean there isn't one!). I checked that the distributor gear is on the right tooth.
I really don't know where to go from here. Anybody know a tune-up genius with a reputation for fixing obscure problems like this?

[pbrown]

Disconnect ALL (dizzy, tranny, pcv, etc) your vacuum accessories and cap the ports. Make sure you have nothing connected to the carb except for a throttle and fuel line. Open the electric choke fully to remove that from the system. Then see what happens.

You may have a leak in the dizzt diaphram. The tranny vacuum modulator may be bad.

[MacDee]

Disconnect ALL (dizzy, tranny, pcv, etc) your vacuum accessories and cap the ports. Make sure you have nothing connected to the carb except for a throttle and fuel line. Open the electric choke fully to remove that from the system. Then see what happens.

Done that...

You may have a leak in the dizzt diaphram. The tranny vacuum modulator may be bad.

Checked those too.

I'll make a list of everything I've done and send that to you.

[pbrown]

Pull the carb spacer out. Maybe it is warped.

[redfalken]

I've never liked the spraying carb cleaner (or other flammables) method for looking for vacuum leaks. I hold a small hose up to my ear and move the other end around areas where there is a possibility for leaks. You will hear it whistle like crazy.

Be mindful of the fan blade and other spinning parts!!

When I first installed my Weber carb, the slotted holes in the gasket that came with the adapter made a HUGE leak (4 huge leaks actually) so check around every bolt or any type of connection that may leak. Bend hoses around to make sure they're not cracked or if new they may have accidentally been torn or cut. Don't forget the PCV valve. Make sure it rattles when you shake it.

Vacuum leaks can really reak havoc!

[falcon cobra]

Gary, I thought you guys said you ran it on a stand to brake in the cam..how did it run then? which carb was on it? then you said it ran better with the junk yard holley that came off carters shelf.. won't that work? I think you need to check the cam [ degree it in and or check it..] even the best can get things off a tooth....john h

[MacDee]

Pull the carb spacer out. Maybe it is warped.

Hmm... Haven't tried that. Seems like it's seated nicely on both gaskets, though.

I hold a small hose up to my ear and move the other end around areas where there is a possibility for leaks. You will hear it whistle like crazy.

Did that too...

When I first installed my Weber carb, the slotted holes in the gasket that came with the adapter made a HUGE leak (4 huge leaks actually) so check around every bolt or any type of connection that may leak. Bend hoses around to make sure they're not cracked or if new they may have accidentally been torn or cut. Don't forget the PCV valve. Make sure it rattles when you shake it.

Did all that too.

I think you need to check the cam [ degree it in and or check it..] even the best can get things off a tooth....john h

Yeah, I think I need to check the cam, too. I want to get Carter's help with that.

I'm working on a complete "chronology" of everything that's been done since I got her home. It's going to be pretty big, so I'll probably post it on my blog.

Stay tuned...

I have not checked for TDC. I don't believe it would be possible for the timing chain to be off. However, it could be possible for the harmonic balancer to have spun. It's new, but that doesn't necessarily mean it isn't bad!

[Luva65wagon]

Gary-

The thing that keeps going through my head is this: If I built that engine for you and it was pretty much complete when I delivered it, I'd be all over trying to help you figure out why the engine I built runs like it's running. I don't recall if it was run on the rack (have not reread this entire thread), but that would be a key to knowing when things went south.

I'm not saying Carter hasn't been helping, either, because I know he has been, but I think it may be time to get it over to his place, leaving it there as long as needed, so he can figure out why the engine he built isn't running right. From what I saw of his place, he's certainly got the tools to dig into it.

Just my 2 cents.

You'd be welcome to bring it over here and leave it too, but I'm running on negative time to work on things right now - so it might be here a long time.

If you need to tow it - you're welcome to use the club hauler.

[MacDee]

...I think it may be time to get it over to his place...

I expect this will probably happen soon.

If you need to tow it - you're welcome to use the club hauler.

I can actually get it to run well enough to drive it to wherever it needs to go.
(...even over a cliff if necessary!)

[falcon cobra]

Oh not over the cliff, I think we have all been there about that thought, but it will run fine someday which may not that far away, ok are there solid lifters or hyd.? are the rockers adjustable? they could be a little tight [ plunger not centered in hyd. lifter] that would make for low vacume and bad idle...I did that once... not good.... john

[MacDee]

...are there solid lifters or hyd.? are the rockers adjustable? they could be a little tight [ plunger not centered in hyd. lifter] that would make for low vacume and bad idle...I did that once... not good.... john

They're hydraulics. I did RE-adjust them hoping that might be the problem, but it had no effect.

[MacDee]

I've posted a "chronology" of everything that's been done since I drove it home from the swap on my blog page.

http://www.rainierfalcons.com/forums/blog.php?b=32

(Hope that link works! If not, just navigate over to MacDee's blog...)

At least everyone will know what HAS been tried....

[Jeff W]

Gary... have you called NPR to donate your vehicle or are you still workig on this?

[MacDee]

Haven't driven it over a cliff yet.
The last activity was a trip over to Carter's a couple of months ago. We spent most of a day on it checking the cam timing. I was hoping it was maybe off by a tooth. It wasn't. Apparently, the cam is just too "much".
Mike Winterbore (Classic Inlines) sent me a message stating that the cam should be timed 4 degrees advanced. (I never saw anything on his web site indicating that!) Carter and I discussed at some length where we wanted to set the timing, and in the end settled on staight up (zero). Advancing the timing typically increases low end torque at the expense of top end power, so maybe it would be more livable with the cam timing advanced.
After we put everything back together, it had somehow developed a coolant leak off the forward left-hand side of the oil pan. Couldn't find where it was coming from. Carter tuned it to the best of his ability, then I drove it home and parked it.

I've left it alone long enough now that I'm starting to get the urge to work on it again. I want to try to get the exhaust system re-installed so it isn't dragging the ground, and get the electrical gremlins sorted out. If I can get that much done, I'll feel better about maybe trying to go back in and re-install the timing set four degrees advanced.

Jeff, I don't think I'll be getting around to trying to improve the shift linkage any time soon. I need to return your Lokar set-up somehow. Will there be any club meetings over the winter? I could bring it to you at a meeting, perhaps.

[Jeff W]

Sorry to hear of your troubles. Keep at it.

I will need the Lokar back in the summer of 2012. I'm sure we will meet before then... maybe at the All Ford Picnic next spring.