Thread: confused

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I admit I don't know everything about cars or motors. I just got in from tinkering with my timing. I got it to run great. It pulled hard, didn't cut out, and it just ran fairly great. But the timing was set at, I'm guessing, 20-30 degrees tdc. And while I had it out seeing if it would cut out the temp shot up to 230. Something that it never does. When the temp got up that high it started to loose power. I figure the damper had slipped and that's the timing thing, but for it to act the way it did I'm about ready to pull the motor take my wheels off and junk the friggin car.

dont junk it buy my engine you would have a whole lot of power with a 400 and 350 turbo tranny 700...this is kinda like spam lol

where ya at?

Port Huron. That's in michigan isn't it? Far way to drive for a motor when I don't even have a truck to haul it back in lol, or even hear it run.

I'm guessing, 20-30 degrees tdc

That just may be the problem. Timing isn't something to guess at if you don't know engines inside and out. And, 10-20 is a pretty wide range.

If you were advanced too far and went into detonation, you could heat things up in a hurry.

How do you know the damper slipped? Guessing? The only way to tell is to get #1 to TDC and see where the timing mark ends up.

I'll pull the 1st plug out tomorrow and check it out, but why would it run better when it's that far advanced?

dont give up cars are confusing by nature..i deal with junkpiles on a daily basis..there is a slight possibility that you were overadvanced and and that may have been your problem..retarded timing is more likely to cause a fast overheat than overadvancing, not that advance wont cause overheat but retard is more likely .are you disconnecting the computer control when your setting timing? the tan wire with 1 wire connecter by the firewall?

I don't use a computer controlled carb or distributor

I'm with Henry on this one. Sounds like you are too far advanced. That would cause the heat and the heat would casue the power loss. If you absolutely can't use a gun on it for whatever reason, retard it some and try again. Like the others say, don't give up. I know it gets frustrating sometimes, especially when you're younger and have less experience, but that's how you learn and gain experience. Keep goin' dude, you'll get it. Let us know what's up.

I agree on the advance timing.

if it gets nice again I'm going to reset the timing and tear apart the front of the motor and check out the timing chain. Dad had an 86 305 C1500 that ran horribly, he took it apart and the nylon camshaft's gear holes were elongated and it caused it run horribly. He replaced the gears and it ran better. I'm going to check for too much play in the chain and replace the set if i have to. That is as long as I didn't crack anything yesterday when it over heated. would 230 cause any heads to crack or do any real damage?

well I retarded the timing back to 8 degrees btdc and i took it out for a drive and it didn't even cut out this time and I think I found the oil leak. I believe it's coming out of the front of the intake. I got a really close and intimate look at the gasket and i I pulled a piece of it out. Is there enough pressure under there to blow it out and spray it all over the place? I was also looking at the fuel pressure specs for a 79 350 and an 86 5.0. for the 350 the fuel pressure is supposed to be 7.5-9 psi. For the 5.0 it's supposed to be 4-6.5 I used the stock 305 fuel pump on my 350. But the books say that fuel pump is the same for both, but I'm pretty sure it's well below the7-9 psi mark. I'll try to track down a fuel pressure gauge that'll work with this.

would 230 cause any heads to crack or do any real damage?

Generally not. The second fan in my Vette doesn't come on until 225.