Tom400CFI

Copy that. I get where you're coming from now. Hopefully the shop is able to get it straightened out promptly for you.

Deakins

Hey everyone has a level of time and effort that life will let them commit to these things; keep us posted on what finally fixes it.

rolltide0323

So I misunderstood my mechanic. It didn't need a new MAP sensor but the hose going to the MAP sensor was hanging off. The hose was dry rotted so I bought a new hose and now it starts better and doesn't smoke.

It cranks on the first try now but still doesn't start the way it should. I know someone had said to check the timing. I will attempt to do that tomorrow.

Tom400CFI

I believe spec on an '84 is 0*, but if you set it at 10-12* BTDC, it will run much, much better, and provide better fuel economy too.

rolltide0323

Tom,
I have never done that before. Is there any other way besides using the proper tools that this can be done? I have watched multiple videos on it. Can I just turn the distributor until it idles at a certain RPM?

DanielRicany

A lot of people will set it by ear, but I would only do that if I had to and it wouldn't be on a fuel injected vehicle. The only way to know for sure is with a timing light. I'd leave it alone until you get a timing light or someone who has a timing light. Reason being, it runs.

cudamax

Valve stem guide wear and dried out valve stem seals. Classic sbc with high milage. Pull the plugs and lay-em out real nice and number what cyl's they came out of. That will tell you a lot if they have been in there a while.
Also just wanted to know. If you can tell me. What kinda oil pressure you getting on this motor 1. when cold and then when hot in gear?

rolltide0323

The last thing I need to do is to screw up the timing and not get it to start lol

rolltide0323

I just did a tune up today. Plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotary. Only going by the gauges I think its about 12 psi without cranking. I drove it a few minutes today after the tune up and noticed that it was saying about 60psi while I was driving it.

cudamax

So hot in gear, Idling around 12psi? and were any of the plugs black? black and sooty? That would indicate oil getting in

rolltide0323

Most of them were sooty. Cylinder #4 plug had a little bit of oil on it

cudamax

There ya go. Oil is entering the Chambers. It's going to be a good bug killer until you replace the valve seal and hope for not that bad of guide wear but on the good side. Puffing on start-up = valve seals puffing all the time= worn rings and or cyl's
Pretty easy to do and parts are cheep or it shouldn't cost that much to pay someone to do it.
In the mean time, when it starts running worse go to the cyl's that were really sooty and pull and clean them up and put they back in

Tom400CFI

YES! You can do it by ear and it doesn't matter one wit if it's EFI or Carb'ed. In the case of the '84, detonation and starting are the limiting factor for timing; that engine will gain power and efficiency up to the point of detonation or hard cranking (kick back) when adding timing. So you can ( and I used to w/my CFI) advance the base timing (turn distributor CCW) until the highest/best idle is achieved...then go drive the car. If you get detonation (pinging), back off the time a bit and try again. Ultimately, your'e trying to get as much advance as possible w/o detonation or hard starting. It doesn't really matter what actual "degree number" you end up at; you need to feed it what it wants, so a specific number (Timing spec) isn't important here. That car can pick up probably 15 hp w/just timing alone as the stock spec is way too conservative.

Hoser

Agree...seals and/or guides☺
150k...you betcha