I know what I am thinking but want to get other views and opinions,
So here is the long version...

I got a killer deal on my 69 so I wasn't too concerned about the 350 engine which was said to run with a slight miss, I thought it was just groggy from not being driven and I could get her purring...not the case...

I contacted the owner before the fellow I got the car from and he informed me that he bought the car in the early 80's with a blower and that was said to be a fresh engine.
The engine was worn out so he had it rebuilt for the blower, he said he couldn't afford insurance with a blower so he took the blower off and had a stock intake installed but then the car was no fun to drive and basically saw in his garage since the early mid 80's.

His guess is the car didn't get driven 10K miles in that time and the fellow I got it from didn't drive it more that around the block and he said it had a miss.

So I decided to try to get some use out of the engine, I install a new HEI/Wires and a new Edelbrock carb, the first thing I noticed it how ragged it runs and that it doesn't like the timing set less than about 16 degrees before TDC which seems a bit much to me.

The other issue is three cylinders on the passenger side are dead, they are getting spark, but hey don't fire at all and the pipes stay warm...never get hot. might be one reason why it runs so ragged...

Being this engine was built to have a blower I am guessing it is going to have some silly cam and low compression to be a good driver without the blower anyway but what do you guess would be the dead cylinders....valves...lifters....bad cam lobes?

I did plan to eventually install a BB in this project but did want to get some use out of the 350 that is in there,

I am in Orlando Fl,
Anyone got a good running engine for sale.....

 

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-p...3-stroker.html

 

Thats a heck of an engine...no pump gas in that baby and way too rich for my blood Thats only a few bucks less than I paid for my whole car...

 

I betcha the P/O revvvvved the $hit out of it trying to get some performance and floated the valves......bent valves dont make any compression. Do a compression check on all cylinders and report back.

 

Hey Bats..... take off the valve covers and have some one turn over the engine (ignition disabled) while you watch the lifters and see if they all seem to be moving the same amount up and down. I can run my car at idle with not much spillage, with the valve covers off, and you can also if you feel confident,... sounds like bad cam to me....flat??? on some lobes... or maybe a bad rocker or???
you should have about ~.4" of spring compression.


Also, if you can get an old set of tin valve covers chop the top off and it becomes a great tool for doing things like this and more...

And do a leak down, it is way better than a compression check.... tells a lot more of a story

 

Compression or cylinder leakage test figures would be good.

 

HI Bats, i would agree that you need to do a compression test. I would think there are issues with the valve train.

 

Go right to the leak down check. It will tell you more than a compression test will.

http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles...er/index1.html

 

What plugs are in it and what are the gaps?

 

While all that sounds good..arh...bad news...what would collapsed lifters do..,,,wouldn't too keep the cylinder from firing?

I plan to do some testing tomorrow, starting with taking the valve cover off to see what those valves are doing...if they move then I will do the compression check,

My hope is something is just all hung up from the car sitting

 

As i stated above.. good luck..... now you can get an idea of where to start....I worked at a machine shop/ engine rebuilder for a while, took a lot of engines apart.. lots to learn up top there, on the heads.... could even be a busted spring, rocker, stud.... etc......

 

Typically when you have a problem in your valve train you will hear it. There will be some clatter. Since you didn't mention any noise, I suspect its elsewhere. I would pull the plugs, inspect them, run a compression test while all are out and check and recheck the firing order.

 

Normally if you have a dead lifter, spring, rocker, you'll hear it.

It could have some wiped out cam lobes

 

A "blower motor" likely has dished pistons and other internal mods to both lower static compression, and deal with the boost. The good news here is if it was built well, there are excellent parts in there. If not...... we'll not go there yet. Pull the spark plug from any dead hole and if it still has a full electrode do a compression test on that hole. If there's no electrode on the plug, detonation has killed that cylinder, and the rebuild as well. If there's only 50PSI or so comp, a leakdown test is not required since at least the head will be coming off anyway. Even if it's hitting on all 8 it will likely be a powerless pig since the compression for blower motors is somewhere about 7.5 or 8 to 1.... not enough to amount to much with a standard intake and carb.

 

Also, read the timing sticky. Shoot for 36 degrees all in by 2800 rpm or so. My idle is set at about 16 degrees but since I don't drive at idle, I don't care. Idle setting are for the smog police.

 

Today was depressing then turned out okay,
I did the check on the valves and they all moved so I checked the compression and it was pretty much dead on three cylinders with just over 20.

So I look around on the net and engines are expensive...yep...grease rat was right "Speeds just a question of money ...how fast do you wanna go"

I call the outfit that built me an engine back in the 80's for one of my 81's the engine was a beast, I figure no way I can afford them now...

The fellow on the phone tells me he will build me a 350/350 for 2500.00

http://www.nationalcylinderhead.com/


So I ask....No, I mean you pull, you rebuild, you install...how much and he replies 2500.00 with a warranty.

So this day ended pretty cool...I feel even if my engine had ran, like someone else said it would have been a pig running without it's blower....

 

Try the 400+hp 350 on the Yearone.com page.

 

Doesnt beat the value above...

 

Very good deal! Nice find!

 

still would like you to post what was wrong Bats....

see who guessed right.....


Now i say bent valve


good luck on your replacement!!!