, that wont put the cyl. #1 into the firing position, you should rotate the crank one full 360* to get there.
Help with BB cam install
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 3,472
Likes: 18
From: Lake Ozark, MO
Help with BB cam install
Just finished putting another cam in my BB (I've done this several times before so this is not a new thing for me). This is less of a cam than I had before so it's not a lift issue.
Car will not start, cranks, may backfire through the carb or does nothing.
What I did:
I aligned the cam spocket at 6 oclock and the crank at 12 using the STD 0 advance
Adjusted the valves in 90 degree increments, until the push rods were slightly hard to turn between my fingers and then 1/4 turn more
The harmonic balancer at TDC/0 degrees has the rotor on # 1 plug wire
Using same wires , plugs, distributer.
Firing order: 1 8 4 3 6 5 7 2 clockwise
I did change out the Demon 750 carb to another Holley 750 that I bought from another forum member..who said it workd fine and I have no reason to doubt that.....it squirts gas ..still should start?
I did clean the sooty plugs by spraying them with carb cleaner and burning them off with a propane torch (could I have ruined them doing that)?
At a loss and don't want to crank the engine too much to wear off the cam lube...........
Car will not start, cranks, may backfire through the carb or does nothing.
What I did:
I aligned the cam spocket at 6 oclock and the crank at 12 using the STD 0 advance
Adjusted the valves in 90 degree increments, until the push rods were slightly hard to turn between my fingers and then 1/4 turn more
The harmonic balancer at TDC/0 degrees has the rotor on # 1 plug wire
Using same wires , plugs, distributer.
Firing order: 1 8 4 3 6 5 7 2 clockwise
I did change out the Demon 750 carb to another Holley 750 that I bought from another forum member..who said it workd fine and I have no reason to doubt that.....it squirts gas ..still should start?
I did clean the sooty plugs by spraying them with carb cleaner and burning them off with a propane torch (could I have ruined them doing that)?
At a loss and don't want to crank the engine too much to wear off the cam lube...........
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,877
Likes: 13
From: Doha
St. Jude Donor '08
To get the timing as close as possible here is what I did when I fired up my engine for the 1st time after the major rebuild :
1- brought the balancer to 10 BTDC.
2- rotate the distributor to position the rotor tip JUST passing the #1 post. , to be more sure of the ignition setup I inserted a plug into the #1 wire and grounded the plug to the engine, then I put the key on IGN position and rotated the distributor, I positioned it RIGHT when I saw the spark, you have to be really careful though, I shocked myself doing that and it was really tough one!
3- I squirted some fuel in the bowls.
4- hit the key and the thing started right up.
5- brought the RPM to 2000 right away and dialed the timing for the final setting of 10* BTDC.
1- brought the balancer to 10 BTDC.
2- rotate the distributor to position the rotor tip JUST passing the #1 post. , to be more sure of the ignition setup I inserted a plug into the #1 wire and grounded the plug to the engine, then I put the key on IGN position and rotated the distributor, I positioned it RIGHT when I saw the spark, you have to be really careful though, I shocked myself doing that and it was really tough one!
3- I squirted some fuel in the bowls.
4- hit the key and the thing started right up.
5- brought the RPM to 2000 right away and dialed the timing for the final setting of 10* BTDC.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,557
Likes: 9
From: Oquirrh Mountains
St. Jude Donor '09
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,877
Likes: 13
From: Doha
St. Jude Donor '08
Pro
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 734
Likes: 0
From: Bryan Texas
Hydrolic lifters that haven't been pumped up or that have leaked down can fool you, they can be very soft. Be very sure you are not passed 0 lash when you crank it down another 1/4 turn. But I don't think that's your main problem either... I agree that your dist is 180 out.
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Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 3,472
Likes: 18
From: Lake Ozark, MO
OK - guess big brain fart on my part.. the Comp chain called for crank at 12 and cam at 6 oclock...So from that position (12 & 6 ) I adjusted my lifter preload starting with number 1.
What i should have done was rotate the engine 360 degrees (cam at 12 and crank at 12) AND THEN set the valves. Correct?
Do I need to adjust the lifters once more (but now they are compressed)?
I can rotate the wires on the cap to compensate
What i should have done was rotate the engine 360 degrees (cam at 12 and crank at 12) AND THEN set the valves. Correct?
Do I need to adjust the lifters once more (but now they are compressed)?
I can rotate the wires on the cap to compensate
Last edited by Hvymtlc5; Aug 15, 2010 at 09:16 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,557
Likes: 9
From: Oquirrh Mountains
St. Jude Donor '09
OK - guess big brain fart on my part.. the Comp chain called for crank at 12 and cam at 6 oclock...So from that position (12 & 6 ) I adjusted my lifter preload starting with number 1.
What i should have done was rotate the engine 360 degrees (cam at 12 and crank at 12) AND THEN set the valves. Correct?
Do I need to adjust the lifters once more (but now they are compressed)?
I can rotate the wires on the cap to compensate
What i should have done was rotate the engine 360 degrees (cam at 12 and crank at 12) AND THEN set the valves. Correct?
Do I need to adjust the lifters once more (but now they are compressed)?
I can rotate the wires on the cap to compensate
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,877
Likes: 13
From: Doha
St. Jude Donor '08
OK - guess big brain fart on my part.. the Comp chain called for crank at 12 and cam at 6 oclock...So from that position (12 & 6 ) I adjusted my lifter preload starting with number 1.
What i should have done was rotate the engine 360 degrees (cam at 12 and crank at 12) AND THEN set the valves. Correct?
Do I need to adjust the lifters once more (but now they are compressed)?
I can rotate the wires on the cap to compensate
What i should have done was rotate the engine 360 degrees (cam at 12 and crank at 12) AND THEN set the valves. Correct?
Do I need to adjust the lifters once more (but now they are compressed)?
I can rotate the wires on the cap to compensate
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,879
Likes: 38
From: Los Gatos CA
If it were me, I would make sure things are correct. You could move the wires on the distributer, but would I re-stab the distributer with #1 on compression stroke. And I would definitely reset the rockers. I don't spin the pushrod; rather I move it up and down quickly while tightening the adjust nut. When the slack is gone, turn the nut 1/4 to 1/2 turn (what ever you want). Easy money...
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 3,472
Likes: 18
From: Lake Ozark, MO
Making sure I have this straight...even though I aligned the dots at 6 (cam) and 12 (crank). I was not on the compression stroke of the cam?
I should have rotated the crank 360 degrees and then set the distributor / wires to number 1? Marks would have been at 12 (cam) and 12 (crank)??
Still hope there is enough assembly lube left (didn't crank it much) to keep the lobes safe.
Thanks for thre quick help!!
I should have rotated the crank 360 degrees and then set the distributor / wires to number 1? Marks would have been at 12 (cam) and 12 (crank)??
Still hope there is enough assembly lube left (didn't crank it much) to keep the lobes safe.
Thanks for thre quick help!!
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 12,142
Likes: 54
From: Taylor Michigan
Yes your on the compression of the cam, however its on #6 not #1....and a very common mistake...... not much information to tell you this either.....