its my first time be gentle..lol ok so i just did a compression test. this is what i got

1..140
2..142
3..140
4..145
5..150
6..150
7..142
8..145

this is all my first time.. i checked the timing with a timing light.i think i have it at 12 btdc,im not to sure how to read the marks.
i did all this because im getting a popping sound from the carb at high rpm.
i have a bad lifter,bad enough its not pumping very much oil at all.when i replaced the head gasket,i had the head checked and it past great.iv been reading for the past week what could cause the popping sound from carb and man there's a lot of things it could be lol. iv cheacked for vac leaks,and found a few small ones,but shouldn't be bad enough for these problems.when i got the engine the pvc valve was just caped,so i put a new pvc valve on it,but it doesn't matter if it has a pvc or not,it didn't change the way it ran at all.i have a 2bbl riged up for now i have a gas leaking 4bbl,i swapped carbs and the popping just got worst with the 4bbl...hope all this is enough info..thanks guys

 

The compression test seems excellent. I'm unsure about your lifter comments. The compression test indicates that the valves are doing well. Check the spark plug wires for resistance and cross firing. Your right that there is more than one suspect. You'll just have to check many things until you find the problem.

 

well a old guy at auto zone told me to check the vacuum advanced,so i checked it and i can suck threw it with some resistance,he told me i shouldn't be able keep sucking,said the diaphragm is bad if i can keep sucking,and it can cause the popping at high rpm?? im not sure,my old 351/m had so much vacuum leak it was sad,but it took it like a champ..im thinking its the cam,i hope its not the cam...and one thing i noticed,the high end power comes and goes a little,or maybe im just so relaxed sometimes i feel the power haha i dont know

 

The situation with the vacuum advance may have revealed a problem with it. If it continually allows air to pass probably the diaphragm has a tear in it. It should be replaced. It's difficult for me to believe that anything is wrong with the engine's camshaft when you get the results you have from the compression test. Those are excellent numbers which should mean that the basic engine is sound. I'd concentrate on the easier, less expensive items first.

 

Compression numbers look good... no more than 15 percent difference and less than 5 percent btwn adjoining cylinders.

 

iv tried 2 different vacuum advance both brand new.they both made it sluggish and no power.. so iv been just running it with out the vacuum advanced.and it runs better with out it.. iv shot ether all over the engine and have no vacuum leaks.iv checked the timing and its good..so 2 different carbs and 2 different vacuum advance and no change.and the popping from the carb is getting louder, the more i try to fix it. im about to just give up

 

where is the vaccum advance hooked to buddy had one hooked to constant vaccum so when he hit the gas it would alot of timing and pop back only time ive ever seen one do that though

 

iv had the vacuum advance hooked up 3 different ways..first time was like my old engine,back of manifold number 4 chamber,i was told that was wrong,so i hooked it up to the vacuum on the carb no change.then i hooked it up to the front of the manifold,it has a vacuum tit on number 5 chamber,still nothing..im not runing the vacuum advanced right now.but it still pops out of the carb.i got the engine with out the carb on and hooked up.it was my first time ever putting a carb on a engine,i was lucky i got it to fire haha... the story of this engine....when i first got the engine,i slapped the 4bbl holly the guy let me have,it ran like a top,with a slight miss...so i rigged my 2bbl on it to be easier on gas,it still ran really good, then the head gasket popped.so i put the new head gasket on and when i put it back together,i hooked every thing back the way i first had it. and it had a miss,shuttered really bad.after running a few times flushing the water out of the crank case.then i went and put the hole truck back together.then the engine wouldn't start,it would just crank and stall kinda hard finely figured out it was way out of time.i don't know how it got out of time.but it was tdc with number 3 instead of number 1.so i got it back in time and then the lifter started pecking.i was still babying it cause of the new head gasket,so i never gave it full throttle,till i was ready to drive it and see if it was going to hold up or burn before i dropped 200 bucks on lifters and push rods.when i started driving it it seemed to do ok.i picked up a new air filter.and started to open the throttle letting the rpms get higher then i noticed the popping.now its like every time i touch the engine it gets worst.to day the popping got louder and will starts popping at a lower rpm then before..ill admit it i have no clue what im doing.but iv learned a lot tho.

thanks for helping guys..truly