302 won't run, going crazy
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Freshman User
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From: Lowell
302 won't run, going crazy
hey guys,
finally done my engine swap and can't get the thing to stay running!
Saw the engine run in the guy's car i bought it from so i know it's something i've done and not the engine...
so here's what happens, engine more or less fires right up will take right off but will then idle down and will die unless i constantly feather the carb. won't idle at all. i've played with it to get it to idle sometimes (sorry for the contradiction), but when it does has absolutely no throttle response.
I've checked for vacuum leaks and haven't found any. Found TDC on compression stroke and set to 6* BEFORE TDC but still doesn't run right. lots of backfiring and one or two carb fires.
when i put the engine in put in new rotor, cap, 2 year old wires, new plugs, new coil.
Any help is welcome I'm just dying to drive the thing...
sorry for the long winded post... thanks guys!
oh, and it has an edelbrock intake and a holley 4160 carb if it makes a difference
finally done my engine swap and can't get the thing to stay running!
Saw the engine run in the guy's car i bought it from so i know it's something i've done and not the engine...
so here's what happens, engine more or less fires right up will take right off but will then idle down and will die unless i constantly feather the carb. won't idle at all. i've played with it to get it to idle sometimes (sorry for the contradiction), but when it does has absolutely no throttle response.
I've checked for vacuum leaks and haven't found any. Found TDC on compression stroke and set to 6* BEFORE TDC but still doesn't run right. lots of backfiring and one or two carb fires.
when i put the engine in put in new rotor, cap, 2 year old wires, new plugs, new coil.
Any help is welcome I'm just dying to drive the thing...
sorry for the long winded post... thanks guys!
oh, and it has an edelbrock intake and a holley 4160 carb if it makes a difference
Last edited by 80' ford man55; Jul 30, 2014 at 10:00 PM. Reason: forgot info
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So it won't run at 6 BTDC, so what is it set at?
Check for vacuum leaks at manifold/head, carb base, and if you have a carb spacer, usually for the PCV. Check the PCV and hoses.
Did you check the cam chain? Pull the distributor cap and rotate the engine by hand until the rotor moves. Then reverse rotation and see how many degrees of crank rotation it takes before the rotor moves. That's how much your timing will move at idle, allowing the engine to phase in and out of "tune", or degrade until it almost quits, then snap back to a good idle. Eventually it will jump and will either run terribly or not at all.
Check for vacuum leaks at manifold/head, carb base, and if you have a carb spacer, usually for the PCV. Check the PCV and hoses.
Did you check the cam chain? Pull the distributor cap and rotate the engine by hand until the rotor moves. Then reverse rotation and see how many degrees of crank rotation it takes before the rotor moves. That's how much your timing will move at idle, allowing the engine to phase in and out of "tune", or degrade until it almost quits, then snap back to a good idle. Eventually it will jump and will either run terribly or not at all.
Thread Starter
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Freshman User
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 31
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From: Lowell
So it won't run at 6 BTDC, so what is it set at?
Check for vacuum leaks at manifold/head, carb base, and if you have a carb spacer, usually for the PCV. Check the PCV and hoses.
Did you check the cam chain? Pull the distributor cap and rotate the engine by hand until the rotor moves. Then reverse rotation and see how many degrees of crank rotation it takes before the rotor moves. That's how much your timing will move at idle, allowing the engine to phase in and out of "tune", or degrade until it almost quits, then snap back to a good idle. Eventually it will jump and will either run terribly or not at all.
Check for vacuum leaks at manifold/head, carb base, and if you have a carb spacer, usually for the PCV. Check the PCV and hoses.
Did you check the cam chain? Pull the distributor cap and rotate the engine by hand until the rotor moves. Then reverse rotation and see how many degrees of crank rotation it takes before the rotor moves. That's how much your timing will move at idle, allowing the engine to phase in and out of "tune", or degrade until it almost quits, then snap back to a good idle. Eventually it will jump and will either run terribly or not at all.
I've put new gaskets on for the carb and the carb spacer, PCV is pretty sketchy, could it make that big of a difference? Completely forgot to look at it until you mentioned it.
going to try beyond 14* and play with the PCV will check back in with results
thanks guys!
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If the PCV isn't working right it just becomes a massive vacuum leak. I've had engines stall out at idle strictly because of PCV problems. Usually they'll run halfway decently down the road and die as soon as you come to a stop.
If it is tuned to run with PCV and you plug it off it won't idle right, if it is tuned without PCV and you add PCV it won't idle right.
If it is tuned to run with PCV and you plug it off it won't idle right, if it is tuned without PCV and you add PCV it won't idle right.
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From: Lowell
pulled the inside of a plug boot off and the crimp pulled out... was doing a compression check. Good news is everything was give or take a few pounds at 150 psi.
no stores around me had any wires gotta hit napa on saturday.
also, my gaps were at .035 would that make a difference? i incorrectly gapped them originally bought a new set plugs am going to set them to .045
will plug everything up for the next run i make, thank you oldman!
also just want to check to make sure i'm right, don't have a huge amount of experience with timing and can only make out the hash marks on my balancer no numbers or letters...
if looking at the pionter and TDC is lined up: is to the right (driver side) BEFORE TDC, and to the left (passenger side) AFTER TDC? just want to make sure i'm not way off...
no stores around me had any wires gotta hit napa on saturday.
also, my gaps were at .035 would that make a difference? i incorrectly gapped them originally bought a new set plugs am going to set them to .045
will plug everything up for the next run i make, thank you oldman!
also just want to check to make sure i'm right, don't have a huge amount of experience with timing and can only make out the hash marks on my balancer no numbers or letters...
if looking at the pionter and TDC is lined up: is to the right (driver side) BEFORE TDC, and to the left (passenger side) AFTER TDC? just want to make sure i'm not way off...
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That's right.
Mine was marked with white paint. I like either a skinny white line or more often I use a white chalk line like used in metal shops.
Mine was marked with white paint. I like either a skinny white line or more often I use a white chalk line like used in metal shops.
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