Headers getting red hot on FE
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Headers getting red hot on FE
The cam was recently replaced and the cam did not have the right break-in and two lifters and the cam are trashed. So I pulled off the the intake and carb and changed in a new cam and lifter along with a new timing chain and gaskets. i also at the same time replaced the intake and carb with a edelbrock performer rpm and speed demon 4 barrel 650 carb. My problem is- during breakin period of the cam i noticed the headers glowing red hot out of three cylinders #3,#4, and #6. so i stoped the engine pulled the spark plugs seems to be a little black ,not bad. the carb also back fired alittle through the carb and dies out sometimes. i did a compressoin test and found most of the cylinders are around 125-150psi except number 2 cylinder best reading to be only 107psi. And my distributor is s a little hard to spin around.. Any help will be apreciated.. thanks chris
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2003
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From: Iowa
Try disconnecting the vacuum advance (if so equipped), plug the hose, then set timing to 12 BTDC. Tighten down the distributor, then reconnect the hose.
If that doesn't do it then it might be a little rich.
If that doesn't do it then it might be a little rich.
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when i set the timing, that is excatly how i did it.. still the same... would the lifters not being set right have something to do with this... I set them by bringing it up to tdc #1, took the lash out of the push rod and turned it another half of turn and then tighten down the set nut .. according to edelbrock that is the way they wanted it down.. but i still here a little lifter tick in the engine...
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2003
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From: Iowa
I kind of doubt that. It sounds like you did it right. When I put mine together, I thought I had a little lifter tick. Turns out, that with the higher lift cam I put in, the adjuster on the back of one of the rockers was hitting the oil baffle under the fill hole! You might try pulling the valve covers and looking for any signs of contact.
What cam did you put in it, anyway?
What cam did you put in it, anyway?
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i just got this vehicle from a friend and it had a bigger lift cam in it before the one i put in it, it is a edelbrock performer-plus and the one in there before was a lunati and it had specs close to that of a edelbrock performer rpm.. duration and lift... so it is smaller cam .. and i had the car running with out the valve covers and still the same thing.. this engine had a cam in it before that knocked out two lifters blew the bottom out of one of them..
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Joined: Jun 2001
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From: Corpus Christi, Texas
it could be one lifter is not pumping up. pull off you valve covers and push on the pushrod side of you rocker to see if anyone of them bleed off. Could have gotten a piece of trash or metal in it.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,785
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From: Mddl A MexCans
I'm no mechanic but red hot pipes I have only seen related to timing. Not saying there is no other reason for it. It just been my experience this is the first thing to look at. Have you verified the damper reading as true ? The only odd part is the cylinders it shows up on dont equal 8, and are in adj/opposite locations. Really one would think (fuel/air or timing would be an even situation accross the board.) ? thinking too hard maybe 
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the distributor is set up with one of the pertonix ignitor II ignitions and not points. but the distributor when off is hard to turn by hand would that make a difference in the timing. and i really don't know if the vacuum advance even works or suppose to work on it..
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Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Maple Ridge BC Canada
You could have a vacuum leak at the intake manifold..It will make cyls run very lean and hot, and could cause backfiring thru the carb...Wow 25 years ago when I started building motors, no one ever heard of wiping out a cam...even if they didnt break it in properly...I would pull a couple of bearing caps, and see the condition of the bearings..all that metal wipes them out quickly...
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Golden, CO
Hey Chris, did you happen to do the shadetree leak-down test? Put a piston at TDC, put compressed air on that cylinder through the plug hole, listen for air leaking through the intake, crankcase, exhaust. Put the next piston at TDC and repeat. Just be carefull that your body parts wont get mangled if the crank shoud turn. Pull the valve cover and observe/compare rocker travel for the #2 cylinder. It's hard to have happy thoughts with compression numbers like that.
Meaning the shaft is hard to turn? Not really. Check that the advance mechanism moves freely and smoothly. Check for lateral play at the rotor end of the distributer shaft. Compress the vac advance arm into the can and cap the nipple, if it holds suction it should be OK.
That is pretty wild that the difference in burn does not show a pattern. I used a work truck with a muffler that glowed orange. The fleet mechanic for that company said the carb was leaking so bad that raw fuel was burning off in the exhaust.
Hmmm, maybe cylinders 3, 4, and 6 don't have any vacuum leak and the rest do? Hows that for a wild guess? LOL
Keep us posted.
Originally Posted by chris_s_bre
the distributor when off is hard to turn by hand would that make a difference in the timing
That is pretty wild that the difference in burn does not show a pattern. I used a work truck with a muffler that glowed orange. The fleet mechanic for that company said the carb was leaking so bad that raw fuel was burning off in the exhaust.
Hmmm, maybe cylinders 3, 4, and 6 don't have any vacuum leak and the rest do? Hows that for a wild guess? LOL
Keep us posted.