Ok guys i'm at my wits end with this thing, hopefully you guys have some insight on whats going on with this motor. I pulled it out of my 75 f150 hiboy and overhauled it, had the machine shop go through the heads, bought a new distributor, new coil, running flat top pistons, new cam, new lifters, new double roller timing chain, edelbrock performer intake, new edelbrock 1826 carb, new plugs and wires... ok well here is what it is doing, in order to start the motor i have to have the distributor retarded, then when you set the dist. so it idles smooth and have good responce all the way through your power band i shut the engine off and tried to restart the motor, wouldn't restart unless i retarded the distributor again. ok i know what you're thinking, this guy is a tooth off on the dist., wrong, i thought the same thing, i also thought i might be 180 out, wrong again, so then i tore the front end back apart and double checked my timing marks on the chain. all is set properly... i have 6 volts at the coil with the key on and it bumps up to 12 when i crank. Also thought maybe a bad ground, so i added motor to body ground straps and motor to frame, along with a new motor to battery ground cable. Here is a parts list with the part numbers of what i put in the motor.

Edelbrock 1826 650CFM Elect. Choke Carb
Flowtech Ford 390 Headers
Crane Cams Pushrods CCA-7833-16
Crane Cams Cam and Lifter Kit CCA-CL33-224-3
Pertronix Flamethrower II Dist. PNX-D133701
Summit Racing Coil SUM-G5220
Summit Racing True Roller Timing Set - FE Ford SUM-G6608
Melling High Volume Oil Pump MEL-M57HV

 

What the heck are you setting the timing to?

Stock was -6 BTDC. For a nice performance engine the timing is usually set around -8 to -12.

The engine should crank perfectly fine with those settings.

I run anywhere from -16 to -18 and I have no issues with a standard starter that is at least 17 years old. I also have over 10.5:1 compression.

To set timing, you disconnect and plug the vacuum advance line, and set timing at low idle. Re-connect vacuum line (ported vacuum, not manifold) blip the throttle and set the curb idle.

Josh

 

i havnt set the timing yet, i was dropping the dist. in on TDC #1 and trying to get the truck to start and idle so i could hook up the timing light and see where it was hitting at, but i havn't found a reliable spot to start it at... should i set the crank at 10 BTC and drop the dist. in and start from there?

 

I had nearly the same problem as you. I set the crank at 10BTC and fired it up. Sometimes it really struggles to crank after the engine is warm (vapor lock I assume) but otherwise does great.

 

Are you using your distributor as a "stand alone" unit or are you using it with your Duraspark box? the DS box retards the timing during cranking for easier starts, how much initial advance are you running?

 

Me or lestadsht?
If me, I've got the Duraspark box but don't have the wire connected for spark retard. It was having more trouble that way. Initial advance I can't quite remember. For some reason somewhere about 30 sounds familiar. A friend did it for me so I'm not quite sure.

 

may i ask pidaster, who makes a bell-housing that fits a c-6 to a 390? i have a '75 f-250 with a 390 but i cant find a manufacturer that makes a bell-housing for it.

matt

 

Apparently the C6 doesn't have a removable bell housing. It's a one piece design unlike the C4.

 

do you know of one that makes one for the c-4 and is the c-4 for 4x4.

 

Nope. Not sure of the specs on C4 units but I'd stick with a beefier C6 for 4x4. I'm sure if you searched or started a thread about it you'd get a better response than on this thread.

 

thank you very much for your help

 

Ha! I wasn't much help at all. I'm mostly just familiar with my C4 and 302. The 390 stuff is still relatively new to me and I don't fool with 4x4's.

 

You can't set initial timing to 30 degrees BTDC, no wonder the engine won't turn over.

Set it to -12 and be done with it. Hook up the white Duraspark wire to the "I" terminal of your starter solenoid and it will retard the ignition slightly while cranking.

Josh

 

i'm not running a duraspark box, just running coil to distributor, with the dist dropped in on -10 btc.

 

Dang, I responded to PIDASTER who seems to have taken over your thread.

Josh