360 no power on acceleration

[barog]

I have been reading the forum for a long time to answer a lot of questions, but now I am stuck. So, I joined up and here is my issue.

I have a 360 I did not build in my car.
It runs fine in the driveway but when I take it out it has no power. It can cruise OK.
I have completely replaced the ignition system, the Carb is a new Edlebrock 600cfm, new electric fuel pump and 6psi of pressure.
Installed a new TCI 904 transmission with toque converter and flexplate.

I have set the timing several times and if there is enough advance I can get it to spin the tires, but then it will knock.

I tried upping the metering rods in the carb, but it only helped a little.

Some friends and I thought that maybe the timing chain was set wrong, but today I opened it up and it is on mark and the piston and valves are in time.

At one point I hooked a vacuum gauge to the carb and it was indicating late timing, but I am not sure I had everything right from adjusting to try and fix, and it was a while ago.

People on here have a lot of knowledge, any help would be really appreciated!

 

[Vamisk]

The secondaries could possibly be way too rich.

 

[greymouser7]

Timing is off.
Get a timing light.
I had a loose timing chain on a slant 6 do this, AND the distributor was off set incorrectly.

 

[Dartfreak75]

Get a light and set the the timing. And start from there.

 

[Dartfreak75]

Do you know anything about the engine? Was it rebuilt?

 

[barog]

Timing is off.
Get a timing light.
I had a loose timing chain on a slant 6 do this, AND the distributor was off set incorrectly.

I do have a light and I have set the timing, I have read every article and watched every video on setting timing I could find to see if there was anything I was missing.

 

[barog]

Do you know anything about the engine? Was it rebuilt?

He said it was, but I don't know. There is carbon on the pistons and the valve stems, I think he was running it too rich.

Truly I am trying to decide if this can be fixed or if I should replace it with something I can be sure of.

 

[teringer]

is the choke electric and is it going off all the way when warm ,and if it has stock exhaust manifolds check the heat riser to make sure its not rusted shut.

 

[nm9stheham]

OP, can you tell us what you are doing when you say 'no power'? Flooring it from a dead stop? Flooring it from cruise speed, like 45 mph? When it is cruising 'OK', is this OK up mild hills?

As for ignition timing..... I assume you have set it with the vacuum advance line pulled off of the distributor and plugged? (Initial timing...). What value of ignition timing are you setting? Is this a 'dial-back' type of timing light?

Have you revved the engine slowly when parked and watched the timing up to 3000 RPM? It should increase something like 20-22 degrees as the revs increase?

And when you say the cam timing was OK today, did you remove the timing cover and lay a straightedge on the dots to see if they lined up along the centers of the crank and the cam bolt?

Borrow a compression gauge and take all the cylinder cranking pressures, and let us know what you find for all 8. Prop the throttle open when you do this.

 

[Dartfreak75]

He said it was, but I don't know. There is carbon on the pistons and the valve stems, I think he was running it too rich.

Truly I am trying to decide if this can be fixed or if I should replace it with something I can be sure of.

Do you know if it is the original cam and or timing chain?
Have you checked the chain to see if the dots are lined up?
Like posted above can you describe lack of power?

 

[Dartfreak75]

I do have a light and I have set the timing, I have read every article and watched every video on setting timing I could find to see if there was anything I was missing.

Where did you set the initial timing?

 

[barog]

OP, can you tell us what you are doing when you say 'no power'? Flooring it from a dead stop? Flooring it from cruise speed, like 45 mph? When it is cruising 'OK', is this OK up mild hills?

As for ignition timing..... I assume you have set it with the vacuum advance line pulled off of the distributor and plugged? (Initial timing...). What value of ignition timing are you setting? Is this a 'dial-back' type of timing light?

Have you revved the engine slowly when parked and watched the timing up to 3000 RPM? It should increase something like 20-22 degrees as the revs increase?

And when you say the cam timing was OK today, did you remove the timing cover and lay a straightedge on the dots to see if they lined up along the centers of the crank and the cam bolt?

Borrow a compression gauge and take all the cylinder cranking pressures, and let us know what you find for all 8. Prop the throttle open when you do this.

Mild acceleration works, I can drive down the street, but if I press the pedal halfway to full, it speeds up but it is slowly.
I have a dial back timing light, I have tried setting the total timing with the vacuum advance disconnected and plugged to 32, 34, 36.
I removed the timing cover today and checked the dots and centers line up straight (with straight edge)
Compression tester is the one tool I don't have, but should get.

 

[Dartfreak75]

Mild acceleration works, I can drive down the street, but if I press the pedal halfway to full, it speeds up but it is slowly.
I have a dial back timing light, I have tried setting the total timing with the vacuum advance disconnected and plugged to 32, 34, 36.
I removed the timing cover today and checked the dots and centers line up straight (with straight edge)
Compression tester is the one tool I don't have, but should get.

You should be running that degree (32-34) @ around 4000rpm. What degree are you running at idle around 15?

 

[barog]

Do you know if it is the original cam and or timing chain?
Have you checked the chain to see if the dots are lined up?
Like posted above can you describe lack of power?

Not the original.
It's a Summit cam, I think this one: Summit Racing® Camshafts SUM-1798
It has a double roller chain and gears marked S-402 on the cam gear
I checked it today and it is lined up.

 

[barog]

You should be running that degree (32-34) @ around 4000rpm. What degree are you running at idle around 15?

I think initial was around 14, I only set total.

 

[Dana67Dart]

Any chance you have a restriction in the exhost? Rats nest etc??? Had a clogged catolitic converter that would idle fine. Run at fwy speeds but would take forever to get up to speed.

 

[Dartfreak75]

I think initial was around 14, I only set total.

That sounds about right to me then! Initial should be between 12-14 and total should be 35 max. Dont go over that with a stock engine.

 

[Dartfreak75]

Oops

 

[barog]

Any chance you have a restriction in the exhost? Rats nest etc??? Had a clogged catolitic converter that would idle fine. Run at fwy speeds but would take forever to get up to speed.

Running the factory manifolds but the rest is all new.

 

[Dartfreak75]

Running the factory manifolds but the rest is all new.

Has the carb been rebuilt?

 

[barog]

is the choke electric and is it going off all the way when warm ,and if it has stock exhaust manifolds check the heat riser to make sure its not rusted shut.

I thing the electric choke is working, the butterfly in the manifold is welded open

 

[barog]

Has the carb been rebuilt?

The carb is brand new

 

[318willrun]

Some serious mis-matched components, that cam and factory manifolds. And, the factory manifold on the passenger side has a flap that can rust shut, plugging that side of the exhaust.

• Your dots on the timing chain: Is it a 3 key way timing chain (+/- 4* and straight up) ? Did they line up the dot on the key hole of the crank? or the dot by the tooth?

 

[Dartfreak75]

Time to check your compression then!! You have a compression gauge?

 

[Dartfreak75]

Some serious mis-matched components, that cam and factory manifolds. And, the factory manifold on the passenger side has a flap that can rust shut, plugging that side of the exhaust.

• Your dots on the timing chain: Is it a 3 key way timing chain (+/- 4* and straight up) ? Did they line up the dot on the key hole of the crank? or the dot by the tooth?

This is the guy you need to listen to and take advice from!!