Bitter learning curve. Absolutely DONE with carburetors!!!

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PhillH said:
I've got the oil and filter changed, just have to get the fuel pump on. The new one makes the same sound as the old one but the lever is alot harder to manipulate. Fingers crossed.
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did you inspect the fuel pump drive?
 
Got the fuel pump done. The noise is still there. It's only as the engine gets thoroughly warm, I have checked all around with the stethoscope and can't really pinpoint it, I one by one pulled the wires while running and I think it is not in the bearings. Rather than spend the time trying to video it I'm just taking it to Rick, but at least it seems I may be ok not having to tear it down.
 
Take the fan belts off, it will allow you to hear noises better, just do not let it run for more than a couple of minutes.
 
Since I have changed the fuel pump I have two things that never happened before, it stalled a couple times in the driveway backing out of the garage, but did not stall after that. Also when I got back it gave a little cough when I shut it off.
So my plan now is- I changed the spark plugs, the plugs that came out are too lean, and I'm not starting it again till I drive it to Pagan's, this way he can see the plugs if he wants when I get there. Hope he can get me straighened out.
 
Well if it has a cough, then the plugs are too cold...... get it? LOL Sorry.....

New plugs for a fresh read sounds like a plan...
 
As far as I could inspect the fuel pump drive, it's tight not wobbly and there are no unusual wear patterns or scores on it.
 
Got a call from Rick, he put his electronic stethoscope on it and can't find anything out of the ordinary, everything sounds like it should, he said it's a good sounding engine. That is great news in that I don't have to pull the motor, and I put a motor together that passes an expert opinion!!! I'll have to spend some more time on tracking down where that noise is coming from, just glad it's not the bottom end or top end.
Someone here (Inertia) mentioned the PVC putting the grey on the dipstick....
Thank you, I'll be getting the PVC up to par right quick, I pushed your Thank You button for that one.
The oil pressure is also good news, Rick hooked up his gauge and it's reading 15psi at hot idle, 60psi at 3k rpm's. He said it biulds fast and no dips. No need to pull the engine for this one, just the cheap Sunpro gauge I bought. He also said ideally he would like more at idle and it's possible I nicked a bearing putting the cam in. I think it's lost a few pounds at idle from doing the oil mod for the distibutor drive, which is totally acceptable to me. Someone is getting a thank you for recommending that earlier.
Also Rick fixed the choke and fast idle that I F'd up, he's checking the spark plugs and doing a quick set on the floats. I'm picking it up later and setting a day to drop it back off to him for some more in depth tuning. Rick has some real nice cars in his shop right now and did this for free just to help out an fellow A-Body guy. I cannot thank him enough. Thank you Rick Pagan.
 
Wow, that is all good news and that gesture on Rick's part is awesome! Sounds like you are coming out of the woods on this, and maybe you did a fine job after all. If you ever do go to FI, you have a sound base to work from.

BTW, I would not make the same conclusion on the oil mod lowering the pressure all that much unless you made that hole waaaaay to big. That point is on the far 'end of the line' of the oiling system. But your PSI at 3k is sure good.
 
More update.
The car runs better than ever, and it's not even fully tuned yet! It's so much less finicky now, drives like a reliable car, I still have a way to go but this is a real improvement. I got it in today engine cold, pumped the gas, choke set and it started right up, choke works great, fast idle cam works, how nice that is.
Somehow the oil pressure gauge wasn't reading right, Rick unhooked it to use his and then rehooked mine when he was finished and guess what, mine works acurately now.
Also, lesson learned on the oil mod, I recall not having the exact size called for in the thread, I forget but think it was Standard verse metric or something, I used the closest one I had, don't do that. I think I'm a size bigger and thats were the few pounds at idle went, no biggie but don't do that.
Now for the noise, I can't figure it out, it's gone.... I don't know why and I don't care as long as it's not in the engine. Go figure????
 
Forgot to mention a little test I did. I had said before the car never went over 4500 rpms.
I have a secluded road for this test. I stopped, let off the brake and hit the gas, it went about 30 or 40 feet, once it got into the torque the tire just went to smoke, all the way to 5 grand before it shifted to second. Awesome.
 
so now that you've had someone with a little more experience work on that carb let me ask you...still done with them ?
 
Absolutely!!! Can't hardly wait till I put the FiTech order in.... Sorry but time does not stand still, I love the thought of having a 45 year old car I could toss the keys to someone and they don't have to know how to do it, just start and drive. NOT that I would, but I could. Not that I ever would, but could. LOL
 
It was good to meet you Phil and thanks for the kind words. Glad to hear your op gauge working. Of coarse all that 5k rpm tire smokin stuff was in the driveway and not on our public streets right!!! LOL. Have fun with your toy and I'm here if need be. Oh and that noise I waved my Harry Potter wand at it.
 
Welcome to the Dark side, where a leaking injector can do the same thing.
 
I had the same thing in a fresh 360 but with Mechanical fuel injection on Methanol which lead to a catastrophic engine loss. We set up way rich which we learn how to tun it so as not to burn pistons and it started to not want to rev, became hard to turn over, oil pressure dropped and finally could hear a knock over the open exhaust. I had spun a rod bearing killed the crank journal which in turn led to a .010 bend in the crank. The rods are damaged from the bearings and there is metal through the engine which took out couple of cam lobes and lifters and managed to find there way into some piston skirts. I had the gray sludge you mentioned in the valley and the oil pan. This cam from fuel dilution in the oil washing a couple of bearings clean. Pull you oil pan and check your bearings before your's looks rooted like mine. I will be going to a carb from now on.
Cheers
Tony
 
PhillH said:
Absolutely!!! Can't hardly wait till I put the FiTech order in.... Sorry but time does not stand still, I love the thought of having a 45 year old car I could toss the keys to someone and they don't have to know how to do it, just start and drive. NOT that I would, but I could. Not that I ever would, but could. LOL
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My truck's had that honor quite often. I'm a big fan of having everything setup like stock so they can just flip down the visor and not bother me.

I probably will go to whichever's cheapest and easiest for each application. Fuel injected race cars has appeal, and carb'd Jeeps isn't something that's bothersome to me.
 
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