Is the filter behind the carburetor fuel inlet nut installed backwards?I don't think so, the side with the hole is facing the nut. That's how the other came out.
If you know it's getting fuel up to the carburetor, then yeah, you're going to have to remove it and tear it down again. In my experience in dealing with carbs that have had gas stored in them for a long period of time, you have spend a lot of time ensuring that they are clean. An algae growth can clog up all the small passages. Those passages carry fuel and vacuum air. I would get a use once aluminum pan and boil water and detergent with the carb body in it. Pull it out, and spray the passages with carb cleaner, and blow compressed air through them also. You could spin small soft wire through some of them as well. Sometimes it is a trial and error process until the carburetor gets clean enough to run properly. Don't get down, just keep trying. Good luck, Man!
If you want to learn, there is no better way than rolling up your sleeves and digging in. But, be methodical and don't get the cart ahead of the horse....
BTW, the inlet filter was installed correctly. ;)------------------------------
Here's a place to start. It's time to perform some basic checks before you tear that carb back apart. Incidentally, how old is the fuel in the tank? Check all of the rubber fuel hoses for cracks/splits/resiliency/sponginess and replace with fuel rated hose as needed.
Pick up a vacuum/pressure gauge (http://www.summitracing.com/parts/anm-cp7803/overview/) and check the fuel pump pressure (5-7 PSI), suction (>20" Hg), and volume (minimum of 1 quart fuel in 30 seconds of cranking - healthy pumps typically deliver 1 qt in ~20 sec). When performing fuel related tests, remain alert and have a fire extinguisher at hand. Work with an assistant. Wipe up any fuel that spills right away. No sparks or flames! Disconnect power from the distributor, so the engine doesn't start.
Once you've verified adequate fuel delivery to the carburetor, remove the float bowl cover and recheck the float level. Make sure the needle valve is properly hooked over the end of the float and not through one of its "holes." And, make sure adjustments are performed precisely, per factory specifications. If you have to tear it apart again, as Mario pointed out, make sure passages are clean and thoroughly blown out with compressed air.
A word to the wise - get the vehicle running correctly, before you modify the carb using Ruggles' book. No need to introduce additional variables when you are trying to sort out a problem.
...Check all of the rubber fuel hoses for cracks/splits/resiliency/sponginess and replace with fuel rated hose as needed.
Pick up a vacuum/pressure gauge (http://www.summitracing.com/parts/anm-cp7803/overview/) and check the fuel pump pressure (5-7 PSI), suction (>20" Hg), and volume (minimum of 1 quart fuel in 30 seconds of cranking - healthy pumps typically deliver 1 qt in ~20 sec). When performing fuel related tests, remain alert and have a fire extinguisher at hand. Work with an assistant. Wipe up any fuel that spills right away. No sparks or flames! Disconnect power from the distributor, so the engine doesn't start.
Once you've verified adequate fuel delivery to the carburetor, remove the float bowl cover and recheck the float level. Make sure the needle valve is properly hooked over the end of the float and not through one of its "holes." And, make sure adjustments are performed precisely, per factory specifications. If you have to tear it apart again, as Mario pointed out, make sure passages are clean and thoroughly blown out with compressed air.
Begin here......Check all of the rubber fuel hoses for cracks/splits/resiliency/sponginess and replace with fuel rated hose as needed.
Pick up a vacuum/pressure gauge (http://www.summitracing.com/parts/anm-cp7803/overview/) and check the fuel pump pressure (5-7 PSI), suction (>20" Hg), and volume (minimum of 1 quart fuel in 30 seconds of cranking - healthy pumps typically deliver 1 qt in ~20 sec). When performing fuel related tests, remain alert and have a fire extinguisher at hand. Work with an assistant. Wipe up any fuel that spills right away. No sparks or flames! Disconnect power from the distributor, so the engine doesn't start.
Once you've verified adequate fuel delivery to the carburetor, remove the float bowl cover and recheck the float level. Make sure the needle valve is properly hooked over the end of the float and not through one of its "holes." And, make sure adjustments are performed precisely, per factory specifications. If you have to tear it apart again, as Mario pointed out, make sure passages are clean and thoroughly blown out with compressed air.
You will "probably" be okay reusing the carb gaskets as long as none tear during disassembly.
Reinstall the carburetor before continuing, so you don't have fuel blowing everywhere during the next steps.-----------------------
Concerning water in the oil:
On a 60+ degree day do you see profuse white smoke from the exhaust after running the engine for 30 seconds to a couple of minutes when first started cold?
Water in the oil isn't necessarily a blown head gasket. Deteriorated intake gaskets or cracks in the castings can also be a source of water in the oil. Begin your evaluation by checking cylinder condition.
Remove all the spark plugs and keep them in order by cylinder. Do any of the spark plugs look wet or have coolant on them? Are any of the spark plug electrodes/insulators particularly clean relative to the others? Have an assistant crank the engine while you watch under the hood. Stay clear of the fan and belts! Watch for a white cloud or mist blowing out of a cylinder on the first engine revolution - that is an indication of water in that cylinder. Next, run a (dry) compression check to identify any low cylinders and write down the results. Run a second (wet) compression check on each cylinder after squirting two oil can shots of 30 wt oil into each cylinder, one at a time, in turn, as you recheck the compression. Post all your results, dry and wet. You may be able to rent a compression gauge from your local parts house. You won't need a torque wrench for these initial checks.
When you blow out passages, try to blow them out in the direction opposite air/fuel flow. Whatever blocked them got in at the entrance, and will leave easier headed back the way it got in in. You don't want to embed anything deeper. Hint: all flow in a carb is toward the intake manifold.
Also: BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL WITH CARB CLEANERS. All are extremely flammable, and combustion of most of them results in poisonous decomposition byproducts. For example, don't smoke anywhere near the stuff, and don't burn your paper towels or rags when the job is complete if they contain carb cleaner.
The secondary lockout is a small pivoting lever that prevents secondary throttle opening prior to the choke opening fully. If you force the choke linkage all the way open, the lockout should pivot away from the secondary throttle shaft pin and allow secondary opening. A good pic will be ideal for verification.
Concerning water in the oil:
On a 60+ degree day do you see profuse white smoke from the exhaust after running the engine for 30 seconds to a couple of minutes when first started cold?
Water in the oil isn't necessarily a blown head gasket. Deteriorated intake gaskets or cracks in the castings can also be a source of water in the oil. Begin your evaluation by checking cylinder condition.
Remove all the spark plugs and keep them in order by cylinder. Do any of the spark plugs look wet or have coolant on them? Are any of the spark plug electrodes/insulators particularly clean relative to the others? Have an assistant crank the engine while you watch under the hood. Stay clear of the fan and belts! Watch for a white cloud or mist blowing out of a cylinder on the first engine revolution - that is an indication of water in that cylinder. Next, run a (dry) compression check to identify any low cylinders and write down the results. Run a second (wet) compression check on each cylinder after squirting two oil can shots of 30 wt oil into each cylinder, one at a time, in turn, as you recheck the compression. Post all your results, dry and wet.
At least three possibilities are (1) blown head gasket - the most common scenario, (2) leaking intake gasket, (3) cracked block or cylinder head.Concerning water in the oil:
On a 60+ degree day do you see profuse white smoke from the exhaust after running the engine for 30 seconds to a couple of minutes when first started cold?
Water in the oil isn't necessarily a blown head gasket. Deteriorated intake gaskets or cracks in the castings can also be a source of water in the oil. Begin your evaluation by checking cylinder condition.
Remove all the spark plugs and keep them in order by cylinder. Do any of the spark plugs look wet or have coolant on them? Are any of the spark plug electrodes/insulators particularly clean relative to the others? Have an assistant crank the engine while you watch under the hood. Stay clear of the fan and belts! Watch for a white cloud or mist blowing out of a cylinder on the first engine revolution - that is an indication of water in that cylinder. Next, run a (dry) compression check to identify any low cylinders and write down the results. Run a second (wet) compression check on each cylinder after squirting two oil can shots of 30 wt oil into each cylinder, one at a time, in turn, as you recheck the compression. Post all your results, dry and wet.
Did you mean crank the engine with all the plugs out to look for mist? Or just watch in the engine bay while cranking?
Did you mean crank the engine with all the plugs out to look for mist? Or just watch in the engine bay while cranking?
- Remove all the spark plugs, but keep them in their correct order by cylinder.
- Inspect the spark plug insulators and electrodes for traces of water (tiny droplets or rust residue) and combustion deposits. Exceptionally clean spark plugs maybe an indicator of water in that cylinder, because water steam cleans the combustion chamber.
- Disconnect the 12-volt power lead from the distributor, so the plug wires can't spark.
- While you're watching under the hood, and your fingers are clear of the belts and fan, have an assistant crank the engine over about two complete revolutions. If there is water in a cylinder, it will blow out forcefully on the first revolution. Observing where the mist originates will help you focus your attention.
- Now, you're ready to proceed with the compression check as previously outlined.
Whichever scenario it is, it isnt going to be good, but it will dang sure in my opinion be easier than rebuilding a Q-jet. You're on the right track and with some excellent advice, you'll get it for sure.
On a chevrolet the drivers side is the "odd" side. So from front to back the cylinders run 1,3,5,7 and on the passenger side from the front to back is 2,4,6,8 The firing order of these can be referenced on the intake manifold just in front of the carb. 18436572 If ever you change distributors etc this will be invaluable to you. Now your compression numbers are telling a story all their own, with cylinders 3 and 5 putting up very low numbers. My guess and only a guess is that you'll find the head gasket to be blown right between the two at the top water jacket. This would explain not leaking externally but being able to leak pressure off between the two on different strokes and the water in the exhaust. I would pull both heads being as you're going to be that far in anyway and have the left bank checked for cracks at a minimum. The good news if there are no cracks is that its not that bad of a fix. Clean the surface well and follow the torque procedure and some valve setting and you're there, all of which you can get great advice on right here if you get stuck.
If you get down to it and find an obvously blown head gasket then you might be able to get by just replacing it, but if it doesnt jump right out at you I'd take them to a local machine shop to have them cleaned and crack checked. If you bolt on a cracked head you will encounter the very same problem right at startup really. As for gaskets, yes there are dozens of them that fit and are for different applications. If this is a daily driver on a factory head theres no real reason to get all crazy with the gaskets. A Fel-Pro 1003 would do just fine. It can get pretty blurry if you start diving into the different thicknesses, bores, and composition of them.
All the spark plugs are dark from soot, since the engine didn't come up to operating temperature on the prior start-up. Cylinder #5 spark plug is damp with coolant; that cylinder also has the lowest compression. Although they are all discolored, notice how spark plugs #3 and #5 are slightly cleaner than the rest? I agree with Lefty - the gasket is blown between cylinders #3 and #5. You're exhibiting some coolant in cylinder #8 too - probably due to pulse transfer through the intake manifold runners. The #3 spark plug looks like it might have been a little tight coming out of the head. You should chase the spark plug holes. The #2 and #7 spark plugs are slightly wet with oil. Have you noticed any blue exhaust smoke, especially on cold start-up? The #7 cylinder is also low on compression. Either cylinder #7 valves are just beginning to leak or the left head gasket is on the verge of failure there too.
What spark plugs are you using?
Now is a great time to check the timing chain play (next to last paragraph (http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php/topic,23175.msg192717/topicseen.html#msg192717)), before disassembly.
Both heads should be removed and sent to an automotive machine shop for disassembly, cleaning, inspection (including checking for cracks) and possibly surfacing and some machine work. You should install new valve guide seals (use Viton press-on seals (http://www.summitracing.com/parts/fel-ss72861/overview/make/chevrolet)). The machine shop can provide the correct gasket sets, or you can purchase them yourself (I prefer FelPro Permatorque gaskets). You will need two head gaskets, an intake manifold set, and possibly exhaust gaskets. If you are using stock cast exhaust manifolds, pick up and install four Lisle 13000 manifold spreaders (http://www.summitracing.com/parts/lil-13000) BEFORE you unbolt the manifolds from the heads!
Once you get the heads off, remove the valve lifters one-at-a-time and inspect the lifter feet for concave wear (a common problem with GM camshafts). If the lifters are worn concave the cam lobes are equally worn; replace the camshaft and lifters as a set and install a new double roller timing set. Don't forget the timing cover gasket set.
Clean and inspect all parts and keep them organized! If the head bolts exhibit any evidence of pitting, rust, etc, replace them as a set.
Additional tools to rent or purchase:
- Gasket scraper
- Removing the lower timing (crank) gear requires a harmonic balancer puller/installer and a gear puller
- 1/2" drive ~150 lbs-ft torque wrench
Edit:
When you remove the lifters, DO NOT mix the lifters up! Keep them mated with their respective cam lobes.
Purchase Ultra Copper (http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/Permatex-3-oz-85-g-tube-Ultra-Copper-maximum-temperature-RTV-silicone-gasket-maker/_/N-25a0?itemIdentifier=554048_0_0_) silicone sealer for the intake manifold, exhaust manifold and timing cover gaskets and ARP PTFE sealer (http://www.summitracing.com/parts/arp-100-9904/overview/) for the cylinder head and intake bolts. Do not use any sealer on the head gaskets.
The spark plugs are AcDelco R45TS (should i change them to something else? These are just what was in it when I got it a few weeks ago).
The truck has headers on it currently, so I can just unbolt them and put new gaskets on when I reinstall correct?
The spark plugs are AcDelco R45TS (should i change them to something else? These are just what was in it when I got it a few weeks ago).
R45TS is a popular plug that works well for most stock configurations. If the engine has any tendency to ping once it's back together, try using the R43CTS.The truck has headers on it currently, so I can just unbolt them and put new gaskets on when I reinstall correct?
Correct - and you won't need to worry about manifold distortion, so you can forgo the four spreaders.
I neglected to mention, pick up a roll of 80-grit paper and mill a 1.5" square block of oak about 6" long to make a hard, flat sanding block to surface the engine block and intake manifold sealing surfaces prior to reassembly. This will remove minor surface imperfections and provide a truly clean, flat sealing surface with some bite for the gaskets. Wet the paper with solvent or kerosene while 'sanding.' Retain the paper with a sheet metal screw in one end.
How do you borrow emery cloth?
Any hard block matching the width of the paper will do.
To protect the engine from dust and "drop ins," lay a clean painters tarp or other makeshift cover over the engine when you're not working on it. Assuming the hood is still mounted, it will keep the rain off.
You can evaluate the condition of the cylinder walls before deciding on whether to tear down further.
Oh, man. That's a lot of tear down and rebuild and parts. At what point do you decide to start over with a new crate engine? I guess the question I would ask is how many miles does it have on it? You won't get the equal of a new engine without tearing it all the way down and hot tanking the block. My original 350 had 140,000 miles on it when it started blowing antifreeze. Cylinders 2, 5, and 6 were wet. I decided to go with a new crate engine, and I'm happy about it.
I'm less happy about the 350/290hp engine I selected. I paid $500 more for the mis-matched camshaft that comes in that engine, and ultimately had the engine re-cammed in the vehicle, which was a pricey job. I could have ordered the 350/260hp engine and re-cammed it day one for almost nothing. Granted, the 350/290hp engine was fun once you got it wound up -- the truck was a two-lane terror with that engine; the 50-90 times were insane -- but it took a while to get moving off the post.
As you are tearing into this engine, I would add up all the parts and machining costs you are looking at, so you don't shoot past the price point for a new crate engine with a nice torquey camshaft. You can get the base level 350/260hp engine (#10067353) from Summit right now for $1,509.97 with free shipping. Put the Comp Cams 12-235-2 cam in it before you even put it in the truck. Sure, it voids the warranty, but those things are about as reliable as you can get. The cam is another $119.97, and when replacing the cam you don't even need to replace the lifters or springs on a brand-new, never-been-run engine.
So for $1629.94, you can have a brand new engine. You can get 290hp at 4000 and 415lbft at 2500 if you put a dual-plane manifold (Edelbrock 2101: $155.97) and headers (Hooker 2453: $190.95 at JEGS) on it, and still come in under $2000, or a bit more once you figure in some gaskets and getting flanges brazed onto the exhaust. Even without those extras, you'll get about 220hp at 4000 and 325lbft at 3000, which is a nice little step up from the stock engine. And it's a brand new engine with tight bores and new oil pump and no gunk in the passages and no worn journals and, and, and.
So, how many miles does that engine have on it?
BD is spot on here, right down to the head bolts, the lube and keeping everything in order. Not enough can be said for those things. And where I work we dont call it borrow or take, we call it goverment work! If a full rebuild is in the budget then now is really the time to do it, as you'll be buying the gaskets once instead of doing it again later if you decide to. In that case the whole thing can be bought in a kit with all the gaskets, seals, rings, bearings, and in some cases even the cam a lifters. Again its all about your budget but if you go that route you will know exactly what you have and it should have some serious longevity.
Usually, "up" on a video will be whichever direction was up on the phone when you pushed the record button.
You would still get some mechanical knowledge if you bought a new crate engine and swapped out the cam. You have to pull the valve covers and loosen the rockers and pop the pushrods out and pull the lifters and pull the timing cover and swap the cam and time it properly and then put it all back together and set the valve lash and put the intake on it and the carb and and and. So you would get some wrench time and see how all the top-end wobbly parts work. The bottom end is pretty boring, really.
And you will really, really like 415lbft of torque if you go that route.
You need to remove the power steering pump and brackets in front of the left (driver side) cylinder head. You may be able to unbolt the pump and set it out of the way without disconnecting the lines. Just make sure it doesn't lay against the radiator fins or it will bend them over.
There's no longer any question of whether you had water in the oil - the proof is in the mayonnaise.
That's not the original motor. What's the mileage on the odometer?
Did you check timing chain play before tear-down? What was the engine oil pressure? Aside from the oil/water emulsion, the valley appears relatively clean. Mop up the mocha and wipe the valley down with clean rags. Augment the cleanup with a little carb spray if you like.
I'll try to help you get your arms around this....
Before you dump any money into machine work, remove and inspect the valve lifters one-at-a-time, keeping them strictly in order so each can be reinserted into the same lifter bore from which it was removed. You absolutely do not want to mix the lifters up between bores/cam lobes or you'll destroy an otherwise good cam! The lifter feet should appear slightly convex-to-flat and show no signs of pitting or galling. If the lifter feet are concave, pitted or galled, they are worn out and you should add the cost of a replacement cam, lifters and double roller timing chain set to your shopping list.
Similarly, keep the valve pushrods and rocker arms in order. Wash the pushrod center holes with carb spray followed by compressed air. Check the pushrods for straightness by rolling across a table or other flat surface; inspect the pushrod ends for uneven wear. Inspect the wear surfaces of the rocker arms.
Post a few clear, close-up pics of the cylinder walls with the pistons down. Are there vertical striations (scuffs) in the cylinder walls? Do the walls appear shiny and polished? Look very closely for cracks in the walls. Are there concentric grooves around the tops of the cylinders? If there are problems with the cylinder walls you should seriously consider installing a crate engine rather than rebuilding yours.
Talk to your machine shop and explain what happened then request an estimate from them for cylinder head repair that includes hot-tanking, magnafluxing, surfacing, grinding the valves and seats, checking the guides, and installing press-on Viton valve guide seals in addition to any recommendations they make as a result of their tear-down.
If the engine had good oil pressure before you tore it down, the bottom end is probably still okay with an oil and filter change. If not, you've essentially escalated into a major overhaul. You get the idea?
Do your best to determine overall engine condition and get a complete picture of what you are facing, so you can take the best repair approach for minimal cost. There is a point beyond which you are money ahead to install a new motor that carries a warranty. So, take the time to perform a complete evaluation before committing your cash.