I got a 442 for my wife for $500 after her Ford Tempo was totalled by a truck. No more tin can cars for her... :nono:
The seller insisted the 350 motor/tranny combo was rebuilt. The TH350 is good, it chirps the posi wheels good. After putting on a good Holley 600cfm carb and draining the water from the crankcase (hood louvers rusted the aircleaner) I fired it up. About a jillion header leaks so new headers and exhaust to the back of the car. Cylinder #1 and #7 actually glowed their header tubes (I assume from the fresh air so close).
With new exhaust the motor runs awful, initial timing is set right. I even rebuilt the HEI distrib with Pertronix parts and used Taylor 8mm wires. Car needed this anyway. Vacuum guage shows 14 twitching wildly (burnt/pitted exhaust valves?) Motor did sit for 5 years taking in water from carb thru hood (desperate here).
Block is #2 from 1968-1970. Heads are 79cc #8's from 75 smog era (442, should say Cutlass, since it's 1975 model). Compression test shows #1,3,5,7 all make 125psi (8.0 CR inline with model specs and 79cc chamber I guess). #4 is 135psi and #6 is 145psi. Odd, carbon build up?
#2 and #8 are 0psi. Removing this valve cover shows just a twitching intake rocker on #8 with sloppy pushrod (it read 110psi initially, but every try after is just 0). Oil control on #8 is messed, it's leaky bad, but I assume this isn't fatal. #2 intake rocker doesn't move at all, I didn't notice any slop in the pushrod. Intake manifold is still on, I know it might help if it were off but I can't do it quite yet where the car is (it still moves, barely).
1) I'm assuming cyl#8 is a collapsed lifter, because I saw it make 110psi once (so cam lobe can't be that bad right?), and I see no obvious damage to the head or springs (they are awfully clean too, no deposits; it does look like less than 10K on the motor). Even the slugs (thru the spark plug holes) look pretty clean to me.
2) As for cyl#2 I figure another collapsed lifter but then why no play in the pushrod? can a collaped lifter stick "up" in the bore to eliminate the play and still not touch the cam? No rocker movement, no pushrod play as well...
3) Perhaps the cam wasn't broken in right and #2 intake lobe is worn or rounded completely (#2).
This car is a factory no A/C, a 3.43 posi and factory hurst shifter from another car (orig. column shift), and now still retains new headers/exhaust/h-pipe. Seems someone raced it. But how with smog heads and low static cylinder compression (or is this bleed of from a cam?). The harmonic balancer even shows no wear at it's rubber ring. Obviously the block was changed, as it dates only to 1970 at latest, car is 75.
Can I get away with just changing the 16 lifters for $65 if the cam isn't damaged? Will they reseat on the lobes in otherwords? I've heard mixed reports on this. The converse, new cam on old lifters everyone agrees is bad.
Or do I need to buy a cam/lifter kit for $158 (cheapest) from Edlebrock or Lunati. I'm unable to find the max lift for stock #8 head springs (assuming stock, I don't wish to change them). Edlebrock has .448/.472. Lunati has a .451/.451 (was never crazy on single pattern). Only want the motor to hit all 8 cylinders, 6 isn't so good
I figure once #2 and #8 breathe gas again this motor should run well enough if the distrib and timing chain are in correctly, a no money fix I can do. But I kinda need the 8 cylinders first to keep the motor running.
Thanks in advance for any ideas!
The seller insisted the 350 motor/tranny combo was rebuilt. The TH350 is good, it chirps the posi wheels good. After putting on a good Holley 600cfm carb and draining the water from the crankcase (hood louvers rusted the aircleaner) I fired it up. About a jillion header leaks so new headers and exhaust to the back of the car. Cylinder #1 and #7 actually glowed their header tubes (I assume from the fresh air so close).
With new exhaust the motor runs awful, initial timing is set right. I even rebuilt the HEI distrib with Pertronix parts and used Taylor 8mm wires. Car needed this anyway. Vacuum guage shows 14 twitching wildly (burnt/pitted exhaust valves?) Motor did sit for 5 years taking in water from carb thru hood (desperate here).
Block is #2 from 1968-1970. Heads are 79cc #8's from 75 smog era (442, should say Cutlass, since it's 1975 model). Compression test shows #1,3,5,7 all make 125psi (8.0 CR inline with model specs and 79cc chamber I guess). #4 is 135psi and #6 is 145psi. Odd, carbon build up?
#2 and #8 are 0psi. Removing this valve cover shows just a twitching intake rocker on #8 with sloppy pushrod (it read 110psi initially, but every try after is just 0). Oil control on #8 is messed, it's leaky bad, but I assume this isn't fatal. #2 intake rocker doesn't move at all, I didn't notice any slop in the pushrod. Intake manifold is still on, I know it might help if it were off but I can't do it quite yet where the car is (it still moves, barely).
1) I'm assuming cyl#8 is a collapsed lifter, because I saw it make 110psi once (so cam lobe can't be that bad right?), and I see no obvious damage to the head or springs (they are awfully clean too, no deposits; it does look like less than 10K on the motor). Even the slugs (thru the spark plug holes) look pretty clean to me.
2) As for cyl#2 I figure another collapsed lifter but then why no play in the pushrod? can a collaped lifter stick "up" in the bore to eliminate the play and still not touch the cam? No rocker movement, no pushrod play as well...
3) Perhaps the cam wasn't broken in right and #2 intake lobe is worn or rounded completely (#2).
This car is a factory no A/C, a 3.43 posi and factory hurst shifter from another car (orig. column shift), and now still retains new headers/exhaust/h-pipe. Seems someone raced it. But how with smog heads and low static cylinder compression (or is this bleed of from a cam?). The harmonic balancer even shows no wear at it's rubber ring. Obviously the block was changed, as it dates only to 1970 at latest, car is 75.
Can I get away with just changing the 16 lifters for $65 if the cam isn't damaged? Will they reseat on the lobes in otherwords? I've heard mixed reports on this. The converse, new cam on old lifters everyone agrees is bad.
Or do I need to buy a cam/lifter kit for $158 (cheapest) from Edlebrock or Lunati. I'm unable to find the max lift for stock #8 head springs (assuming stock, I don't wish to change them). Edlebrock has .448/.472. Lunati has a .451/.451 (was never crazy on single pattern). Only want the motor to hit all 8 cylinders, 6 isn't so good
I figure once #2 and #8 breathe gas again this motor should run well enough if the distrib and timing chain are in correctly, a no money fix I can do. But I kinda need the 8 cylinders first to keep the motor running.
Thanks in advance for any ideas!