You positive you put the distributor in at TDC #1 firing event, and not TDC #1 at overlap event?? During TDC overlap event both valves are slightly open, the exhaust is just closing and the intake is just opening.

If timing is correct, next culprits to look at are valvetrain adjustment too tight, or cam lobe going flat.

Have you had it running, or it won't run?

Did you rewire the 12V+ to the distributor to remove the ballast resister or resistance wire that originally went to the coil??
HEI needs a full 12 volts, it won't run right on the resisted 7-8 volts that points ignition runs on.

 

327 heads are a poor choice without dome pistons
Are you using flat top pistons?
what is the deck height of the pistons
What camshaft did you use?
Love 283s so lets get this thing snortin

 

More on how you set up the cam.

Chevy uses both crank and cam gear in the 12 o’clock position for firing cylinder number one. Given the distance it’s easy to get this off a tooth.

A lot of guys overcome this by setting the cam up with the crank gear at noon and the cam gear at 6 o’clock which if left this way times the engine to be firing cylinder 6 which is half way through the firing order which also displays at the damper and timing tab as at TDC. So there are some gotcha’s hiding in this process.

Installing the distributor requires you have marked it‘s housing before removal to the intake manifold and best with the rotor aimed at the number 1 cap terminal. Another way of doing this is if it’s been all apart is to aim the vacuum tube of the advance can at cylinder number 6 with the rotor and the cap terminal for cylinder number 1 aimed across the engine at cylinder number one.

Keep in mind that the oil pump drive is carried around a bit as the distributor is removed such that the distributor never drops into the position it was in when removed. So if you hadn’t distributed this the distributor on reassembly is likely not to engage with the same orientation as it had when removed. With a fresh build it’s always a good idea to mock all this up before you commit to bolting the intake down as it’s easy to reposition the pump drive when you can see it.

Not sure what you think a “mild“ cam is. In general as lobe timing gets the intake into the 210 range at .050 duration and up and if the LSA gets under 110 degrees the whole setup gets increasingly sensitive to ignition timing to where near misses on the timing alignment gets ever larger consequences.

Bogie

 

Uneek, how did you determine TDC on #1 cylinder on the compression stroke?

 

Yes I have flat top pistons in it and the cam is Lunati 262/268 gross 468/489. I didnt check the deck hieght. I determined TDC with my compression tester on number 1 cylinder. Pulled the cap and the rotor is pointing to number 1. I do have the 283 heads they have also been ported and polished but they have no accessery holes for the alternator. I put the marks on the cam 6 oclock & crank 12 oclock. So the heads might be too much for the engine? Im also using roller rockers on this motor. Can the carb or ignition cause this? Only reason why I ask is that these are the only things I bought used. Its an Edelbrock 1406 with vacuum secondaries and electric choke. Im waiting for another ignition module & coil to come in just in case that might ge the problem.

 

Your method of finding TDC is inadequate. The crankshaft swings through a lot of degrees in the TDC and BDC zone with but imperceptible vertical movement. It takes a positive stop to find true TDC where a rotation of the crank till stopped is achieved in one direction and marked on the damper (best done with a degree wheebut damper marks if carefully done will suffice) the crank is then reversed in direction till stopped again and that location marked. TDC is halfway between those marks.

The method your using requires you make assumptions about where the piston is in relation to the damper marks and location of the piston in the bore that are greater than the tolerable deviations.

Another thing with 327/350 head’s on smaller than 4 inch bore blocks is insuring the valves, especially the intake is not or has not hit the bore wall. Often pulling this trick off requires offset dowels to move the head around relative to the bores such that there is no valve to will interference. This usually isn’t too much a problem with 1.94 intakes but it is edgy, 2.02 intakes are frequently a problem.

Having the casting number of the head’s is helpful, not all 69 head’s are 64cc chambers, before 72-76 cc SMOG head’s there were low compression truck head’s applied to 327 and 350 engines. So reading what you said in the quote below I see some basic assumptions that in the specific may not be ‘tight’ enough for ruling out inaccuracies.

You also need to check the head’s for sufficient retainer to seal or top of valve guide clearance as well as spring loop to loop clearance at full lift nominal is .050 inch between retainer bottom and seal or guide top as well as between spring wires as they loop. Roller and roller tip rockers also require setting their sweep especially with aftermarket cams. This drives back on pushrod length. Also these old head’s use a hardened push rod.

Bogie

 

Pop open the carb. It may be totally gummed up if you bought it used. They look terrific on the outside even though there could be a complete mess inside. It can fool you easily.

 

Uneek, I keep rereading your first post and you state that “the rotor is pointing to cylinder 1”.
I assume this is the distributor terminal #1 and not pointing in the physical direction of cylinder 1.
Don’t be offended by my question but it is difficult to diagnose a problem without physically being there. A test you can try is to disable the ignition system and while a helper cranks the engine see if the compression pulses blow back up through the carb. A compression test will also help prove the engine is mechanically sound as will a vacuum gauge attached to a vacuum port on the intake during cranking. A cranking engine won’t produce much vacuum like this but you’re looking for a slight negative pressure.
If these tests prove out ok then it’s back to the ignition. One thing that I wonder about is if the TDC mark on the harmonic balancer is truly TDC. I THINK the 283 balancer is solid whereas the 350’s use a rubber mounted outer ring which can slip and report a false TDC. Many other things come to mind in this area but as I’ve said this is a difficult way to diagnose.
Keep us posted what you find.

 

Did you degree the cam???

 

If you have smog 1.94s then your cr will be sub 8:1
64cc 1.94s will be just over 8:1
either way the engine will be a dog or lazy dog that if you can get it to fire will run on cat pizz
When blue printing an engine or even assembling a basic engine many measurements need to be taken
piston to wall
ring end gap
deck height
bearing clearances
cam degrees as per parts used not just line up the dots
head gasket thickness
amount removed surfacing heads
intake fitment,,, all the basics that you should know

 

Alrighty then!!! Thanks for all the info so far its great. One thing I did do was a compression test today and you all were right. Heads are coming off but i do have the original 283 heads that have been redone ready to go. Since I only do this for fun I figured that the bigger valves would be better not thinking that it will lower compression. When i did the compression test to find TDC it was only to get it close. I pulled the front of the motor off and the timing cover. And the marks were close so i only had to turn the crank slightly to get it inline. That is what i figure is the problem. There was as high as 100 to as low as 80 lbs of compression. So I'll work on that this week and before I reinstall the carb I'm going to take a good look at it first. So basically it will be a bit better than stock and running too. Thanks will update when its done.

 

If you need brackets with your hole-less heads look here.

Chevrolet Steel Mounting Brackets

 

you can punch out 283 heads for 1.94 valves

 

Seems more often than not, when I replace the HEI distrib in my BBC, I manage to be off by one tooth either way. Firing it up produces all sorts of backfiring through the carb (amazing how tall the flames erupting out of the carb are). I suspect that's your problem. Pull it out and start over. Find TDC (easier with the valve cover off), look down the hole and with a long flat-blade screwdriver turn the oil pump slot so it line up with the distrib. shaft recess and ease the distrib. in while very slightly turning the rotor counterclockwise so that the slot lines up. If it takes 100 tries don't be discouraged. You'll eventually get it right. Anyone who says they always get it right the first time is lying.

 

Forgot to mention to find TDC for hole #1

 

Well it was the heads. It took a bit longer to get it running cause I went for a new 1406 Edlebrock and it took 2 weeks to get here. But now I have another problem with this 283. I start it let it idle then give it a bit of gas and it blows the gasket out of the filter because the oil pressure is off the gauge to the max. Why is it creating do much oil pressure. Wrong filter maybe? I'm using a Fram CPH30. I thought it could be a faulty filter but its not cause I tried another one and the same thing happens. I am really stumped by this one. I dont want to blow the main seal out of it so I dont want to start it again.

 

Most likely an old gasket is stuck in the filter housing of the block. This is fairly common to where when putting a new filter on its gasket is now mating against the old gasket not the housing. This leaks a lot of oil when the engine fires up.

You need to remove the filter and verify the gasket situation, a very bright light and a sharp pointed instrument are needed to probe the filter gasket seat of the block.

Bogie

 

Sounds like you have a faulty relief valve (somehow stuck closed) or the relief valve has been removed and its port plugged. Most oil filters have built-in relief valves just in case the engine's is faulty. Are you sure your block was thoroughly cleaned along with all oil passages before assembly? Proceed with caution as you seem to be doing.

 

First time it happened I lost 3 litres of oil on the floor. So I got smart and used a clean oil basin. There has been no sight of dirt or sludge crap in the oil. I had this 283 completely apart. The oil filters have been on the shelf in a fram box for a long time, 10 years easy. I'll try buying a new one tomorrow and see what happens.

 

Is this a canister delete engine? If so, who installed the adapter?
Maybe something gone wrong with it?
If it does have the filter adapter, does that use the filter number mentioned?

 

Yes its a canister delete. It ran before I took it apart. Don't know who did the adapter. No there is not anything on it for filter size. I already ordered a new filter for it. Fram sells a racing filter for the 283 canister delete. So I will see if this cures the problem. Thanks

 

All is good now. I recieved the racing filter and it wieghed quite a bit more than the regular Fram one. I checked to make sure it fit, put some oil in it, screwed it on, and the truck fired up with regular oil pressure and with a bit of timing its perfect. Now to get everything else done. Thanks for all the input, suggestions etc....it really helped to have it all and to get this this old 283 life again. Thanks