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Hot Rods 8ba Flathead timing problems help

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by 27sedan, Jun 5, 2019.

  1. 27sedan
    Joined: Jan 9, 2006
    Posts: 56

    27sedan
    Member
    from courtenay

    B842D238-1D70-48A1-857D-5BA7924E0561.jpeg Here is some of the specs Model T bucket 3spd, banjo, less than 2000lbs.
    8ba bored .125, edelbrock head with .055” clearance, kiwi l-100 cam, .060 shims under stock springs, .016 lash Fresh rebuild, sbc points distributor with 4° initial 18° mechanical (all in at 2200rpm) 6° vacuum advance. Blue streak points and condenser dwell set at 30°.echlin cap and rotor, suspension wire. New fuel pump shrimped to 2.5lb pressure, 2 Holley 94 with 51 jets and 3.5 pv. New battery. Ngk b6hs, set idle mixture to max rpm with vacuum gauge. Also installed blue accelerator pump diaphragms
    I can not for the life of me get this thing to run right. Idles great, revs up great. Take it for a drive and it has hesitation at half throttle. If I pin it sounds like it’s missing no back fire or popping. Almost like a rev limiter. It will run at 75mph no problem. It will barely spin the tires in first.Pulled the timing cover and the dots on the gears line up at tdc. I looked at another timing gear I have and the dot on the cam gear is one tooth different. It was a matched sealed power set I put in. Here are the things I have tried
    Stock distributor, stock distributor with pertronix, sbc distributor, solid core wires, suppression wires, .040 plug gap, .025 plug gap.
    Here are my questions
    The vent in the model cap is tiny 1/16” could that cause fuel starvation?
    Can the timing marks on the cam gear be different from 2 different manufacturers?
    How do I know the cam gear mark is right?
    Will my wife leave me if I keep complaining about this motor?hahaha
     
  2. AngleDrive
    Joined: Mar 9, 2006
    Posts: 1,145

    AngleDrive
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Florida

    Will my wife leave me if I keep complaining about this motor?hahaha

    YUP!
     
    stillrunners and 27sedan like this.
  3. v8flat44
    Joined: Nov 13, 2017
    Posts: 1,211

    v8flat44

    I had a new Mellings 8ba cam gear and the dot was off by 2 teeth. Try posting you situation over on the Ford Barn...lots of flathead guys & info. Good luck, neat car. mike
     
  4. 27sedan
    Joined: Jan 9, 2006
    Posts: 56

    27sedan
    Member
    from courtenay

    How did you go about determining that? Pull the intake and set up a dial indicator?
     

  5. I have found it best to tune these by ear. Also, I have virtually the same motor, save for a 4bbl edelbrock carb instead of 2x2, and I have a milder Schneider cam
    Your spark plug part number sounds suspicious. Edelbrock heads run great with NGK FR4s. B6 sounds like the stock head plugs part number.
     
  6. Petejoe
    Joined: Nov 27, 2002
    Posts: 12,264

    Petejoe
    Member
    from Zoar, Ohio

    Try adjusting your advance by using a vac gauge.
    Increase advance to the highest vacuum. Then decrease it just a few pounds.
    Also. “Been here”. Be sure your choke isn’t partially closing off during acceleration.
    Also. Sync those carbs.
     
  7. How about an update?
     
  8. tubman
    Joined: May 16, 2007
    Posts: 6,916

    tubman
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Don't you mean "inches"? I use this method, except , I advance it to the highest vacuum, and the retard it until the vacuum just starts to decrease, About the same, though, and it has always worked for me.
     
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2019
    Petejoe likes this.
  9. Bruce Lancaster
    Joined: Oct 9, 2001
    Posts: 21,681

    Bruce Lancaster
    Member Emeritus

    Timing marks are useful! with multiple errors, don't trust any. With front cover off find TDC by the interference method, which I've posted a few times on here. A piece of cardboard, a school type plastic protractor, and a large plastic tie-wrap are all you need, doing the job and repeating it a couple times to check can be done easily in half an hour. Obviously you ignore the existing gear and pulley marks for now.
    Find and verify TDC, leave the engine there until you have marked TDC on pulley. Mark also the official timing spec, is that 4 degrees? and mark 5 degree steps of BTDC from zero to 30 to cover all future messing around. Lay on the front cover and adjust the timing mark so it lines up with the spec and so will also be good at TDC when turned.

    Finding trued TDC...on flathead or SBC can't be done just right with a dial indicator, as the engines are offset crank!
    Summarized here:

    https://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=10940
     
    Moriarity likes this.
  10. Bruce Lancaster
    Joined: Oct 9, 2001
    Posts: 21,681

    Bruce Lancaster
    Member Emeritus

    Once you have TDC and a wheel to measure from you need specs for cam, either lobe specs or at a specified height...you'll need to pull manifold and just measure, the see if what you measure correlates fairly well between cam and crank. It should either match pretty well OR be off by whatever those teeth would add or subtract. You'll need a simple extra timing mark mad from a flattened dogfood can or something to serve while front cover is off so you can see teeth
     
    Moriarity likes this.
  11. 27sedan
    Joined: Jan 9, 2006
    Posts: 56

    27sedan
    Member
    from courtenay

    Ok here is a bit of an update. I pulled the timing cover and gear and checked against the 2 other I have. The marks are all in the same spot. So that is verified to be correct. Checked the valve lash and they were all within .001”. Confirmed with kiwi l-100 spec of .016”. Then I noticed something. I went to roll the car back and the engine almost died. So I shook the cowl and it died. Fuel was pooling in the intake. Re check float levels and they were fine. Re installed carbs and it still did it. Pulled the carbs ad set the float lower. Re installed and it idles great now. No hesitation when driving either. I think Iam dealing with multiple problems. Still at WOT I get a rev limit type hesitation. Like the spark isn’t keeping up or lack of fuel. Iam going to install 4.5 power valves and install an air fuel gauge this week to see what’s actually having. I will try some more advance too
     
  12. King ford
    Joined: Mar 18, 2013
    Posts: 1,477

    King ford
    Member
    from 08302

    What are you using for air filters?...many flathead guys like tiny, restrictive air filters because they "look cool" ....and also restrict airflow at higher rpm. ...also if you have to buy the ethanol blend shit we get sold in Newjersey you will need to bump up your jet sizes at least a couple of numbers....or do what I have done multiple times, get a set of number drill bits and drill 2 sizes larger than the largest to fit in the Jets and repeat until no lean surge is detected.
     
  13. 27sedan
    Joined: Jan 9, 2006
    Posts: 56

    27sedan
    Member
    from courtenay

    I had the little chrome air filters on before and I have removed them. I am running stacks right now so there should be no restriction
     

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