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Sbc problems

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by 54Caddy, Mar 24, 2011.

  1. 54Caddy
    Joined: Sep 8, 2007
    Posts: 450

    54Caddy
    Member
    from Visalia,CA

    I recently took a trip down south to fulleton,ca. When climbing the grapevine i ran into some major issues that i am not trying to figure out for my next trip in july. Heres the problem, when i was getting ready to climb i felt my truck lose a lot of power. My transmission would not downshift properly, due to 700r-4 tv cable not being adjusted properly. From the begining of the climb to tajon pass i went through half a tank of gas. My engine was running at very high rpms, how high i have no clue do not have a tach. What happened was my engine was throwing oil out from the front seal, It did not leak before the trip. It threw out a quart of oil in that short amount of time, and i was not able to go any faster than 50mph. I checked my pcv vavle and it is operating normal. Also have a breather on the other valve cover.When i got out of the grapevine the truck was back to normal and could do 80-90 all day on flat roads but once it comes to a climb it will have this problem. My main question is what would cause the crankcase to build such high pressure to push oil out and what can i do to find problem?

    Engine: 305 sbc, with just 20,000 miles on it. Recent 4barrel intake swap, from factory 2 barrel. Since swap i also have a noise when i get on the throttle it makes a loud air intake noise, Sounds like a import which bugs the hell out of me what can that be.
    Trans: 700R-4 w/o Lockup
     
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2011
  2. newsomtravis
    Joined: Jun 1, 2009
    Posts: 562

    newsomtravis
    Member
    from pville, ca

    how o/t is that truck brotha, your gonna get busted.......lol.......but not by me, especially since we`re neighbors and all, oil problem was probably cuased b the high rpm you were pulling going up the hill along with the higher oil temps that happened too, sounds like ya need to get that TV cable adjusted properly, it kept you downshifted for too long when trying to climb that hill.....probably had ya in like second or even first gear even though you had enough power to climb it in 3rd or even o.d.........those cables are tricky, were you pulling a trailer or is your truck really heavy? that hill gives alot of people alot of problems huh....
     
  3. 54Caddy
    Joined: Sep 8, 2007
    Posts: 450

    54Caddy
    Member
    from Visalia,CA

    The hill puts any one to the test ahaha. And no no trailer at all, just a 1/2 truck. Im thinking all these problems lead to the tv cable also
     
  4. newsomtravis
    Joined: Jun 1, 2009
    Posts: 562

    newsomtravis
    Member
    from pville, ca

    yeah, that hill and the questa grade, yeah, its the cable, i have one in one of m old cars and got an adjustable braket when i put the holley on it and still had to cut the bracket and modify it and adjust, adjust, adjust, and still thinks itsnot perfect, goodluck with it, wish i could be more help.....
     

  5. 54Caddy
    Joined: Sep 8, 2007
    Posts: 450

    54Caddy
    Member
    from Visalia,CA

    Yeah ill log back on tomorrow and bring the thread up so more people can reply.
     
  6. Willy301
    Joined: Nov 16, 2007
    Posts: 1,426

    Willy301
    Member

    the loud intake noise sounds like you have an intake leak or a vaccum leak and both of those will also cause the problems you speak of.
     
  7. 54Caddy
    Joined: Sep 8, 2007
    Posts: 450

    54Caddy
    Member
    from Visalia,CA

    Somebody told me that the middle heat riser passages on the edelbrock performer intake manifold need to be blocked off some how or else the exhaust goes throught there, or something like that wish i had pictures of what im talking about. Wouldn't a vaccum or intake leak cause problems with my idle?
     
  8. shocker998md
    Joined: May 17, 2009
    Posts: 878

    shocker998md
    Member

    Break out some carb cleaner or starting fluid and track down that vaccum leak. Then Id look into the tv cable.
     
  9. 54Caddy
    Joined: Sep 8, 2007
    Posts: 450

    54Caddy
    Member
    from Visalia,CA

    Doesnt water work too?? Brake clean might eat away the paint on the intake ahahha
     
  10. Dave B.
    Joined: Oct 1, 2009
    Posts: 225

    Dave B.
    Member

    Just from the pic, the hose from the breather on the driver's side valve cover probably shouldn't be running to the base of your carb... it should go to the bottom plate on your air cleaner. (There's usually a 'knock-out' plug already there.) You might take a look at the instructions that came with the carb... that base plate connection is probably where the hose from the PCV valve should be attached.

    As far as the sound goes, I'd guess that either these connections may be causing it or you may also have a vacuum leak. If that's the case, you can search for it by warming up the engine, letting it idle and spraying something like carb cleaner or electrical parts cleaner around the base of the carb, the seam where the intake seals against the heads and anything that might be screwed into the plenum part of the intake. If there's a vacuum leak, the idle will smooth out momentarily. (Please read this link:
    http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/wiki/Finding_vacuum_leaks#Carburetor_cleaner_method)

    Vacuum leaks can also occur in the hose(s) that run(s) to the power brakes and also at the lower seam of the heads/intake. The 'lower seam' problem (actually UNDER the intake) is especially common if the heads have been 'milled' or 'planed' and can (as far as I know) only be confirmed by the 'vacuum gauge' test described in the link.

    I'm also guessing that this/these problems are responsible for the increased fuel usage because engine vacuum is one of the variables that control how much fuel the carb flows into the engine.
     
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2011
  11. narlee
    Joined: Dec 7, 2009
    Posts: 240

    narlee
    Member

    I don't see a picture but if the breather is running into the carb it is a direct vacuum leak. The carb should be connected to the PCV valve as Dave B. stated.
     
  12. shocker998md
    Joined: May 17, 2009
    Posts: 878

    shocker998md
    Member

    I didnt say to use brake cleaner, I said carb cleaner or starting fluid. I wouldnt use water. Just spray it around the base of the cab, vac lines, and around the intake. If the motor stumbles from it then bingo, theres a leak.
     
  13. Black Panther
    Joined: Jan 6, 2010
    Posts: 2,143

    Black Panther
    Member
    from SoCal



    Slight correction...when you spray something at vacuum areas to see if there is a leak...and your spray actually hits one...your rpms will increase and the engine will run better while you are spraying...not stumble as was posted. I use WD 40...carb cleaner is good too...both are flammable that is why the engine runs better when it hits the vacuum leak...
     
  14. shocker998md
    Joined: May 17, 2009
    Posts: 878

    shocker998md
    Member

    hmm, last one I did stumbled a bit. Either way the motor will run differently then what it was before you sprayed it.
     
  15. dorf
    Joined: Dec 5, 2008
    Posts: 1,087

    dorf
    Member
    from ohio

    sounds like to much carb not enough gear.
     
  16. Sdjust the TV cable first. The go on to the next problem.

    probably ought to think about a new front seal even though it has low miles. if it threw a quart out on the grapevine I'm going to guess that the front seal is shot at this point. just a guess mind you.

    Air noise is either an air leak or you are just not accustomed to hearing a 4 bbl opened all the way up.

    None of this is diagnosis. its is just suggestions of things that you should be looking for or at. And I don't care if your truck os OT its just the drivetrain we are looking at, a lot of the fellas have your same drivetrain in an otherwise totally trad car.
     
  17. fergusonic
    Joined: Nov 11, 2007
    Posts: 221

    fergusonic
    Member
    from Kokomo, In

    When you went to the 4 bbl carb; did you install a geometry corrector brkt to the carb so that the TV cable will pull correctly? hmmmmm,,,no Lockup.
     
  18. Diesel627
    Joined: Apr 19, 2008
    Posts: 319

    Diesel627
    Member

    Sooooooooooo why is the cable not adjusted properly? It's easier than changing oil. Put the carb at full throttle, the tv cable should be all the way out, as in When u hold the carb at full throttle and pull on the tv cable it should be at the end of it's travel. It's that simple. And if you cant adjust it enough with the factory adjuster on the cable, then cut the nub of the end and use a cable stop in the appropriate place. Also, why is your overdrive not wired up?? Look it up on line, it's so stupid easy to hook up! You will ruin that transmission very fast running it as you are. Oh and run a large trans cooler with that tranny not one on the radiator. 700's are not very tolerant to heat, so keeper cool!!
     
  19. 54Caddy
    Joined: Sep 8, 2007
    Posts: 450

    54Caddy
    Member
    from Visalia,CA

    That is not a breather hose running to the carb, that is a pcv valve. I found a vacuum leak on the block off plate for the choke plate or whatever you call it. The TV cable is not adjusted properly because when i had the shop put in the transmission they used some junk cable and its just stupid. I will be ordering my lokar cable soon then installing it. As far as the lockup goes it is not conected and i believe the shop who built the tranny put in a converter that does not have lockup in it. I will post the picture back up of the engine hopefully they dont delete this thread, Need the help bad.

    [​IMG]

    The plate just under the electric choke is the one leaking.
     
  20. voodoo1
    Joined: Jun 27, 2007
    Posts: 452

    voodoo1
    Member

    Thats the EGR block off plate
     
  21. newsomtravis
    Joined: Jun 1, 2009
    Posts: 562

    newsomtravis
    Member
    from pville, ca

    thats not the egr plate,that manifold has no egr, thats the exhaust crossover and the plate is for the choke heater for the divorced choke......not exactly a vacuum leak either,more of an exhaust leak......
     
  22. 54Caddy
    Joined: Sep 8, 2007
    Posts: 450

    54Caddy
    Member
    from Visalia,CA

    yea i knew that couldnt be an egr plate. I guess i will take that plate off and reseal it. Then go from there.
     
  23. jonly
    Joined: Mar 15, 2010
    Posts: 215

    jonly
    Member

    exactly. if the mixture is perfect or already too rich, adding fuel will make it stumble, too lean and it will increase rpms.
     
  24. Black Panther
    Joined: Jan 6, 2010
    Posts: 2,143

    Black Panther
    Member
    from SoCal



    I guess it is sometimes possible for the AFR to be right with a vacuum leak...but I would think the vast majority of the time the car is running lean because of the vacuum leak...
     
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2011

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