The best way is to use a smoke machine. If you don't have one I would spray intake cleaner and listen for a change in rpm. Some people use propane but I find the cleaner works best.
You might try putting some soapy water or oil around where the #1 intake port is where it bolts to the head ... start it up see if it sucks any up ... watch for bubbles
Most HV (50,000) V systems use a .055 - .065 gap. Too small a gap will bleed off the spark. Your plug gap is based on the output of your coil. The hotter the coil, the wider the gap. A 30,000 volt coil would gap at .035", a 40,000 volt coil will gap from .042 - .045", and a hot (50,000 - 60,000) coil will gap at .050" - .060".
Ill regap the plugs intially and see if there is any change. For what its worth, the #1 plug wire is the longest of the group.. might have somethinhg to do with it. Thanks for the advice!
If you are using radio resistor wire (the dirty string type of stuff) and resistor plugs it could affect things. That little difference in length shouldn't bother.
Sorry man, I was helping out a guy with his flow bench. We had to make a adapter so he can do old Harley iron heads for a Nostalgia drag bike. Still waiting for verification of that number 1 cylinder fire at the plug. Yes, you guys have done well, open up that plug gap. I would start with .045"- .055", hopefully you have a WIRE type and not one of those goofy quarter looking deals. Throw that sucker out if you do. Now for the Power valve, the guys at Quick Fuel build a real nice carb, no questions there. BUT, they probably shipped your carb with a #65 or a 6.5 P/V. If your not sure, ask them tomorrow. If you filled out a spec sheet, they might have installed a lower one to match your cam. heres the deal, if you have that #65 and you only pull say 8" of vacuum, you will be forever chasing a rich condition, not the carbs fault. The P/V responds to the signal given. We need to know if you have spark at the plug on #1, OK, right now everything is resting on that. Do you have a OHM meter? Pull the cap and check for resistance betweeen the terminal inside the cap to the terminal end inside the wire at the spark plug. You will have some resistance based on the rating of the wire and the length of the wire. Also pull the wire from the cap and check the resistance just from the inside of the cap to the outside, you know terminal inside and terminal outside. Lastly just check the wire itself. I'm real tired right about now, hope that all makes sense, TR
Before you try to run again, make sure you have the wires positioned correctly at the cap. Make sure 1 is correctly at no.1 post and not a post off. Your Motor can still run, but will run rough and not be firing at the right time at the right cyl. Good luck !!
With the tight fit of the headers and plugs and wires, any chance of a plug wire or boot not insulating properly and grounding out on a header tube? Just kind of grabbing at straws here.
If cylinders 2 through 8 are firing at the right time (the motor does run, after all) then we can safely deduce that, given a properly operating distributor, distributor cap, wire and plug, cylinder #1 will also fire at the right time. There is some kind of ignition problem, but having read the entire thread, I have come to the conclusion, as have others, that it is not an issue of wires being plugged into the cap out of order. That is, of course, assuming that information provided by the OP is accurate.
Everything is correct to my knowledge. Now as far as am I getting spark, Ill have to get back to you on this. Between family and two full time jobs I dont have much time to tinker. The ol lady puts up with my shit on the weekends, but week nights she wants me in the house. I am excited to try all over your suggestions, but I think I am going to take TRs route and start from scratch. Set all valves again now that I have oil in the lifters, reset the distributor, set gap to .045-44 and then check wires and cap for resistance and ohms. Then I will know for sure what the problem was, and if the problem continues I know that all of this is done perfectly. I will defiantly post my findings. Henry 0- Ill send a PM now.
is there by chance a vacuum line hooked to the #1 cyl on the intake going to a major source? plug and test
I've had a camshaft that was improperly ground. One cylinder was 180 degrees out so it did build compression but not at the right time for the spark plug to fire the mixture. It would be extremely rare but if they make 1 bad part in a million, I'll get that bad part.
Not that that this is you problem, but I tried Accel plugs years ago and ended up putting them on my bench and leaving them there. The engine ran like crap and as soon as I went to Motorsports (Ford 302) it improved. What makes them the "header plugs" you are describing? Length? I can't imagine NGK, Delco, etc don't make an interchange plug for your application. I've had some tight headers but off the shelf plugs always cleared. Just curious. BTW, glad to see you are finally going to get a spark checker. Don
Those dont always work. if the plug wires are touching the header or super super close then the plug wires will melt even though they are in the sleeves. I went through two; one set on my '40 Plymouth and one on the '59 Apache. I bought $130 spark plugs that have a ceramic boot and they work like a charm. I really don't know why you aren't following the advice from a half a dozen people on this thread and aren't doing the easy stuff first. You NEED to check your spark before you go tearing the engine apart.... This is why you are getting 2 stars because you aren't listening. Check the fooking spark to make sure its not an ignition issue... it will take less than one minute and about $5... hell if you know what to do you can use a screw driver for the same thing, that is what I do and it is free. Why would you not do this first like we all stated? It is a simple solution and if it is correct you don't need to screw with your timing. Just because your timing gun is getting some juice doesn't mean that the engine is getting enough to spark the fuel. In addition, how many grounds do you have from engine to frame and is it metal to metal contact with dielectric grease? Grounds make a difference (it may not be causing what is happening on number one, but wouldn't hurt). Ground straps are like $3
Here in Poland we don't have to use fancy stuff like spark checkers or similar stuff Remove that #1 plug and hold it tight grounded to the engine block. You may install spare one to avoid noise. Crank the engine and you will immediately see if you have spark and if it is weak or so. That's my first test when having ignition problems.
Alright, I got some time off of work today and worked on the truck. Here are my findings. I pulled all the plugs and the #1 cylinder was the only one that wasnt fouled up. I cleaned and regaped all the plugs to .045. I then ran threw the valves again setting to zero lash with a .0015 feeler gauge and then 1/2 turn and then lock. Started at TDC and ran the firing order. Buttoned every thing up, then then checked for spark on #1, we have spark. Put all the wires back on and fired it up. Ran fantastic for the first 2 to 3 mins and then it started to sound like it was missing. I bought a infared thermo and checked all headers right by the head. Cylinder 1 and 2 seemed to be around 110 degrees, 3,4,5,6 seemed to be around 160 degrees, and 7 and 8 were at 150 degrees. I also hooked up a vacuum gauge and at what could be considered idle I was pulling 10 pounds of vacuum, at around 2500 - 3000 rpms I was pulling 20 pounds of vacuum. What now motor building gods?
I should also mention that within 3 mins of running the garage was filled with smoke again. So I am definatly pushing to much fuel.
If she's loading up and smoking like that, and you say spark is good, sounds like crap in the needle and seats on the carb making it flood. Totally clean out the carb or try another one before you totally fork the rings and bores.
Picture of the plugs.. #1 cylinder is on the left and the rest of the cylinders look like the one on the right.
Carbs come out of the box forked up sometimes. If that much fuel is going through there, I think that's the problem, or at least should be ruled out.
This is your intake manifold right? see how the runner for #1 is at the same level as the bottom of the left plenum? Liquid fuel is running right into the cylinder and fouling the plug before it can even get sooty like the rest - FIX THE CARB!
What is the heat range of those plugs?? What does the instructions on the distributor tell you to gap the plugs at???? You paid big money for a thing that would throw flames. The gap you are using is like choking it off with a fire extinguisher. If you are getting advice to not go too wide, they don't understand how the sparks are generated. The gap has to somewhat match the DESIGN voltage in order to work properly. Both plugs look way rich. Given a cam that doesn't really idle and plugs barely firing, you are going to run rich. Add possibly cold plugs and you about have what you going to get.
Good, now you have a baseline to operate from. Pull that carb and put another one on, even if you have to borrow one. See what happens next. As ajmopar said, even new ones can be screwed up or have sticking parts. Some manufacturers test a carb before it leaves and there might be some residue gumming up the insides. We have had to tap on brand new carbs with a rubber mallet to shake the floats loose some times. Even if you have to put a Holley or Edelbrock on it temporarily that will tell you if the carb is the issue. Don
I prefer to rap on the float bowls with a screwdriver handle.. one made in the USA of course. OP, did you do any float adjustment on it? That carb looks much like a Holley, I agree with borrowing a known-to-be-good one and run it with that. Bob
Might not be the Quickfuel shops fault if you are having what appear to be carb problems. Are you running a fuel filter? You might have sucked some crap from the gas tank and now have a bit blocking the needle and seat. If you are running a fuel filter ... which filter do you have. People in my area have been finding the filter element in the fancy chrome/aluminum inline filters is failing in short order and causing all sorts of problems. I run the "parts store special" universal inline (stamped steel) filters with no issues. I'm thinking you now have a dirty carb (regardless of the fact that it is brand new) having either sucked dirt from your tank or from a failed filter element.
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