440 Cam Install and Timing

[mopar jack]

I've used a remote start switch many times so that I can try to start the car, manipulate the throttle and turn the distributor when I don't have an assistant. The down side to the remote start is that  the run circuit is only 10 volts. 

[rebelyell]

What do you guys think about this..

I added a little hotter cam and installed an Edelbrock performer intake as well as rebuilding the heads so that they actually seal. Guy who rebuilt them was surprised the car ran at all.

Now that the motor is actually getting vacuum, should I expect a high idle when I get it started? Because that's what I'm getting and I'm concerned. I don't want to wipe a lobe on my brand new cam. Yes I know I'll have to run it at 2-2500 rpm for 30 mins and I'll have to watch the oil pressure and temp.

[Chryco Psycho]

Ok so you got it started & now you have a high Idle ?
No it should not idle significantly differently , the vacuum might be higher with better heads but the cam really controls  vacuum

[Strawdawg]

First, you should not be idling the engine on a new cam...that is what wipes a lobe out.  You need to break the cam in as soon as it runs.

Second, given the poor condition of your heads, and whatever, it may want to idle at a different rpm if it is running better.

Third, tell us what you did to get it to run because not only are we curious, it may help the next guy coming down the line

[rebelyell]

ok..It hasn't idled longer than about 15 seconds. Just long enough for me to get inside the car and turn it off. Even then..as high of an idle as it has it's not really "idle." I didn't even get inside the car to check the tach, I just shut it off because I thought something was wrong. 

I finally found the right turn of the oil pump shaft while having it at TDC to get the correct adjustment out of the distributor. As I was starting it with the remote switch, I was holding the timing light and making very, very small adjustments to the distributor so that the light hit roughly where the TDC mark I made was. I also read somewhere to disconnect the vacuum advance timing, so I did that too.

After it started, it idled really high and I immediately shut it off. So that's where I'm at.

[Chryco Psycho]

progress at least 
My guess is a vacuum leak somewhere assuming the carb was not adjusted

[rebelyell]

I guess it makes sense that it would idle high since the carb was tuned for a factory 440 intake, factory 413 cam, and heads that weren't sealing at all. The only vacuum line out of the carb aside from the timing advance is to the PCV and I plugged the vacuum port in the intake. I'm sure I installed the new intake correctly so it shouldn't be sucking in air there. I don't know what else to check for.

Something else I should mention...the old intake had a carb spacer that I didn't install on the new intake. Could this contribute?

So what do I do now? Just let it idle high if it's somewhere near 2k RPM and let that be the cam break in? Then I can adjust the carb?

[Chryco Psycho]

 If it is running around 2000 rpm you need to do the cam break in anyway & it will buy you time to try to figure out why it is running so high , I assume the throttle plates are closing fully & the idle screw is backed out  & the throttle opens  smoothly & not sticking on a gasket or the choke linkage is not holding the throttle open or is the kickdown linkage too short holding the carb open ...
Are you using the same carb & intake as before ?

[rebelyell]

Everything functions as it should with the carb.  I didnt back the idle screw out though. Didnt need to with the old iron intake. Maybe I need to with this aluminum one.

Anyway...gotta get the cam broken in first. Hopefully I can do that tomorrow.

[rebelyell]

Are you using the same carb & intake as before ?

To directly answer your question..same carb. New intake. Went from a stock iron 440 intake to an aluminum Edelbrock performer RPM.

And now it starts and runs for about 4 seconds then it backfires, dies, and lights the carb on fire. 

[rebelyell]

OK. it's running. It's not pretty, but enough to get the cam kinda broken in. I started it 30 minutes ago and had to shut it off twice because temps rose above 200. Lower radiator hose is collapsing (always something). The last 10 minutes were spent with 5 minutes cooling and another 6 minutes running.

I got a solid 20 minutes straight of run time out of it. Oil pressure started at 75, then dropped to 60 and stayed. Timing still isn't perfect, but it's idling at 2-2500 rpm. I think adjusting the idle screw should be enough. Turning it off is kinda rough..it spits and sputters, but shuts off. I'm going to see about getting another radiator hose today and giving it another 15 minutes straight of run time and consider the cam broken in. Then I can fine tune timing and carb, etc.

[rebelyell]

What an afternoon.

I got the cam broken in and the car running. It's not timed exactly, but it's within a few degrees of where it should be. That's where the good stops.

Drove it to the gas station and about halfway full I hear a dripping sound. Oil? Coolant? Nah, it's the gas I'm pumping in. Coming straight out of the sending unit. So I guess I need to buy a new gasket for that since the one that came with the new unit apparently doesn't work.

When I get home and start to back it in the garage, the brake pedal goes to the floor.

So I have to patch the brake line before I can do any more driving. greeeeat.

[Chryco Psycho]

At least it went to the floor in your driveway not out on the road

[rebelyell]

Now that's the truth. I need to upgrade to power brakes and now may be the time to do it.

[B5fourspeed]

The Edelbrock performer manifold uses a different carb  gasket then the performer RPM does.I did not know this until I replaced my RPM with the performer because of shaker hood clearance.The car started up and went to a real high idle.I called my friend about the issue and he told me I used the wrong carb gasket for the performer.