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350 Hei Timing Question

Welp, got my new wieghts in and used the strongest spring and I still have the clatter! My wires cap and rotorbutton are old (4months) but in good shape. Could these things cause a clatter if 1 or any were bad? I have a BIG truck with 40's under it but no big brake kit yet, the truck really wont let me powerbrake it to see where the noise (which side) is coming from. So the only way to hear it is to actually drive it around, and between the tires and the flowmasters I really cant depict in the cab where its comin from. I got an accel curve kit with the 3 spring wieghts. Correct me if I'm wrong but isnt the white spring the strongest? If all the thing I listed today are correct or wouldnt cause a problem than I have no choice but to lean towards loose rockers =(. It's not a lifter cause the only time it makes the noise is under a 1/4 pedal load. slow start no noise, gunnin it no noise, cruising at or accelerating at 1/4 or so throttle clackclackclack lol. I took off the driverside valve cover and all the rockers seem tight just a small amount of side to side motion. Guess ill do the ol loosen till clatter, 1/2 turn back job =). any tips on keeping the oil off my headers? I dont have an old valve cover.
 
The damper...

I bet your harmonic balancer's hub slipped on the rubber and is fooling you into thinking your timing it to spec,when in fact your over-advancing it!--just as another post suggested..I'd time it "by ear" by retarding it little by little until the clatter just goes away...your description sounds like its pinging when the vacuum advance kicks in( by the way,I have tried those"hot rod" Mr.Gasket springs,and they always made everything I put them in ping,no matter what color they were!)..they do make adjustable vacuum advance canisters..but you probably dont ned one...

Valves would likely clack all the time,not just at certain rpm's,if they were loose..I doubt its your valves your hearing...

Be aware big tires are a huge strain on the motor--and if you dont have an EGR valve installed and working,some motors will ping regardless of where the timing is set,when operated under that kind of load...just something to be aware of.. :crazy:
 
Well I'v tried it by ear and the only way to get the clacking to get softer (wont go away completely) is to retard it soooo far that the truck starts running real ruff n missin n skippin at an idle. It will smooth out when I get in the gas (timing advancing) but there is still a light clatter. I'll give the run down of things I've done so far to try to remove the clatter. Timed it by gun and ear more than several times for both, replaced the wieghts and springs on my mechanical advance, bought a brand new vac advance, pulled the valve covers and looked for loose rockers (none seemed to loose), ran a quart of atf through the carb and drove the piss outta it, played with the timing again, moved the dist 1 tooth back (that REALLY didnt help lol). I really dont see my tires causing this problem. The motor has PLENTY of power but I suppose it's possible. Could a bad control module do this? That is the only part I had to use from my old dist. I run mid grade now should I try additives (octane booster)? This engine was a TBI engine that got converted to a carbed engine. Could any problems arise from that? I had 1 guy say his was a converted engine as well and he set his timing at 0 per the underhood settings n it runs better. Mine will basically shut off at 0. :doah: :doah: :doah: :doah: . Any1 got a good fixitall in 1 swing hammer? :D
 
Wow, too bad engines dont have a " restore" function. But seriously, when I get jammed up like this it's almost always some little thing I'm missing. Go back to the very start of the problem and take it step by step. I agree with you lifters just dont start clacking from one day to the next. Hang in there and good luck.
 
Ok so I put new wires n plugs and retorqued my rockers! Good news n bad news...Bad news, I STILL have clatter! Good news, I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to gieco! LMAO. God I have been waiting to use that for so long =). I am at a loss!! My rockers were WAY over torqued though. The pushrods still spun and pumped oil up but when I loosened them until they clattered it took allmost 3 full 360 turns to get them there. The adjustment seemed to help some but its still there. Weirdest thing is that it only clatters AFTER it warms up. When its cold it makes no noise at all. I am do for an oil change, could that be it? I am running 10w40 now thinking about goin to 20w50 n lucas. Good idea? Bad idea? DEAR GOD save me lol. Anyone got a spare rtr 350 they wanna part with lol
 
The good news is IMO lucas oil stabilizer is really good stuff, does your engine burn oil and or have a lot of miles ? 'cause thats a pretty thick combo your talkin but nothing I haven't done. On a high miler I tend twords single weight 40 and lucas. The bad news is I dont think this has much to do with your prob. The worse news is it seems that were all stumped on your prob.I wish I were there to check it out w/ you. Keep posting and I'll keep thinking. I have limited time at work but feel free to call me 8 to 5 mtn. time 1-800-580-4899 and run it by me on the phone. Ask for Cary.
 
Wow thanks for the offer. Ya I thought it was a thick combo but it seems to have worked fine. No burning of oil at all. Runs a lil rich but thats about it. I think (Stress think) that my clatter may be going away. It seems to be not as noticeable as of late. I hope it was just a carbon problem n now its startin to clear up. On a lighter note, adjusting the rockers seems to have brought about higher vacuum pressure. Now my brake booster is leaking air right were the bar goes into the booster from the pedal lol.
 
Sounds like things might be getting better with your engine, hope so. Re. your air leak, sounds like your booster to me, it's hissing from up under the dash where the rod goes to the booster? It's always something. When I hear that I go buy a reman. unit, it's not too hard to replace.
 
Its the booster. No biggie. I still have the clatter. Im gonna try a COMPLETE tune up from the coil down to the plugs. I am also gonna do a Oil change, with lucas of course =). I got to thinkin of it and I am due for 1. The noise really didnt start till about the time I was gonna need to change it. I am hoping that it is as simple as lifters. Hoping that a higher viscosity oil with lucas will solve that. I'll keep ya posted =)
 
You switched to a carb, is the fuel mixture lean?

Read the plugs after a full throttle blast, and shut the motor down immediately. Tell us what color the plugs are. Maybe this thing needs fattened up a bit. Reading the plugs is the only to tell (easily). Look down the porcelin as far as you can and see what color it is.

Switch the vac. advance from ported to timed or vice-versa and see if that helps. Maybe there is a tricky vacuum leak that only occurs 'sometimes.'

New carb or old? Worn throttle shafts? Bad base gasket? warped intake?

Might have a lot of carbon built up on the valves. Might try some upper cylinder cleaner....

Just some of my thoughts....
 
thanks for the ideas. The last time I pulled the plugs they were orange on the porcelin (not sure what that means).Keep in mind the last time they were pulled was after I ran atf through it. I'll try that when my new plugs come in. Ported to timed? Do you mean manifold? Fairly new bout a year old on the carb and intake (edelbrock performer) no leaks or bad throttle linkages. Just got my new midwestmotorsport 8mm plugwires in. Waiting on the accel shorties.
 
The reddish brown is what you are looking for. I was thinking maybe this was a fresh TBI to carb swap.

How can it be a new distributer, while having to re-use the old module?

Do you have a dial back timing light? You could plot the advance curve with it, and see what it looks like.
 
It was off a buddies blazer. He gutted it for a project he had but it still worked perfect. I do not have a dial back. The curve at this point really doesnt matter. I can retard it till just b-4 it shuts off and at 1/4-1/2 throttle it still clatters. Technically being this far back on the base should still put me behind where I need to be (curve wise) when I accelerate and remove the clatter. For some reason ITS still there LOL. The only way to quiet it (not remove it) is to completely remove the advance's. On a different forum I was reading someone mentioned to anotherguy to use some sort of GM prelube or something similar They called it GOS or something like that. The guy tried it and said after 2 cycles the clatter was gone. I may try that.
 
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