Motor in the Sub bought it last night. What should I do?

[Codeman96]

I was pulling my camper last night, 17' single axle, and started dropping power and eventually started back firing through the carb. Pretty much lost all power. Long story short after unhooking the camper I was able to drive it a little way to a truck stop and at that point I gave up on driving it home. I built this motor about 2.5 years ago and it has about 15-18K on it. It has never had the power I felt like it should have and has always seemed sluggish. Thats why I went ahead and tried to drive it I figured if it came apart completely I would have a good excuse for starting over (don't tell my wife that part) .

Anyway I am pretty sure its the cam. Oil pressure is good no noise in the bottom end I do have some tapping in the valve train. I have lost a lifter, a lobe off the cam or bent a valve something. It is idling very rough, not to the point of dying just rough, you can tell it is down a hole or 2. I plan to replace the cam, anyway due to lack of power. Give me some suggestions on what cam for a 350 in a 1/2 ton Sub, headers, edelbrock performer intake, 700r4 3.55 gears. I actually had a performer cam in it at one time and I wasn't impressed with it.

I am almost to the point of selling my Sub and my Jeep (don't go there not the topic at hand LOL) And just keeping the 2000 Ford Explorer 5.0 that my wife just quit driving. Something has to go Explorer or Jeep/Sub, I know where you guys stand what can you do top covince me to stay on the straight and narrow Chevy way?

 

[dirtwarrior17]

I'd pull the valve covers and check off your rockers and springs. Might want to try fiddling with the carb to see if you can get it to smooth out.

I don't know if you tuned it up or not but if its not the valve train i would put my money on the carb running rich and loading up.

Also, bad plugs will make it run rough and sluggish.

comp cams 4x4 cams are about the best on the market but your gonna pay for it at the bank.

http://www.powerandperformancenews....CC&Product_Code=08-409-8&Category_Code=12-CAM

 

[ntx78k5]

I had a simliar problem with my 350 when I had a plug wire burn on the exhasut manifold and my carb was rich. PO richened up for one reason or another(thats a another story) anyway. I replaced the plug wires and plugs, adjusted the carb and she runs great.

Its a 350 with a cheapo off the shelf manifold and a stock quadrajet. Cam is an RV. the power is good now.

 

[Codeman96]

Carb is a fresh rebuild and the motor has a definate tick to it now. I can't describe it too well you would have to hear it. I will pull the valve covers and check there first.

When you say RV cam what kind of specs are we talking about? I am looking at a Comp 255DEH-10 255/261 dur and its the one they say is good for a RV or towing. So......

Well I'm off to camp anyway thanks to good friends. He was with me last night and helped me get my camper back to town after we dropped his off. Then he offers to let me and my family stay in their camper (36 footer more like a friggin' house trailer LOL) since mine didn't make it, so we accepted. And buddy #2 came to my rescue with truck and trailer at 11:00 PM (we got back to my house at 1:00am). So I am going to relax regroup and see what the problem is first of next week. My fat butt will be cooling in Current River in the Ozarks tommorrow when its 100+*. So screw it all for now I'll chat with you fellas Sunday night.

 

[dirtwarrior17]

Carb is a fresh rebuild and the motor has a definate tick to it now.

What about tuned? Rebuilt and tuned are 2 different beasts.

 

[Codeman96]

Tuned as in tuned with a vacum gauge and baselined with info from the guys around here and other places on the web. It ran fine for several days and was running fine for a good stretch last night before things started going south. I have my Edelbrock I can put back on to try but I don't think the carb is gonna make it make the noises it is. I wil explore several Avenues before the motor or cam comes out.

 

[1-ton]

You should check for things like bent push rod, broken valve spring (if you can spin the spring easily with your finger tips, then it is probably broken), or even a rocker arm stud that has pulled out. It is not a good idea to run an aftermarket (higher than stock lift) camshaft with factory pressed in rocker arm studs. Any time you run an aftermarket performance camshaft, you should have your studs machined for screw in rocker arm studs, which is why it is not a good idea just to bolt in a high performance camshaft into an OEM engine and go. As the saying goes: one modification leads to another, and another, and another, until the whole engine needs to be modifeid to run dependably.