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quadrajet, HEI, small brain, won't start:

TreeFarm said:
The easiest and most likley thing to fix it. Take the spark plugs out. Burn off the excess fuel with a torch. Get them good and hot to get all the fuel from down inside the plug where its actually shorting. or just get new/"new" plugs. While they are out crank the engine to dry out the cylinders. Put the plugs back in and see if it starts. If you flooded it really bad the plugs will all be fouled with fuel and itll never start as they just keep getting wet when you try to start over and over again.


Engine only needs fuel, air, and spark. It has air, and you say it has spark (at least at the wire), then it needs fuel. if you see fuel like you say then it must not be getting one of the other things. Most likely spark from flooded plugs.

If you really want to rule out the carb. just use starting fluid and not fuel. but again. Its probably fouled spark plugs from flooding. the SBC and its little friend the 4.3 are simple old engines. They will run on only a few cylinders. They will run with bad cams. they will run with bent rods. they will run with low compression.

What Im saying is, dont over think it. Start simple
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On a side note, i noticed in the fan thread that you have a holley (i'm guessing 4160) on there. But there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of space between the back of the carb and distributor?

i'm thinking of going with a 4175 because this is total bullshit----2 months and problem still not completely solved. But i'm concerned it may not fit. i'm thinking the 4175 was designed more for v-8's in mynd. i was envisioning myself going holley irregardless if this problem ever occured or how well the q-jet runs because i see myself going holley/holley type carbs eventually anyways.

The other part of me wants to figure this out because how else will i grow and develop as a car crafter?
 
vandelay industries said:
On a side note, i noticed in the fan thread that you have a holley (i'm guessing 4160) on there. But there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of space between the back of the carb and distributor?

i'm thinking of going with a 4175 because this is total bullshit----2 months and problem still not completely solved. But i'm concerned it may not fit. i'm thinking the 4175 was designed more for v-8's in mynd. i was envisioning myself going holley irregardless if this problem ever occured or how well the q-jet runs because i see myself going holley/holley type carbs eventually anyways.

The other part of me wants to figure this out because how else will i grow and develop as a car crafter?
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in the picture was a 4150 which has a rear metering block. The rear bowl does touch the large cap HEI distributor but with how I stabbed it in I had no problem setting 12* base timing that I wanted.

The 4160 uses a rear metering plate rather than a block which would allow for plenty of distributor room.

the 4175 I can’t help you with. If you can get a measurement from the body to tip of bowl I can give you mine to compare it to. The bowls with center hung floats like that are obviously bigger but if you mix that bigger bowl with a rear metering plate rather than a block you may be able to make it fit.

I can tell you don’t put a truck avenger on it if you plan on driving it on the street a bunch.

honestly it may be worth it to get ahold of a good old school carburetor shop and have them build you a q-jet so you know it’s good to go. With all the holleys I have ran. My fitech or custom efi is a no brainer for the rest of my life.
 
8BpYcC9.jpg


This isn't a great picture due the angle, but about 5" from aircleaner stud to HEI cap.

Anyways,
Battery sitting = 12.56
Battery while cranking = 11.50 ish

Voltage at red/ ignition wire with key "on" = 12.56
Voltage at red/ ignition wire while cranking = 10.8 ish. Is this good enough for HEI to start engine?

Also, took both idle tubes out to verify that they are clear. 100% sure they are clear now. 98% sure the area below the tubes is clear (the idle well).
 
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vandelay industries said:
8BpYcC9.jpg


This isn't a great picture due the angle, but about 5" from aircleaner stud to HEI cap.

Anyways,
Battery sitting = 12.56
Battery while cranking = 11.50 ish

Voltage at red/ ignition wire with key "on" = 12.56
Voltage at red/ ignition wire while cranking = 10.8 ish. Is this good enough for HEI to start engine?
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That is a big drop in voltage.
Did you try a jump to see if it helps?
 
UPDATE:

i basically got it back to "normal"-----engine starts cold within 1-2 crankshaft revolutions.

i'm not 100% convinced that cleaning the idle tubes and area under the tubes (idle wells?) solved the problem----because i did not see dirt or debris come out after i blew compressed air thru them and ran a wire thru them.

Nevertheless, the cold start problem has somehow been solved?
 
UPDATE 7/21:

i put a 2GC on there. i have a few 2G's on the shelf. In fact, the one i put on the engine was the original carb i used when i first got into 4.3's. about 4.5-6 yrs ago.

1) It does the same thing as the quadrajet:
Fairly easy to start cold.

Won't run below 1000rpm (although with this carb i did not really try to get it to run below 900 because it started getting "a little" rough. Plus i needed to wind down and get ready for bed etc.).

Stalls out once you put it in gear.

Can't re-start hot.


2) i put a vacuum gauge on the engine (although this one is connected to a vac pump---may not be as accurate?, and maybe i need to get a actual dedicated vacuum gauge?)

i got 13hg steady with the quadrajet using a front port that i'm pretty sure is manifold vac. This is at 1000rpm.

Then tried it again using a port on the intake (the one for the modulator on the trans). This read 15-17 but somewhat fluttering needle.

With the 2g, vac was 15ish hg and much steadier needle.

a) i might add that i have a very stock cam-----.178/195 @.050 Wouldn't a smaller engine produce lower vacuum readings........(i hope?). i am near sea level.

3) Before i put the 2G on and still ran the q-jet, i sprayed some carb cleaner around the carb base and intake/head area but couldn't find any leaks. i even sprayed a little down the carb throat----it slowed down briefly and went back to "normal." i also cupped my hand around the choke area and the engine did not speed up. i suspect rich.
 
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UPDATE 11/20:

i was/am busy with home shit, so i am slow to update. The problem was solved about a month ago. If anyone gives a plop, it turned out to be a few bad valve seats and a few bad valves. We, i should say the shop, rebuilt the heads and now the engine runs better than ever.

i'm a little disapointed as the engine was a GM goodwrench remanufactured unit (should be good quality?), but the shop thinks that the heads were never right to begin with. i would agree as i could never get the engine to run right even when i first got it. Then again for $2000 and no core charge, what do you expect.......?
 
Blue85 said:
When do the brain mods start?
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That's going to be more difficult. However, i strongly suspect not spending so much time online and/or looking at my phone could probably help; i think my mynd tends to expand when i'm not "bogged" down by distractions online.

Also, i feel the more and more you spend online, the more crowded and distracted you get-----because there's always more and more content. And thus, the more bogged down and immobile you get?

i think i want to try limiting myself to no more than 1 hr a day online/onphone if possible.
 
dyeager535 said:
When you could get a crate L31 3-4 years ago for $1900 with no core charge, I'd be expecting an engine that's built properly!!
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i would hope so too, but at $1900/2000 after shipping and labor, and then the retailer has to make money, how can GM make money off of a $2000 engine? Especially a new engine? So, i'm thinking they have to cut some corners?

Oh well, at least i know that IF you go thru/are willing to go thru a reman GM engine, you'll have a good runner....... Stock, out of the crate, maybe not......

i'm thinking the "higher up" engines you see in the performance catalog such as the 383HT/ ZZ383/ SP 357 etc. Those run about $5-6K. THOSE are some high quality engines assembled with some care. i kinda now look at the base crate 350/ 350 "290 hp" versions as cheap temporary thrills; After maybe 50,000 miles it could be a gamble..... If you want them to last, you may have to thourougly go thru them----it which case, why not just rebuild a known good core?

It has been long touted that the base 350 is a better alternative to rebuilding, but i'm not so convinced anymore
 
P.S.
To redo/rebuild the heads was a little over $300. And then the labor to diagnose (only took him 15mins) ,take the heads off then re-install everything, they wanted about $900 which i think is fair.

So, now we really have a $3300 engine.
 
To be fair, GM about doubled the cost of even the base crate engines about two years back.

My L31 seemed to have a lot of care taken in it's assembly, I didn't do a complete teardown but I at least took the pan off. Essentially every fastener was marked, I assume for assembly purposes, making sure none were missed.

At the current prices I don't think crates are probably any more cost effective than a machine shop rebuild.
 
dyeager535 said:
To be fair, GM about doubled the cost of even the base crate engines about two years back.

My L31 seemed to have a lot of care taken in it's assembly, I didn't do a complete teardown but I at least took the pan off. Essentially every fastener was marked, I assume for assembly purposes, making sure none were missed.

At the current prices I don't think crates are probably any more cost effective than a machine shop rebuild.
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Yeah, I missed the boat on that one.
I wanted one of those L31 crate engines when they were $2000 delivered and now all I find is a cheap rebuild at that price.
I might do my own rebuild on the block I have.
 
imiceman44 said:
Yeah, I missed the boat on that one.
I wanted one of those L31 crate engines when they were $2000 delivered and now all I find is a cheap rebuild at that price.
I might do my own rebuild on the block I have.
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It may be a funny coincidence, but i can't find the L31 or base crate 350 or "290hp" versions at the chevy perfomance site or at jegs. Summit lists the L31 truck as "special order" at about 4K? And this was after the supposed re-introduction of the base 350 just last year? Now.....GONE. i think this is a bad move.

But even when they were all under 2K (not long ago) i wonder how GM could make money off 'em? The metal, they can probably get phenomenally cheap, probably pennys, the tooling for SBC was long since paid for, but the LABOR to put it together and then the retailer has to make their cut. See what i'm getting at? You really think you're getting THAT great an engine for $1800? It doesn't add up.......

Even more disheartening to me is that i suspect, not sure but suspect, my engine was remaned by mercury marine for GM. i thought mercury marine had a reputation for meticulousness?
 
Anyways it's funny how this thread has gone from discussing engines to mental health, mine in particular.

i think some of us are more susceptible to distraction than others and/or a lot of people are susceptible to distraction. The net and phones can be a great thing, yet they can be a horrible thing.

Remember before online? You did more. And when you do more, you get more momentum.........to do more. When i get bogged down in front of the computer, i tend to want to KEEP sitting in front of the computer because it does feel comfortable.

So, i think one aspect of mental health is mental momentum. The more you do.....and THINK, the more you tend to naturally do and think. The less you do......well......decay.....
And it's really not just ok, i'm in relax mode; Since there is always more and more and distracting and not necessarily useful/helpful content online, it's more like a rabbit hole you keep getting further and further and further in.........

Remember when we got magazines? (Notwithstanding that most of the content sucked,), but when we got them, there was an air of special-ness and excitement to the info. Something BIG was in the news. Remember that? We don't get that anymore.
 
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vandelay industries said:
It may be a funny coincidence, but i can't find the L31 or base crate 350 or "290hp" versions at the chevy perfomance site or at jegs. Summit lists the L31 truck as "special order" at about 4K? And this was after the supposed re-introduction of the base 350 just last year? Now.....GONE. i think this is a bad move.

But even when they were all under 2K (not long ago) i wonder how GM could make money off 'em? The metal, they can probably get phenomenally cheap, probably pennys, the tooling for SBC was long since paid for, but the LABOR to put it together and then the retailer has to make their cut. See what i'm getting at? You really think you're getting THAT great an engine for $1800? It doesn't add up.......

Even more disheartening to me is that i suspect, not sure but suspect, my engine was remaned by mercury marine for GM. i thought mercury marine had a reputation for meticulousness?
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The thing is the reason they were selling that cheap was not the low cost of production but the lack of sales after the introduction of the LS engine.
Some dealers had big stocks ready for warranty replacement and since it was discontinued, not many are needed so they started selling probably close to cost to recover the space they occupied
 
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