Ello with 383 troubles

[dieseldazzle]

What kind of compression numbers does it blow and it is a healthy engine? I see you say it wiped some cam lobes previously?

Even the weakest 383 2 barrel with a burnt valve (1967) I had would spin the tires like a madman on 7 cylinders.

 

[MKCoconuts]

I'm not entirely sure. I do know the engine "should" be healthy since it has all new bearings and rings and the valves were redone. I stopped to check the timing today and walked into the garage with the carb sitting on the bench torn apart. He was cleaning it because it was gummed up some. So I wasn't able to check timing, but he said he remembers initial timing being around 12-13 degrees. I also took the time and read the plugs from cylinders 1 & 7 and 2 & 8 and they were all a nice tan color.

 

[440roadrunner]

Depending on compression ratio, 12* is nowhere near enough

I'm stickin by my guns here.

You can degree the cam simply by pulling the intake AND I BET YOU MONEY this is the problem

If this is a typical 8.X--9X compression, it needs more like 15-20 initial advance, with nor more than about 20 crank degrees in the distributor.

The SIZE of your carb is not the problem here. Jetting might be.

 

[MKCoconuts]

From what I gathered, factory compression was 10:1 when equipped with a 4 barrel carb, which is was originally. We reused the factory pistons and 915 heads, so I would say we're still near 10:1, maybe a point or two above that. Knowing that, I had him running 93 octane with no change.

We also tried sticking the factory carb on there to see if would change anything, but it still ran the same.