I've had nothing but trouble with my 4175 spreadbore w/vac secondary. I bought this car running GREAT. After putting about 1,500 miles on it I realized I needed to do something about the eye-burnin exhaust odor, though the fact my cat had been punched out may have added to this displeasure. My fuel seemed to boil in the carb after shutting down as well.
:confused:I also began to receive carb backfire and I noticed how the idle mixture screws had NO EFFECT on idle, even if they were turned all the way. My fuel bowls had no adjustments-they needed removed just to check the level, which seems to me a terrible way to adjust float-which may be why my oil was BLACK and had 3 quarts of gas in it! After 2 oil changes and rebuilding, I'll soon see whether the carb rebuild fixed things. A compression check is in order as well.

Bug - I pulled your post out of that year old thread and created a new one for you...

Since your carbs being rebuilt, insist it be put to factory specs. Then before you install and tune on it read the carb articles in out Tech Reference area for some guidlines to getting it going properly...

http://www.camaros.net/techref/series_2.html

need more info like what cfm carb on what size motor.
but sounds like power valve blew which can cause no response to idle screws.

Well exhaust valve on #4 cylinder barely moves and is putting out 125 psi compression while the others vary all the way down to 75 psi. I've got a 350 with mild cam and it was just rebuilt about 5000 miles ago however the carb wasn't rebuilt before it was put on at the time and I didn't realize how detrimental it could be to run a motor so rich, which is probly why I had so much gas in the oil pan. Would it be wise to assume I need to re-ring or go for a new cam instead?

Also regarding my head casting #'s, anyone know where I could look to find what '998998' and 'F253' would indicate??

Sounds like a $6.00 power valve. I had a very similar problem and it turned out to be the power valve.

Well exhaust valve on #4 cylinder barely moves and is putting out 125 psi compression while the others vary all the way down to 75 psi. I've got a 350 with mild cam and it was just rebuilt about 5000 miles ago however the carb wasn't rebuilt before it was put on at the time and I didn't realize how detrimental it could be to run a motor so rich, which is probly why I had so much gas in the oil pan. Would it be wise to assume I need to re-ring or go for a new cam instead?

Sorry, but there is way more going on here than just a power valve.

Also regarding my head casting #'s, anyone know where I could look to find what '998998' and 'F253' would indicate??

www.mortec.com (http://www.mortec.com)

Well I pulled all the lifters on pass side head and found 7 perfectly flat lifters. The one I suspected has problems: the #4 exhaust is very worn down(dished). Why don't the others on this head show signs of wear?
BTW what are these things made of? I cracked the bad lifter while pulling it out and its guts puked all over my engine block.
:clonk:

Its all in the pan. Pull the pan off and do some inspecting.
Hydraulic Lifters are basically a metal cylinder, a check valve, spring, and a cup.
Cant find a decent picture at the moment.
Also, still believe something else is happening.....cant quite narrow it down yet...

At the bottom of the page is a blowup and explanation.

You lost a lobe. Probly just me, but I'd yank the engine and clean and inspect it. I yank engines in a heartbeat rather than hoist my carcass all around under hood. It'll have crap evrywhere from the lobe/lifter demise. Sorry about the luck guy.
http://www.compcams.com/Base/Images/Articles/CC_CC0902-003-2.jpg

I almost posted the exact same article. Nice find Tim.

yahoo search for images: hydraulic lifter + chevy

REALLY bored today. Wolf had a setback:sad::sad::sad:

Watch my videos in my signature, I got one downloading right now, how to put a distributor. It took me 7 minutes running to running counting fetching new batteries for the camera. It quit about 3 minutes into it. It will take another hour to get it all uploaded.

There's a new one on there today
My zz4cylinder firing order 1-4-6-7
Sounds pretty cool for a 175 cubic inch 4 cyl with a 1050 Dominator sittin on it:D:D

Roflmao!

the distributor stabbin is on ther now, there's 2 vids courtesy of my batts dying

Could an isolated lifter problem be due to coolant leakage from the intake? While searching for a replacement motor, someone told me their '93 4X4 truck motor has a 'ticking lifter' but the motor runs fine. He states he's heard of coolant leaking on the lifter for this year motor.

I'm not sure of coolant flow through an intake, but I do know it pisses me off when some 'friend' tries to help with an intake install and disregards torquing sequence. You know who you are :thumbsup:.

Is there coolant in the oil? then yeah maybe. but Ive never heard of it.

Could an isolated lifter problem be due to coolant leakage from the intake? No, not just one lifter. Most 90's SBC trucks my friends own have have an intake coolant leak as coolant is at the rear of the intake and at the front, see the thermostat housing?

I would suspect your lifter problem is due to lubing problems from the oil recipe or poor quality of lifter. GM lifters come with a two-piece outer cylinder, The bottom is hardened and fitted to the upper body, hence, a line is about the circumference at the bottom of the lifter. I've never had a problem with a GM lifter.

Use a can of GM's EOS in breaking in the new camshaft & lifters if you go this route.