I gave the RS 327 a compression test today, there's a 15 lb. spread on a couple. Is that a little much or is it within normal range? Here are the #'s.
#1-117 lb's
#2-125
#3-117
#4-125
#5-120
#6-110
#7-119
#8-115
I did find the miss I was looking for, #1 spark plug was broke. I don't know why this is happening, the porcelin is spinning around metal body. It's the 3rd time. I'm using autolite platinum's, in hot heat range. Maybe it's just the brand. I have more problems & questions with this motor but I'll ask a little at a time.
Thanks

------------------
Steve
67 SS 396,4-sp
67 RS 327,4-sp
72 RS 350/350
69 4X4 suburban 350,4-sp
73 3/4 ton 454/400
http://www.geocities.com/stevocamaro

Seems a little low on all of them. Did you do the test with the throttle blocked open?
It will affect the readings if you didn't.
Also, the condition of the battery and starter will affect it.

A leakdown test would tell you more. It will blow air out either past the valves or rings and you can hear it.
David

------------------
The older I get, the faster I was!

Dave, No I didn't block throttle open. And I did it when engine was cold. Does that matter? The battery & starter are good. I pulled the holley off today. Bolted on a carb shop rochester. It's been jetted for low manifold vac. I only have 6-7" of vac. at idle. The cam only has 447 lift & 222 duration. It's basically a 350 H.P. factory grind. I should have alot more vac. than that I know. It's a problem we've been trying to figure out for a long time. It's been like this since it was built. And yes, I've had 3 different intakes on it thinking vac. leak at lifter valley. I don't know, I'll try this carb and see how it will idle.

------------------
Steve
67 SS 396,4-sp
67 RS 327,4-sp
72 RS 350/350
69 4X4 suburban 350,4-sp
73 3/4 ton 454/400
http://www.geocities.com/stevocamaro

Steve,
Not too bad for a cold test, especially with the throttle closed, depending on how many miles the motor has on it. If you dont hold the throttle open, the motor can not get enough air into it to give a proper reading.
The plug could be breaking due to detonation, even if you cannot hear it. How do the rest of the plugs look ? You need to look at them very closely with a lighted magnifier. If there are any little specs of aluminum on the insulators, it may be detonating under high speeds and loads. Champion makes a nice chart that shows very detailed pictures of how the plugs should, and should not, look. I am not sure where to get one, mine is several years old.

------------------
Bill Koustenis
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md

Thanks bill, I needed to hear some better news today. So do you think my #'s will change by testing it hot? I'm hearing by friends it should be up around 150-175 lbs. There's only about 10K on this motor. Not good I know. I was just reading on another post about running platinum plugs in older chevy motor is not good idea. That's what I'm running. Until tomorrow. Every time I pull the plugs they are fouled with fuel. I mean wet. We've done alot to this holley, but nothings working. That's why I'm bolting on the rochester. I'll have to bend the hard line for it as soon as I can.
Thanks, anymore input would be great. (maybe) http://www.camaros.net/forum/smile.gif http://www.camaros.net/forum/smile.gif

------------------
Steve
67 SS 396,4-sp
67 RS 327,4-sp
72 RS 350/350
69 4X4 suburban 350,4-sp
73 3/4 ton 454/400
http://www.geocities.com/stevocamaro

I have a 67 w/327 and all of my compressions read in the 155-165 range. A little food for thought, I did a cam swap and got the timeing gear off by one tooth and the result was, it ran but the compression was 115-120 and the vacume was around 7 until I rev'ed it up. Then it would jump to around 14. Once I got the timeing set right with the gears, the compression went up to 155-165 and the vacume jumped to 18. I know it's tough to do, but if it continues to not run quite right I would check the timeing chain and gear line-up.

That's very interesting rick. You know, I wouldn't be suprised if it was something like that. We've tried about everything I could think of. Even pulled motor out, (for other reasons) called blue racer cams, told them what was going on. They told us were to degree cam, no change. We did leak down test then also. If I remember right it ranged from 6%-11%. I heard that's not good either. This was all done when motor only had 1K on it. Have put 9K on since, cruises down hiway fine, have driven upwards of 1200 miles in 3 days, no problems. Strange motor. Do you think it could be a tooth or more off?

------------------
Steve
67 SS 396,4-sp
67 RS 327,4-sp
72 RS 350/350
69 4X4 suburban 350,4-sp
73 3/4 ton 454/400
http://www.geocities.com/stevocamaro

Just my 2 cents but, it could be that or possibly a valve seating prob.


71 Camairo

Steve, It might be one tooth off. One more thing to add, when mine was off I had to set the initial timeing at the distributor about 20 deg advanced to get it to run ok. If your setting is around 8-16 advanced it's probably ok, but if you need more than that I would guess you're off by a tooth. Or it could be off the other direction and require the setting to be something less than 4-16 advanced.

That's not enough vaccum to keep the power valve closed if you're getting that kind of vaccum at cruse rpm.
Put it on top dead center and see if the intake and exhaust pushrods are the same height. This is an easy check on a single pattern cam. Dual would be a little off.
I saw a friends big block that had the Cloyes timing chain set. The engine builder used the wrong one of the three sets of timing marks on the lower sprocket. The cam was off about 12 degrees. It wouldn't rev up.
Did you say you degreed the cam?

Also check the lifter adjustment. I've seen anti pump up lifters that wouldn't work right if too tight. Some are to be set at a half turn, and some will take only a quarter turn from zero lash, or they will hold the valve open a little.

The leak down is a pretty good number for a cold engine, it's not high enough to cause your problem. I've seen engines with 40% leak down that had better compression than you are getting.

What are the cam specs?
David

------------------
The older I get, the faster I was!

[This message has been edited by davidpozzi (edited 05-02-2000).]

Thanks for the reply's guy's. I'll start with ricks. Yea I have it at 22 degrees initial to run decent. I've always known that is pretty high, but that's were it runs best. To answer david, cam specs are 447 lift@50, 222 duration@50, 110 degree lobe center intake, 118 degree lobecenter exhaust. It's wolverine part # WG-996. Same cam from crane is part #96760. What you guy's are saying is making sense. It must be in the valve train area. My vacumn at cruising (65-70) is about 18-20. If I let off throttle going 70 it goes to about 28-30. David, I will try that test you mentioned. That should let me know right away if the cam is way off right? If it's at top dead center both pushrods should be equal lenght. I hope that's right, I've had a looong day. I'll also check valve adjustment. I know this motor has alot more in it. Oh yea, dave, the cam was degreed by a pal, but he's all mopar. He seemed to be confused a couple times on the balancer pointer location. He kept saying "Oh yea I forgot this is a chevy". http://www.camaros.net/forum/rolleyes.gif Maybe he stacked the deck in his favor, those mopars need all the advantage they can get. http://www.camaros.net/forum/biggrin.gif
Thanks guy's, any more input would be good.

------------------
Steve
67 SS 396,4-sp
67 RS 327,4-sp
72 RS 350/350
69 4X4 suburban 350,4-sp
73 3/4 ton 454/400
http://www.geocities.com/stevocamaro

Sounds like a single pattern cam.
It's easier if you first pull the plugs.
Put a straight edge on the pushrod ends, bump it around to TDC, look at the pushrods. If not even, turn the engine till the pushrods are even and look at the timing mark again - that's how much it's off.
I'm assuming the timing mark is correct.
You do know there are three different dampers with different timing marks for the SB chevy.
David

------------------
The older I get, the faster I was!

I´m with the other guys here.
Start out by checking crossover point on cam.
Cam is a single pattern if memory serves me.
With 22 initial you should have REAL probs even getting it started if everything else is in order.
Then again,like dave said,with a cam like that you should be pulling inxs of 10"-so the PW is probably open at idle.Not supposed to make any diff according to Holley,but then i say please tell the motors i´ve worked with that!
While you´re at it also check that the TDC mark on the dampner hasn´t moved.Easy enough..just yank the No1 plug and probe yourself to the answer.Remember to use a "soft" probe(aluminium or wood will do)
Compression tests as well as leakdowns should be done on HOT motors as stated.
The pump up idea is another thing to check..
yank the valve covers and adjust the valves by spinning the pushrod between your fingers until you feel resistance.Then turn down another 1/4 to 1/2 a turn.

------------------
DVC-2000.Racing
482 cubes of fogger injected thunder in a 71 z.
racing@mbox303.swipnet.se (http://racing@mbox303.swipnet.se)

O.K. guy's. Did some work, here's what I got. My main concern was getting piston at top dead. After getting that as close as I possibly could, I checked pushrods with rockers off. It was too hard to tell just looking at straight edge so I measured, with straight edge on the top of the 2 pushrods, from valve cover rail to bottom of straight edge. When I was satisfied both were exactly the same, then I looked at timing mark. It's reading 8 degrees BTDC. (The 8 degree mark below 0). So, did they put the wrong balancer on the motor? I know there are different ones. Or is it just the cam timing? Do you think I should just pull the cover and line up the gears dot to dot and call it good? It doesn't look like I'm going to get out of pulling front of motor off, does it. Tell me what you guy's think. You've been alot of help so far. Thanks.

------------------
Steve
67 SS 396,4-sp
67 RS 327,4-sp
72 RS 350/350
69 4X4 suburban 350,4-sp
73 3/4 ton 454/400
http://www.geocities.com/stevocamaro

Steve, I went through this before and my recomendation is to pull the timing cover and line up the dots. As stated before, be sure the key slots on the gear are lined up correctly. If it's a true roller cam there will be multiple key slots for the gear, be sure you got the right one on the key. You'll have to look at the instructions which came with the timing gear and chain to see which key slot you should use.

Hi rick, It's not a roller cam so I should'nt have any problems with that. It's just a single pattern cam, unless you mean roller timing chain. I'll look for those keyways. It sure sounds like you've lived this before. Thanks for reply.

------------------
Steve
67 SS 396,4-sp
67 RS 327,4-sp
72 RS 350/350
69 4X4 suburban 350,4-sp
73 3/4 ton 454/400
http://www.geocities.com/stevocamaro

[This message has been edited by stevo camaro (edited 05-03-2000).]

Well, I did the test david said to do. Easy enough. Noticed timing off 8 degrees. I thought great, I have the answer. Put the balancer back to zero, and pulled it & cover off. The dot on crank gear was not straight up. http://www.camaros.net/forum/eek.gif So when I turned crank gear so dot was up, the balancer was 8 degrees off.(I put cover back on & checked.) Well, anyway, with the crank gear dot straight up, the cam gear dot was right on too. BUT, it does have offset keyway because of the degreeing. I had a new stock gear on hand and put it on. the cam is barely a half a tooth off. http://www.camaros.net/forum/confused.gif It doesn't make sense the balancer is off like that to begin with. I have 2 extra balancers in shop thinking this one spun, but the others are the same. So can you see the nightmare I've been living, with this motor? http://www.camaros.net/forum/frown.gif I checked crank gear for offset key, but there isn't one. And during all this, the pushrods remain at equal length. So cam timing doesn't appear to be off does it? Anybody?

------------------
Steve
67 SS 396,4-sp
67 RS 327,4-sp
72 RS 350/350
69 4X4 suburban 350,4-sp
73 3/4 ton 454/400
http://www.geocities.com/stevocamaro