520 CI Stroker 440 Engine Problems In 1967 Fury

[66ChargerHI-PO]

I know this is a B-body forum… and I already posted this on the C-body forum 6 years ago in 2019, but I figured I would also post this here to get all of your help thoughts and opinions on this to hopefully finally get this car running right. My stepdad has a 1967 Fury II 2-door sedan with only 400 miles on it and a 440 stroked to 520 cubic inch big block built by the late Nick Wilson of Comp-U-Flow 25 years ago; it has aluminum heads, an aluminum intake, aluminum radiator, electric fans, an Edelbrock 750cfm carburetor, phenolic carburetor spacer, roller cam, TTI headers with a complete exhaust system, an Advance Auto Parts electric fuel pump, electronic ignition by Rick Erenburg, and a slightly higher 10.5 compression ratio. The engine has given my stepdad nothing but trouble and has not run right since he installed it in the car. It would run like a bat out of hell when its cold and do great burnouts, then it would get hot and want to stall. First it started with honing out the cylinders because they were too tight, then it was the carburetor, then it was the coil, then it was the distributor. Nothing but a pain in the a$$. My stepdad went through 3 coils and 3 carburetors, and he says everything is new. It ran great, then it didn’t, then it ran great when we put it away last November, and now it won’t run right again. My stepdad took it out yesterday when it was 98 degrees and it seems like we are back to square one again where it idles lopey like it wants to stall then it does wicked burnouts then it stalls again. I just don’t understand it. It runs, then it doesn’t, then it runs, then it doesn’t. My stepdad is a good mechanic and can work on a regular 440 no problem, BUT he is new to high performance stroker engines. I have been told it could be vapor lock on the C-body forum, I have been told it could be ignition, I have been told it could be fuel.

Here are pictures of the car, the engine, and the post I made on the C-body forum. My stepdad spent GOOD money on this engine and he is so fed up with it he is planning to rip it out and put another engine in the car, and I would like to possibly help him out because I would hate for him to rip it out if it is something small and stupid after spending all of that money.

Any help or opinions would be appreciated!

Thank You In Advance.


The car….

The 520 stroker engine….

The post….

67 Fury 440 Engine Problems

 

[Lefty71]

Just an FYI, questions of this nature would always be welcome here, as well as FABO.

Basic engine trouble shooting will be a good start.....verify the integrity of the engine first with a compression test. I would make sure you know the fuel flows to the carb properly too.... awful embarrasing to find its just a dirty fuel line sock, etc. Stroker makes no difference. Post current carb, fuel, and ignition setup here.

 

[pnora]

Where does that electric choke get its power?

 

[Lefty71]

I read your FCBO post....it was a difficult read at best. You are always going to get some guesses, even WAGs, and some off-subject bench racers, but many, many specific questions were not followed up on. Not scolding by any means, im just saying ive seen many threads go unresolved because the focus is lost. BTW, once upon a time, about half the mopar racers at Norwalk and 42 ran stickers from Compu-Flo. Nick was a great guy, and well loved by his customers. Did he build the short block, and do the heads originally??

 

[PRND21]

What does the inside of your fuel tank look like? Have you checked the fuel pump pressure when it acts up?

 

[oldbee]

To start, an engine is an engine. Vacuum leak, fuel,ignition. Start on the easy stuff first.

 

[RR Fan Dan]

Has the battery been relocated to the trunk?

 

[66ChargerHI-PO]

Nick was a great guy, and well loved by his customers. Did he build the short block, and do the heads originally??

I am honestly not sure and I don’t want to assume he did, so I will have to ask my stepdad that question. This engine was built before I was even thought of, and 20 or more years before I even knew my stepdad. All I really know is it was built at the same time my stepdads high school friend also had his same 520” stroker engine built except that his was a little more tamer and stock than my stepdads.

 

[66ChargerHI-PO]

What does the inside of your fuel tank look like? Have you checked the fuel pump pressure when it acts up?

We honestly have not looked up close and personal inside the fuel tank, and we have not checked the fuel pump pressure. I personally bought my stepdad a Mr. Gasket fuel pressure gauge a few years ago BUT he never hooked it up.

 

[RR Fan Dan]

We honestly have not looked up close and personal inside the fuel tank, and we have not checked the fuel pump pressure. I personally bought my stepdad a Mr. Gasket fuel pressure gauge a few years ago BUT he never hooked it up.

Well maybe start there and get back to us.

 

[Texas97]

what's base timing? what's total timing? what's fuel pressure at the carb? if its an electric pump, could be too much for the carb.

have you pulled the spark plugs to read them?

 

[Texas97]

Well maybe start there and get back to us.

regulator and gauge would be a great start

 

[Texas97]

if you do have high pressure, probably blew the accelerator pump diaphragm in the carb

 

[pnora]

if you do have high pressure, probably blew the accelerator pump diaphragm in the carb

Care to explain how high fuel can hurt a pump diaphragm?

 

[WileE]

In this case, I would troubleshoot backwards. Fuel system first. From tank to carb, everything must be pure, clean fuel. As mentioned, I'd start at the tank forward. And see AT THE CARB, what the fuel system is sending it.

 

[Curiousyellow71]

Is the exhaust crossover blocked on the intake? I would if it is not.

 

[Geoff 2]

The carb on this engine is an Edel. It doesn't have a diaphragm....

You need to find somebody who KNOWS these engines because you are dealing with an unknown quantity.

They would check things like carb float level, ign timing, lifter pre-load, vacuum leak, PCV operation, etc. Those are basics...

 

[RonnieLongball]

Aw man, sorry to hear you can’t get this figured out. You are getting a lot of good info on how to diagnose this issue. I would try only one thing at a time before continuing. Like if you are going to start with fuel, drain the tank, new filter, blow out the line. Can you hear the pump going? Sometimes pumps can get tired, but not immediately on start. Once you have made your way through that, figure out if the carb is working. I’m wondering if it gets hot and tired from a lean condition or if the timing is just incorrect. Do you know what springs are in dizzy? Manual or vac advance? Is the cam installed straight up or with any advance in it? Leakdown test? Vacuum leak test? Cold and hot? Is the rad building pressure?

 

[DanielSlocum]

It sounds like the valves may not be fully closing once the engine reaches a certain temp.
That can happen if hydraulic lifter plungers are bottomed out due to misadjustment or pushrods effectively too long.
Another possibility could be valve guides being too tight causing vavlves to stick.
Good luck.

 

[Frank Mopar]