possible bad converter?

[Cranky]

pumped the intake full of smoke and had some wafting in the valley.. very little and i think it was blowby from the cyls that have open valves.. i pumped a lot of smoke in.. this weekend i'm gonna loosen the valves and do it again with everything closed off just to be 100%

k.. for todays stupid question.. since i have my motor apart someone told me i should put the cam at 107, howards says 103 and i have it at 103.5 right now.. anyone else thing this should be at 107?

also.. old converter should be at fti tomorrow.. interested to see what they find

View attachment 1859393

Years ago I helped a buddy advance his cam in the pits. I thought that was going to be somewhat of a job but he had everything ready and got it done fairly quickly. The car was already in the high 10's. IIRC we ended up with 3 degrees more and the car went a full tenth quicker! When I was building HP street engines, I always advanced the cam 4 degrees and never had a complaint.

 

[icetech]

Years ago I helped a buddy advance his cam in the pits. I thought that was going to be somewhat of a job but he had everything ready and got it done fairly quickly. The car was already in the high 10's. IIRC we ended up with 3 degrees more and the car went a full tenth quicker! When I was building HP street engines, I always advanced the cam 4 degrees and never had a complaint.

K.. i'm just gonna leave it where Howards said to.. gonna start getting it back together this weekend.. still no idea whats with the timing crap.. waiting on a new balacer to show up (if they have it in stock.. the one i want is near impossible to buy it seems)

 

[Cranky]

K.. i'm just gonna leave it where Howards said to.. gonna start getting it back together this weekend.. still no idea whats with the timing crap.. waiting on a new balacer to show up (if they have it in stock.. the one i want is near impossible to buy it seems)

Don't remember if you posted that you were using a degree wheel or not but I started using one many years ago after a buddy 'killed' a couple sets of new valves using the dot method. I used it even with bone stock engines and added some advance to them too.

 

[33 IMP]

Right now i doubt it would hit 180 Will figure it out.. i have a buddy with a chassis dyno but i won't let him near my car.. he hates anything not chevy soo much that i don't trust him not to kill it on purpose, won't even let him help me bleed brakes.. it's that bad.

Wow!

 

[33 IMP]

I was gonna comment that I'd run it at 101, but since I'm no cam guru, and barely know what I'M doing......

 

[icetech]

I was gonna comment that I'd run it at 101, but since I'm no cam guru, and barely know what I'M doing......

Yeah... i know enough to bolt stuff together and make it work "Usually" never had issues like this so i'm kinda stuck and if i thought 101 would help i would try it Don't really wanna take this apart again though. Only need to use this motor through the summer so it's not that big of a deal, just rather have it working properly.

 

[icetech]

Don't remember if you posted that you were using a degree wheel or not but I started using one many years ago after a buddy 'killed' a couple sets of new valves using the dot method. I used it even with bone stock engines and added some advance to them too.

yeah, i degree'd it 3 times cause it was my first time and wanted to make sure it was right. i'm pretty sure it's fine.. the motor is just a bad combo.

 

[dvw]

yeah, i degree'd it 3 times cause it was my first time and wanted to make sure it was right. i'm pretty sure it's fine.. the motor is just a bad combo.

The cam is ground on a 103 intake C/L and a 115 exhaust C/L. So it's 109 LCA straight up. 103 Intake C/L would be 6 degrees advanced. If it's weak down low you certainly don't want to retard it.
Doug

 

[Cranky]

yeah, i degree'd it 3 times cause it was my first time and wanted to make sure it was right. i'm pretty sure it's fine.. the motor is just a bad combo.

I've dealt with a few bad combo motors before....a few engines too!

 

[icetech]

The cam is ground on a 103 intake C/L and a 115 exhaust C/L. So it's 109 LCA straight up. 103 Intake C/L would be 6 degrees advanced. If it's weak down low you certainly don't want to retard it.
Doug

thanks doug, that's what i was worried bout.. will leave it alone.

 

[icetech]

so just wanted to give an update.. John at FTI called me (super nice guy, we talked a bit) said they got my old converter and opened it up and it looks absolutely like new inside.. nothing wrong at all. They are going to change the stall to 3800(ish) for me and send it back.. at a cost of course but not bad.

so a couple of things he told me that could cause the issue is too high of charge/line pressure and to T into my cooler line to check pressure there and also take off the return line (at the cooler) and start it for a second and let it dump into a bucket just to check flow..

Other thing could be the pullback on the converter when installing which would mess up how the fluid flows into and out of the converter. I am using a 440 source aftermarket flexplate and had bout 3/8" between it and the converter when i put the trans in. soo not sure there, never had a issue with that before.

I think i will be figuring out what gauge to get and check pressures anyway.. the PTC converter seems tighter than it should be also but not sooo tight like the fti was, but that's just seat of the pants.

I can google.. but any tips on what the cooler line pressure should be around?

 

[icetech]

k.. one other quick question.. i have been using the radiator cooler but am going to put in the one int he pic below (unless there is a better option i should buy) problem is i can't mount directly to my radiator for a few reason.. but i can make mounts and put it bout 1-1.5" in front of the rad, should get enough air flow still?

 

[RemCharger]

Cooler is fine spaced out from rad, if not better..
Here's a good pressure test kit if you don't have one..

No manual? What year is the trans

 

[icetech]

Cooler is fine spaced out from rad, if not better..
Here's a good pressure test kit if you don't have one..View attachment 1866579

No manual? What year is the trans

62/65/mid70s 62 case though.. 70s pump, 65 tailshaft.

just checked the rad cooler and i can blow through it.. restrictive but works.. was kinda hoping that was it

 

[33 IMP]

Agree. Spaced away from radiator is better. (For what it's worth, my tranny cooler is behind the radiator, inside the shroud).
A good cooler is mandatory with a hi-stall converter, imo. But primarily for trans life.
I very much doubt that just using the radiator cooler line caused your troubles.

 

[icetech]

Agree. Spaced away from radiator is better. (For what it's worth, my tranny cooler is behind the radiator, inside the shroud).
A good cooler is mandatory with a hi-stall converter, imo. But primarily for trans life.
I very much doubt that just using the radiator cooler line caused your troubles.

no.. it was just something to check... i blew through it when i got home and it's not plugged.. kinda wish it was I always meant to put a real cooler in but didn't.. so... looking at coolers now.. gonna get a 30 row stacked and have fun making lines

I have the front of the motor apart anyway right now.. checked cam timing jut trying to figure why it hates to pull/rev still.. it was fine but doing some mods while i have room, put in a PS cooler and adding a filter to it also.. and can do the trans cooler while it's apart still.. by the end of summer i might get some driving time