built 302 runs like crap

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09-05-2004, 05:18 PM

#11

dmc919

Thread Starter

Join Date: Sep 2004

Posts: 13

RE: built 302 runs like crap

anyone else with an idea?

09-07-2004, 01:44 AM

#12

roundman

5th Gear Member

Join Date: Mar 2004

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Posts: 4,813

RE: built 302 runs like crap

Quote:

ORIGINAL: dmc919

OK, i've been using the 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8 firing order and it ran perfect both times but after a few hours it starts running like crap. How could i tell if one of the valves are sticking, I don't hear any tapping sounds, but the miss does sound erratic and the motor shakes violently.

If you really have a stock 87 bottom end, that it the wrong firing order for that motor, you may have the cam gear and distributor installed in such a way that it runs, but how I dont' understand. What I tried to say earlier was to change the wires over to the 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8 firing order and then pull the distributor out and retime the engine before you reinstall the distributor. it sounds like you had it in 180 out of phase with the cam and that's why it was backfirng and not running. pull the distributor, hand crank the engine with the @1 spark plug out and your finger in the plug hole until you feel the compression pushing you finger out of the hole, then slowly crank until the timing marks line up on TDC. then position the rotor so that it will point to the #1 wire in the dist. cap after it rotates a bit when it meshes with the cam gear and reinstall the distributor in the block at this point. then see if it will start without backfiring. you may have to move the distributor around a bit to get it to go, but if it does, then you can set the timing with a timing light at 10 degress BTDC and see how the motor runs from here.

09-07-2004, 04:16 AM

#13

91hatchgt

5th Gear Member

Join Date: Sep 2004

Location:

Posts: 3,145

RE: built 302 runs like crap

Quote:

ORIGINAL: offnet83

if timing is out 180 it shouldn't start just turn half as turn over.

Actually this is not true, it is possible for the car to be 180 degrees out and still start and run, but you will obviously hear a miss, and if you try to give it any gas at all, it will choke and die. Also, the car will run with the wrong firing order, but terribly as well, and sometimes you can get comparable problems... Check the timing again, and rewire your dist. and plugs. Hope this helps..

09-08-2004, 06:56 PM

#14

Syndicate

2nd Gear Member

Join Date: Oct 2003

Location: Malaysia

Posts: 252

RE: built 302 runs like crap

Quote:

Roundman said:if you've got the stock bottom end of an HO, then you have to use the HO firing order with it. trying pulling the distributor and retiming it again making sure you have the #1 cylinder coming up on the compression stroke and the rotor pointing towards the #1 wire in the cap when you replace the distributor into the block. if this doesn't get it back running, then you better pull the timing cover and check that the cam is in time with the crank. something just don't sound right here.

Sounds good tah me. I have the same problem with my engine running like crap. and will try this as an alternative. But just remember to disconnect the SPOUT. Spark out. when setting the Timing.

09-09-2004, 02:12 AM

#15

dmc919

Thread Starter

Join Date: Sep 2004

Posts: 13

RE: built 302 runs like crap

found out what the problem was, the exaust lifter was slowely calapsing not fast enough to really notice at idle but when i got the rpms up it wouldn't open at all, very very agravating