well im having trouble with my motor, i installed a 331 est at 360+hp and it turns on when at high rpms, but once i let go of the carb lever the car immediatley dies. it seems i got fuel, and compression (whats the standard compression in motors just in case), timing is right. I do have spark, but im thinking there is resistance in the ignition system im running a duraspark I or II (not sure) from the late/early 70/80's. i did a coil test, magnetic pick up test, i haven't done the module one yet. but everything seems fine...could it be the motor? could it be that since im running a more power than stock motor should i be running a better ignition system? what are some good systems out there i was thinking of running msd ignition...again thanks in advance, hopefully you guys can help me out.

the carb i have is a holley street avenger 670cfm electric choke.

 

Could be carb problems. When I rejetted my carb it would start up and then die. I have DSII swap on my I6 with a 2bbl.

Could be too rich or not enough gas.

 

Have you adjusted the idle? If it's dying when you release the carb lever, that's when the butterflies are closing. Adjust them open a bit, it may be that when you release the lever it's closing off and flooding the engine. It may just need more air than the stock engine did.

 

yah. i'm with Simpson here. if it runs nicel;y at higher rpm I don't see how ignition could be a problem unless it wouldn't get any voltage at low rpm (alternator/regulator). but even then the battery should keep you going.
So I'm tending to say it's the carb.
you said you adjusted the ignition, how did you do that if it doesn't idle.
Does it idle? if yes at what rpm? if it does idle does it die when you accellerate and then let go off?
it might either be the curb idle screw or your idle mixture.

if it's a holley carb switch off engine, then turn both idle mixture in fully so they seat and turn both of them 1.5 turns out
then turn out the curb idle screw and turn it back in until you see the throttle move. give it a bit more. it might revb very hig hin idle then but you can then adjust it back out until it idles nice and low

give us more info ;-)

 

Okay thanks everyone also i forgot to say its a holley street avenger and that the headers get red hot only on certain tubes like cyl 1, 3, 4 and and 6 8 so i know thats a bad sign, and could mean its running to lean? also we took out the spark plugs seems there is discoloration which means it was combustion, but on the other ones seems to be bright white though we test it and seemed to be throwing spark. i will check the carb today and try to readjust it.

 

You may have a vacuum leak also. To me, running red in the exhaust tubes indicates too much fuel. It's unlikey you have an ignition module problem.

 

oh. always though the other way round. too little fuel getting too hot. as well as retarded ignition will cause this

 

i had some similarities with my 65 dual quad set-up.I had a few glowing header tubes.It drove me nuts.It turned out to be a timing issue compounded by a faulty 6al ignition box.Yours sounds like a vacuum leak to me, I would double check your timing and check for vacuum leaks with a can of starting fluid-spray all around the intake manifold and carb base and listen for any change in rpm.good luck,let us know what happens! Also sometimes the headers will glow like that because there is un-combusted fuel burning in the header tube,its not always because of a lean condition.

 

and could that result in timing or iginition? im running a good noticeable cam comp cams intake 513 exhaust 513

 

yeah,i guess it could be,you should verify your firing order from the cam card and double check everything.Check tdc with the #1 spark plug.Check for vacuum leaks with starting fluid,those white spark plugs cant be good!As far as ignition systems go,I cant say anything bad about msd.