: I cannot get my engine to idle properly. Motor
: runs good off idle. Acts like a vacuum leak,
: but there isn't one. New distributor, new
: ignition, new coil, new plug wires, new cap
: rotor, plugs, new cam, timing chain, new
: valve job, ring job, 150 lbs. compression in
: cylinders. Comp. cams, rv cam - comp cams
: valve springs and lifters. Tried to
: different carbs (Carter - 2 barrel both
: times - same results. Idle gets real bad
: when you put the van into gear. Tried many
: different tappet settings, makes no
: difference. Have not degreed cam just lined
: up the dots. Checked it twice. Any ideas
: would be helpful - I'm all out! Thanks.

: Well you have all the basics (compression, fuel
: & spark) now we need to "peel the
: onion" to figure-out what is off on
: your combo.
: A few questions: What is the cam profile, we
: need some numbers, especially the overlap.
: Where are you with the lifter clearances? are
: you keeping them loose, hear some noise?
: What does the mis-fire sound like? Random or
: like a single cylinder, does it have a
: pattern to it?
:
: I will just toss-out a punch list of stuff on
: the hope that it is something easy.
: *Mosture in the distributor cap, carbon tracked
: or cracked.
: *Lean idle circuit condition. Try capping-off
: the PCV and other vacuum ports.
: (Does the idle mixture screws have any effect
: on the RPM? Test by slowly closing the choke
: flap or enrich with propain to see if the
: idle quality improves)
: *Is the carb getting a vacuum signal? A wrong
: or an incorrectly installed carb. gasket
: will cover the access to manifold vacuum.
: What is the manifold vacuum reading?
: *Rich idle, any black smoke?
: *Speractic spark, how steady is the timing
: mark?
: *Late ignition timing, crank-in 10-15 degrees
: of advance, even more if the engine likes
: it.
: As you already suggested, the cam
: "phasing" and profile is currently
: an "unknown". Run a search for cam
: degree and review my "in car"
: (Van) test procedure.
:
: Don't give-up, it's common to have to
: "trouble-shoot-out" the bugs whan
: you make a lot of changes in the engine
: set-up.
: DD