Just got done building a 350. It has stock heads and springs. I put an Erson solid 510/510 lift cam with a 106 degree lobe center, and new valves from Erson. I also put in full rollers. I am not using guide plates with this motor, obviously because it is stock. Also using stock push rods. My question is: Has anyone ever seen this combo used before, with the solid cam, and full rollers? I was at a parts store yesterday and they told me that it would not work. Well we fired it up the other day, and its ideling fine, and running fine. However, last night we went to drive it, and it seems like its running on 7 instead of 8. Pulled the left valve cover, made some adjustments, didnt have time to do the right last night. When we were driving it felt like I had a foul or broken plug. Any advise anyone can give me will be greatly appreciated.

There are pics in my sig of the rollers too.

I cannot speak to the wisdom of not using guideplates - I know that some factory sbc heads have such small pushrod holes that it can *seem* okay to run without them. Pretty much unless you have self-aligning rockers guideplates are needed.

As to the running like on 7 rather than 8 - maybe your cam didn't survive break in and has flattened out on a lobe or three. It is really hard to diagnose over the internet what you are feeling as the engine is running. I suggest you methodically go over all systems untill the issue is uncovered.

Good luck, Thomas

cool to see you went with somthing other than "comp"

You've gotta have guide plates,and .510 lift is too much for stock springs.

Well, thanks for the help guys. As it turned out, two of the roller rockers were bottoming out. So for a quick fix, I had to put the stock ones back on :mad: But I have a set of heads that I am getting ready to send out to have machined. Maybe a little port and polish, also having them pressure tested, and rebuilt with new erson springs and new valves.

So I got her fired up yesterday, and she is running fine. Obviously I am wasting that cam with stock heads, but I wont have stock heads for long. As for the firing on 7, well I guess it was the valve train........also put some bosch platnums in too...as apposed to those ac delco's that I bought for cheap :mad: Took her down to SD last night for a concert, cruising about 110 on the highway........"she's runnin good now buddy"

Rob

Originally posted by HASTINGSRJ:
also put some bosch platnums in too...as apposed to those ac delco's that I bought for cheap Better keep an eye on those plugs. They are kinda prone to fouling in older engines, and have been the cause of many "mystery engine problems". I have heard one case of the "element" falling out of the middle of the plug in to the cylinder (obvioulsy)..... I too had fouling problems with them, and swapped them out for the Super, and am happier with those.

Who knows though? Maybe you'll do ok with them. Some do have good results with them.

In all of my years of experience :rolleyes: I have always had the best results from Bosch's. The AC delcos that I bought were arcing :eek: when I fired it up. But she is getting good spark now. Even the ones that I pulled out of the 305 were burned as hell, but still produced good spark. But thanks for the tip, I will keep my eye on them.........next week the stall goes in, and maybe some gears

Originally posted by HASTINGSRJ:
In all of my years of experience :rolleyes: I have always had the best results from Bosch's. The AC delcos that I bought were arcing :eek: when I fired it up. But she is getting good spark now. Even the ones that I pulled out of the 305 were burned as hell, but still produced good spark. But thanks for the tip, I will keep my eye on them.........next week the stall goes in, and maybe some gears Yea, I wasnt saying for SURE it would happen, just to keep an eye on them. If they do foul out or whatever, try the Supers. They are pretty good, IMHO. Kinda Weird about the AC plugs...some people have near religious views about using those, but now, they have gotten rid of some of the "old reliables" and reference kind of a catch all plug...Not sure if thats the best choice anymore.

Thats a heck of a cam you are running in that engine! :eek:

Yeah, I am constantly checking it out. Every time I get out of the car, I am looking under the hood, just to make sure that I am not frying anything. As for the cam, its nice. Got great throttle response, well better now than with that tired old 305. But I am basicly wasting the cam with those stock heads. But I was just ready to get the car running again, seeing as how its my only sourse of transportation right now. But this week, I am dropping off the other set of heads to get worked, then I should notice a HUGE change in performance...hopefully.