Background:
I recently finished rebuilding my 350 motor
edelbrock 650 performer carb
comp cams 218 intake 224 exhaust dur. @.050
stock converter (I know, will be getting B&M torque master 2000.)
Edelbrock performer air gap intake
9.35 to 1 .125 domed pistons
forged rods
Refurbished but not original gm iron heads from Areohead racing components. 2.02 1.60 valves
Crane 1.5 ratio roller rockers.
Accell Billet electronic distributor

Problem:
I got it together and triple checked the valve lash (thank god for this site) but it still would not Idle.
The mech I go to for problems beyond my ability did a vacume test and a compression test.
He mentioned a problem with the passenger head and a valve problem.

The vacume fluttered between 13 and 17 lbs
Compression test results
cylinder low/High
1 165/195
2 *130/180 graemlins/sad.gif
3 180/195
4 130/150 :confused:
5 180/210
6 125/150 :confused:
7 185/200
8 *110/140 graemlins/sad.gif

He specified problems with 2 and 8 but 6 and 4 had low compression as well. Is it because the difference between the low and high on 4 and 6 is not as wide as 2 and 8?

Could someone shed some more light on the situation for me please? What kind of headwork looms for my future or should I save for the edelbrock aluminum heads. (at least a year wait, very tight buget)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I forgot:
It has a 350 th automatic
2.73 rear gear 10 bolt
Stainless valves
when I ordered the heaed Areohead asked what cam I was going to use. At the time I was going to purchase a roller cam and and cant remember what lift I was going for. So I do not know the valve spring chosen. But all of the other cylinders are working ok. :confused:

Possible valve guide clearance problem :confused:

Thanks Todd

can anybody help?

Can't help but they don't look right. Did he do a wet test?

sb, (Name ???)
I would find out from the head supplier what springs were installed before going any further. If you do indeed have roller springs on a flat tappet cam, it is probably starting to wipe some cam lobes from the excessive spring pressure. If this is not the case, then its kind of hard to help without being there to look at it.

Strange that all your low numbers are on one head! 2,4,6,8 - Are the heads matched? If not perhaps the heads with lower numbers has a bigger chamber. Head gasket problem? I don't know but something is common to that side.

Troy.

Sounds like troy70ss may be on the right track.
did you check the chambers on both heads? They could be different. But that shouldn`t affect the idle that much.

I would look for a vacumn leak or valves to tight

Good Luck; :confused:
Troy-curt;

Thanks for all the great responses,
The heads do not match :mad: and the springs I asked for are dual springs for up to a .510 lift. So they should not be wiping out the cam :D
So I am either going to get the originals worked or go to edelbrock rpm performers.

Thanks again
Todd

I was thinking about different cc heads too. Looks like a pattern to me.
64cc on the driver's side and 69cc or 76cc on the passenger's side maybe.