[WakkoWarner]

I am the one who had the engine that had two blown head gaskets, due to the builder using extremely cheap gaskets. I finally got it fired up for the first time in 2.5 months on Tuesday (I was waiting for parts). It sounded good & ran even better. I buttoned up the exhaust system & headed off to emissions testing the next day. As soon as they started the car, I could feel the misfire. Needless to say, it failed.
So this morning I started trying to track the problem down. It turned out that the plug wire for number 6 had come off the spark plug (the new wireset I got had been giving me problems staying snapped down on the distributor cap). So, I got a new set under warranty. After installing them & advancing the timing to 28 degrees initial (vacuum advance disconnected), I ran it through again. It failed, but this time it was the only idle hydrocarbons (which is something that I have battled for years with my car).
I then took it to the waiver station after retarding the timing a little. It failed worse. So I took it to the parking lot, bumped the timing up to 30 degrees initial, & it passed. It won't pass unless the timing is that far advanced, because the roller cam is just too lumpy & creates the excess hydrocarbon situation (advancing it smooths it out). I am just glad that it is now legal & back on the road once more. Now if I could just figure out why the vacuum is so low........

P.S. I want to thank those who gave advice on which head gaskets to use. I pulled the plugs from number 7 & 8 - both cylinders are dry, so the head gaskets sealed up fine. Now I will just have to see if that Edelbrock Gasgacinch really works (I did the intake & valve cover gaskets with it).

[Mike]

You might want to check that the TDC mark on your balancer is actually TDC.

[WakkoWarner]

The mark on the balancer is correct. This combination likes 18 initial & it has 35 total by 3,000 rpm. The cam is the reason that I have to advance it so much for emissions. It is a Comp roller - .510/.520 lift, 230-236 duration. I run 1.6 rockers, so that increases the lift to .544/.555. The lobe separation is 110, which I think is a little tight for the street. I would like to see it at 112/113.

[MinionII]

Do you think using manifold vacuum on the vacuum advance would have helped?

[WakkoWarner]

I don't think that would make much difference. The cam has to be advanced quite a bit to get away from the idle 'rumble' that creates the excess hydrocarbons, and I don't think the vacuum advance adds a ton of timing. (I personally believe that all emissions testing is a scam designed to separate people from their money.) With the timing advanced way up, the 'idle' smooths way out, which helps it pass. So next year, it will be advanced to 32, just to be sure it passes on the first try.

[WakkoWarner]

I did post a short video on YouTube of this engine once I had it running again. If anyone wants to see it, follow the link:

YouTube- It's alive!!!!

YouTube- It's alive!!!!

[Tom Mobley]

Holy cow, listen to that idle. You got that to pass smog here in Az? It's a miracle....

[WakkoWarner]

It is tricky, but I explained how I do it in another post. It involves advancing both the timing & idle speed, but it makes it work. It might be easier to get it to pass with an Edelbrock carb, as the Speed Demon is kind of a pain to work with sometimes. All that aside, it is fun to drive.

[BowtieAaron]

thats about the size of my cam (actually smaller... (hyd roller 231/239 535/550 1.5 rockers, lol) in a 10:1 355. mine would NEVER pass emissions.. thankfull all we get is a visual here in PA if its built before 1976

good job on getting it running again and able to pass.

aaron