Hello Guys, I got a problem in starting up my new engine. I have made about six trys before deciding on getting more experienced advice. My problem is that I have made my best attempt to get the timing right and I know fuel is getting to the engine. The motor will crank and will fire and go really fast like 4000 rpm off the bat and die the moment the starter is disengaged. On the last attempt flames shot out of the carberator and singed my arm while I was moving the distributor to get a better timing. Is this a carb problem or is my timing wrong or is it worse than that? My carburator is a brand new edelbrock avs 650 cfm. Is the factory tuning way off? my fuel pump is a high volume mechanical holly 110 gpm, Too much pressure into the carb?? Its stock hei with a 50000 volt coil. I'm pretty sure the cam Is correctly installed. I am still new at this and thought I had it figured out but now I am completely stumpped and hope I didnt hurt my cam with the attempts. Thanks for your time.

I'm by far no expert here, but I had a similar experience when a friend of mine and I rebuilt my old GTO's engine. The tip off for me was when you said "flames out the carb". We had that and it turned out that the timing gears were off 180 degrees. The guy helping me do the rebuild used to rebuild Chevy engines where the marks on each gear are together. However on Pontiac it's the opposite. If I fiddled around with the distribute enough during cranking, it'd catch but didn't run for long. Once we rotated the gears correctly, it solved the problem.
Might want to check to see that the timing setup is correct.

I had a similar problem when I installed a mallory unilite in my last vette..

I had the dist 180 off..

make sure you line up the timing mark to TDC and pull the drivers valve cover to make sure your on the top of the compression stroke and not the exhaust stroke. if not, rotate the crank 360 deg

(both valves should be closed in compression, exhaust valve will be open during exhaust stroke)

then stick your distributor with the cap off use a stright edge to make a reference mark over the center of the rotor contact (mine points at the drivers side rear corner of my carb) then put the cap back on and use the straight edge to line up the number one plug wire with the mark) and this gives you 0 deg inital advance. start it from here and use a vacuum gauge on a non-ported vacuum slot on your carb to get your best timing (maximum vacuum).

Remember that the marks on the timing gears, when positioned together, indicate TDC of cyl#1 on the exhaust stroke, not compresion.

At least the flames mean you have some fuel

Yes the timing is way off. If you think the engine timing chain is correct, pull off the power to the distributor to stop any spark. Pull out number one spark plug, and stick you finger in the hole. Use a remote starter, or have someone bump the key. VERY SMALL BUMP! IF the engine is turning more than 1/8 turn, you are bumping the starter too much. When you feel the cylinder start to build compression, stop. This to find the compression stroke, not the exahust stroke of the cylinder. Now turn the engine by hand until the timing marks line up for the timeing you want, not Top Dead Center. If you are shooting for 8 degrees, put it at eight degrees.

Now align the distributor rotor with the number one spark plug wire. If it has points, turn the dist until the points just BARELY open. If it's electronics, line up the tips on the dist shaft with the pickup.

This procedure is called static timing. Done carefully, you can be within 2 degrees of where you want it to be. Install the dist cap, spark plug, reattach the power to the dist. And turn the key.

Well I figured that was the case after the first try. so I did the exact procedure you guys have said. Would the engine even fire up if the distributor is 180 off? My engine actually fires up like I got the gas fully depressed and I disengage the starter and It dies instantly. The flames out of the carb happened only the last attempt when I had my buddy keep on cranking to see what happens. My hunch is that I need a fuel pressure regulator since the high volume fuel pump is running directly to my carb. It might be over pressurizing the carb. I did notice fuel squirt out of the top of the carb when I was cranking it to feel for tdc. My engine I think is flooding. what do you guys think? I checked my timing 5 times and belive it should be close enough to fire. I am going to call edelbrock on monday for their thoughts. Thanks for your time and thoughts.

you definitely MUST have a regulator

you could very well have it mega flooded..

I had a problem like this with my demon when I first got it. there was a tear on the secondary seat seal.

when i turned the car off it would just seep gas into the intake.. and it was flooded something fierce.

is there any fuel dripping from around the boosters ?

if youve got timing in good shape.. then it almost has to be flooding..

if you pull the carb is there fuel pooled up in the intake ?

if so, take a shop vac and suck all the excess fuel out.

you might want to check your plugs to make sure they arent fouled from the excess fuel.. also.. anytime you flood extremely bad like that you want to change the oil.. as any unburnt fuel in the cylinder will seep past the rings into the oil pan. in fact you can tell this by pulling your dipstick and smelling the oil...

if it smells like gas... go get some oil and filter.

i would also take an air compressor and spray it into each plug hole.. bump it over a few times you so can get them through either an intake or exhaust stroke, you definitely want to get rid of any pooled up fuel.

put a rag over your intake when you do this though. I hit a cylinder in the intake stroke and it blew air and fuel out the intake and all over everything around.

and as for whether an engine will fire with the timing 180 out... kind of.. it will backfire like crazy..

your firing during the exhaust stroke

Thanks thats just what I needed to hear! I feel soo dumb. Its funny how you read all the stuff you can find about small block chevys and do all the homework you can and you can still over look such a important detail. I just smelled my oil and pulled my spark plugs, it is just as you described. Gas in the oil and fouled plugs. I just hoped I didnt wipe my cam out being so stupid. I hope that special lube that came with my cam protected it from my stupidity. how delicate are comp cams 270H s? How easy is it to wipe it out? The motor spun pretty fast for about 2 seconds and died about 4 times to give you an idea of the accidental abuse I gave it. p.S. The engine was prelubed throughly before hand.

your cam should be fine..

and with just a few secs like that it is had to imagine you screwed anything up...

you may have blown out the seat gasket in the carb, but im really not familiar with edelbrock carbs...

you should get a regulator and get an inline fuel pressure gauge.

it looks cool.. costs about 20$ for the gauge and fitting and then you can correctly dial in your fuel pressure. I would set it to whatever edelbrock suggests minus .25 lbs... the other thing is even if your pump doesnt have excessive pressure.. you can damage that seat gasket by not pre filling the carb with fuel..

the electric fuel pumps suddenly slams the needle and seat with 8 lbs or so and this can damage the carb.

i find that when you need to fill the carb up .. turn the regulator down to half a pound then fill the carb.. then turn the regulator back up.