This is getting frustrating...new 445 reluctant to start.

[Yellow Truck]

One other thing that hasn't been directly asked - the headers don't fit and I've ordered some Sanderson short tube headers with CJ flanges, but I won't have them on the truck until early September (I'm traveling most of August). My friend who actually knows his way around an engine said we can't put an O2 sensor on it until the exhaust leaks are solved as the reading will be worthless.

Would the exhaust leaks be contributing to this? They are not consistent across all cylinders.

[fryedaddy]

i wouldnt think a exhaust leak could have anything to do with it.i have been battling a header leak all summer.my car starts good and runs great except for the header leak

[My427stang]

One other thing that hasn't been directly asked - the headers don't fit and I've ordered some Sanderson short tube headers with CJ flanges, but I won't have them on the truck until early September (I'm traveling most of August). My friend who actually knows his way around an engine said we can't put an O2 sensor on it until the exhaust leaks are solved as the reading will be worthless.

Would the exhaust leaks be contributing to this? They are not consistent across all cylinders.

The exhaust leak can make an O2 sensor read incorrectly, but will not cause a mixture issue on a carbureted engine

[ScotiaFE]

Have you even looked under the covers since you got it running?

[RJP]

What are those fine wire plugs gaped at? From the pics it appears that they are at about .060" give or take which IMHO is too much for a conventional ignition system. When you get the Auto-Lite plugs try a .032"-.035" gap.

[fryedaddy]

i noticed the big plug gap too,but i didnt say anything

[Yellow Truck]

Ok, I have some things to report. First to Howie – I have not had the covers off since we first started it. I do know that it throws a lot of oil around under the covers, it did before I put the covers on and was just turning the pump with a cordless drill. Because the valve covers are pretty low I had to forgo baffles on the breather so it is leaking oil. I will probably take the covers off and grind down the baffle mounts so they can clear the rockers.

First I disconnected all the vacuum draws and noticed the hose to the PCV was not connected so we had a vacuum leak to the rear port of the carb.

I made a homemade smoke machine (cigar and a length of hose) and sealed off the top of the carb with duct tape (man’s second best friend) and blew smoke into it. I noticed a fair bit of smoke coming out of the passenger side of the carb below the air cleaner mounting plate (see video). After that I dismounted the carb and sealed the top of the spacer and blew smoke in through the vacuum port on the #4 intake runner (where the brake booster connects). When blowing smoke in there it showed no leaks and in fact built pressure that came back out the hose.
https://youtu.be/0VwVCazBvy4

Seems there are no leaks below the butterfly valves. Does it seem normal that it would leak so much below the air cleaner? Does it seem like the source of the whistle?

Next we checked the battery negative to the intake, heads, block, coil case, and the ground screw and base plate for the Pertronix. The tests showed basically an open short (i.e. negligible resistance) so all the grounds are good.

Then we pulled the plugs and did a compression test. I did this with the carb lifted off the spacer so we didn’t suck fuel in while testing. The tester would not allow a wrench in there to tighten because of the clearance in the plug holes, so it was only tightened in by turning the hose, an O ring providing the seal. Six cylinders showed 130 PSI and two showed 125 with little or no leakage after the test (see video).  This engine is supposed to be around 10.5 to 1 compression, and we are at about 14 PSI of atmospheric pressure here today. Seemed a little lower than I expected but I really didn’t know what to expect.
https://youtu.be/7Gm9UwAHlfs

Then I put in new copper Autolite 3924 plugs gapped to .035 and with a little anti seize - I forgot to check TDC while the plugs were out.  I checked the spark from the coil lead to the intake and it looked healthy (see video).
https://youtu.be/K2lCpYTeSJ4

Next I backed the idle screw in a turn and fired it -it started pretty easily. Fought with it a little to keep it running until it reached operating temp and the vacuum was still showing 5 inches and it was rough. Once it was at temp and it was holding an idle I checked the timing and it was back at 11, so I moved it out to about 16.

Then I turned the four mix screws in ¼ (90 degrees) and vacuum climbed to just under 10 inches. I adjusted the idle screw down a little and it ran around 900 to 1,000 at idle. I tried another 1/8th of a turn and the vacuum dropped to 8 inches so I went back.
https://youtu.be/SaBvhtnq_bE

Then we took it for a short drive. It pulls away fine, and responds strongly to throttle. No evidence of smoke from the tail pipes, but it is running rougher than I expect. It dieseled the first time I shut it down (bit of post ignition knock) for about a second, but on the second start and drive home it shut down almost cleanly (very slight cough).
https://youtu.be/Vact1KzZK_E

[Yellow Truck]

Ross - one question I should have asked earlier - how do you check to see if the power valve is damaged?

[ScotiaFE]

Ok, I have some things to report. First to Howie – I have not had the covers off since we first started it. I do know that it throws a lot of oil around under the covers, it did before I put the covers on and was just turning the pump with a cordless drill. Because the valve covers are pretty low I had to forgo baffles on the breather so it is leaking oil. I will probably take the covers off and grind down the baffle mounts so they can clear the rockers.

Ok a couple of things.
The first thing you should do after get it up to temp is TAKE THE COVERS OFF AND ADJUST THE VALVES. just an fyi

Second I have bought lots of new carbs over the years. They always work pretty close out of the box.
You know a couple of small adjustments but you should not have to redo every thing on a new carb to get the engine to start.
I would send the carb back to who ever sold it to you and get a different one. That one appears to be broken.

Third the compression gauge has told me that the valves are hanging open and you need to adjust them.
The gauge should read about 200 psi.

[My427stang]

I agree, something isn't right with the compression.  Typically, a stroker with a cam that is good for today's fuel will give you 175-190 lbs compression on the starter with the carb open.  You had the carb closed, but I doubt it would gain that much.  You could recheck compression #1 though with the carb at WOT to be sure, if it comes up, rule it out, then check TDC

It also makes sense that it runs better warm if it's valve related, because when things expand, everything gets looser not tighter.

That spark did not look blue to me, it looked yellow, but it may have been the movie, was it a strong snapping, blue crack of a spark?

I am not sure what to make of the whistle, do you hear it with the air cleaner off?

For the PV, some guys may have some tricks, but if I know it backfired and I have a rich mixture that doesn't make sense, I pull it out and check it with a vacuum adapter I have.  However, generally once you pull the metering block off, you can usually see the well in the carb body behind it wet with fuel (it should be dry in normal operation),  When you recheck the compression on #1 you can see if they are real rich or not and decide if you are going into the carb

Where are your mixture screws now?  They should be somewhere around 3/4 a turn out, don't change them, but wondering where you are.  Also, are they all the same?  Is the vacuum advance dead at idle still?  A little spit on the tube will tell you, don't need a number.

It sounds pretty decent going down the road, but a little lazy, I wonder if you do have a timing issue, recheck #1 compression with the carb open, check TDC, adjust valves if necessary, then we can determine what to do with timing based on what you find with the balancer.

BTW...teasing you but a real point...how did you "forget" to check TDC if you have a checklist, maybe checklist AND pencil next time so you know which steps you did 

[ScotiaFE]

I'll bet you a loon Ross that all his problems are valve adjustment related.
He did explain a bit how he adjusted the valves cold before he started it.
They were too tight to start.
It's not the carb or ignition.

The whistling is the compression charge coming back up into the carb.
Intake valve hanging open.

[Yellow Truck]

Ross, you can take the piss out of me. I didn't look at the list in the heat of the moment.

I had the carb OFF the intake for the compression test (didn't want fuel being pulled into the intake prior to firing it) so those are probably accurate. I was surprised the number wasn't higher but had no particular idea what they should be.

The spark seemed strong and white. I also note that it was not a 3/4 inch gap as you suggested.

Mixture screws are all the same and at this point I think 1 and 1/4 turns out.

Howie - not challenging my betters but in the interest of understanding it - if there is compression charge coming back up the carb why is there vacuum present? The whistle is present air cleaner on or off.

I am puzzled about something - it ran better after the first start than it has since. To Ross's comment that it decent going down the road but a bit lazy - I felt it had more initial snap the first fire than it has since, and it was running smoother at idle but too rich as soon as we got on the throttle. Would the valves be hanging up more now?

Howie - I'm not calling him out, but I bought the carb from Barry so it is not trivial to return.

Guys - I think with some evidence in hand it is time to look at the valve adjustment. As per Howie's direction back them off so the push rod is free, then turn them down to just touch and one turn past that. I think that requires had turning the engine and I'll be checking TDC at the same time.

[ScotiaFE]

The engine is running at 70% or so. Maybe a tad more but not much.
The valves are probably about a few thousands of an inch open
at TDC. This is giving you the idea that the carb is at fault.
It's not the carb. I just don't like red carbs. LOL

The reason it runs better when you get some heat in it is the
whole engine expands. The valve lash opens up and lets the valve close a tad more.
Still not enough for your engine though.

If this was a solid cam you would have been under those covers with in minutes of after the first start up.
You would have had to to see were the lash was. Believe I'm on my lash all the time.
If I loose the lash, oh ya things are going to happen.

[Yellow Truck]

To be clear I have to pull the covers and back all the adjustment screws off, then one cylinder at a time rotate the engine so both valves are closed and then turn the adjustment screw down until it touches the push rod, then one more turn.

I can't cheat and just back them all off one turn.

[ScotiaFE]

No Cheating.
You should have to do a lot lash between rounds just for thinking of that.

I do not know the exact lifter you are using so my advice was very general for a Hyd lifter.
Now if we knew the exact lifter we could check the specs to find the exact plunger depth that
is the optimum for your lifter. Normally about a .040" push down on the plunger will get you very close.
Hence one turn on the adjuster which is .042".