engine doesnt run right

What all have you tried? Does it rev smooth or miss alot?

If your headers are glowing red, then I would say that you are running waaaaaaay lean, and probably need to rejet your carb. I would think start with a good base timing, 6-8*btdc, and start looking at your fuel delivery system. Might just need a carb rebuild?

tca7291 hit the nail on the head I was heading in that direction

mercurycapri said:

I'm frusterated at my car. The headers get red the engine pops out of the exhaust and keeps dying. Literally have to keep the motor reved over 2000 rpms to get it to move or it trys to die. Doesn't help my plug wire on 8th cylinder keeps getting burned from the header being so close. This is my combo ford 302 gt40p heads performer intake 600 cfm carb holley 50,000 volt hei distributor and track camshaft. I cant figure out the timing or fuel mixture. The motor has a new timing chain so it coulnt be the chain. Where do I start to get it running better and how?

Click to expand...

glowing headers is either timing not advanced enough or you are running to lean. Did you install the timing chain dot to dot? What is your base timing? what size jets in the carb?

Holy mother of god you are way too lean. Make sure you are getting adequate fuel pressure along with proper jet sizing. A carb can only dump as much fuel as it's being fed.

were it me...............i would go back to the beginning pull the distrib bring it up on num 1 compression stroke to the top, check what the balancer is showing if not adding up pull it down and check the gear marks, if they are off fix it if they are dead on button it up at least you know. then pull the rest of the plugs and read them, toss in some new autolites and check the wires and firing order, if its off fix it remember you want the ho firing order. double check you are at tdc on number1 find cylinder 1 on the cap and easily slip the dist on in, you will have to work it a little to get in, you will know its in when its flush with the block and the rotor is pointing at number 1 on the cap,put it all back together, fire it up and see what happens
whitey

What he said^^.
Main jets have nothing to do w/ the immediate issue. The fact that it won't idle is your first concern, and main jets are not part of the idle circuit. From your description of your problem, it sounds like a timing/cam timing issue from the jump. I had the exact carb on my engine, and I had to lean it down to get my engine optimum.
But it was very close the minute I initially fired the engine, It idled at 700 RPM and I had aftermarket heads and cams in place.

Start by knowing for a fact that the things you changed...... i.e. timing chain are installed correctly.

What the hell is a "track cam"? Is this a roller cam, or a flat tappet old school hydraulic? Lift, duration, and LC specs are what is required to determine whether or not you've got an incorrectly spec'd cam installed. Additionally, there are some cams out there for a SBF that have been ground on a 351W firing order, and while I doubt this is your issue,..you need to verify what it is, and that it is installed correctly. That information would be required to help you figure out your problem.

People are too quick to wanna throw a rebuilt engine in as a fix everytime they need to just slow down and think about it instead. It was only a couple weeks ago that another guys' "wont start" thread ended up being an incorrectly installed timing chain,...despite the fact that he was advised to the contrary, he was convinced that he had an electrical issue. Obviously,...he was wrong.

I'd start w/ the basics first, and quit dicking w/ the carb. Carbs don't have "fuel curves," they feed the engine off of demand. You only have to get things close, and the thing takes care of itself. They are remarkably easy, if every thing else is right.

any update ????????????

I really hope this isn't one of those deals where they get their solution and then never return...