Rebuilt engine..cant get it to run right

[my66coupe]

I recently rebuilt my 302, went .040, had the shop assemble the short block, including a comp 268H. I had the tranny rebuilt (c-4), with a later valve body. Any ways the car is running.....but it smokes like a madman, The idle mixture screws do react when I turn them, but I cant get the smoke to die down. My PCV valve was broken and letting oil in soo I replaced it and ya still had smoke. Ive been doing the timing with a vacumm guage, getting a overall top reading of about 13 with out it fluctuating or stumbling too much. The car has a rough idle fluctuating in RPM and will sometimes stall on me. I was also getting rough shifts, (the tranny vacumm line is plugged into a intake vacumm port) soo I replaced my tranny vacumm line today and the shifts became less rough. The performance is there on the bottom end, if i accelerate from first to second it seems pretty stout, but once it hits second or third, blah nothing..... also when cruising at around 30-40 and i stomp on it, it will also have no pickup.....I was thinking maybe my vacumm advance. I have been doing the timing without it on. Another thing if i put it in drive and let off the brakes, the car will go then stop, go then stop, I think that has to do with the brakes grabbing alittle too much but i cant be too sure, the engine will fluctuate in RPM when doing this soo maybe it is engine related. Anyways, I need help and i really want this monster to run right! thanks guys

Mike

P.S. The plugs are gapped at .035" im running the petronix ignitor with a petronix ignitor coil, MSD 8mm wires. I have a few shorts in the car and I am waiting on a harness right now, but I dont think that would affect the performance. Also I have not adjusted the vacumm modulator at all, would that affect the pickup? Thanks again

 

[WORTH]

what color smoke? white blue or black?

 

[D.Hearne]

Might need to loosen up on those rocker arms. Set the timing with a light at about 12 degrees BTDC. Might also check for vacuum leaks. Your oil burning could be coming from intake to head leaks in the ports. Vacuum leaks as those will suck in oil, and cause the smoke, also cause a rough running condition.

 

[my66coupe]

The smoke is a greyish black, not white from the coolant or blue from oil......soo im assuming a rich condition, I did recently readjust my rocker arms ..............Im running the nuts that have the allen head on top to prevent it from backing off, With this set up do I have to give the additional 1/2-3/4 turn when the pushrod doesnt spin anymore? Also I have never adjusted the timing with a timing light, my friend owns a light that you can plug in the advance and what not. What would be the correct procedure to obtain 12* BTDC? Thanks guys

Mike

 

[D.Hearne]

Those rockers adjust the same as any others. The jamb nuts are called "poly-locs" To time with a light, just hook it up, start the motor and aim the light at the balancer where the timing pointer is and pull the trigger. Might also help to high-lite the timing marks before you start though. To adjust the timing, do it same way you've been doing. Loosen the distributor, and turn it as you're watching the balancer with the light.