(key between O and [ just quit, sorry )
Ok first the setu:
Chevy *erformance ramjet 350 short block, no boss for mech fuel *um*
Summit vortec heads
old Com Cams 268H
MSD HEI distributor
Edelbrock *erformer 600cfm
Edelbrock R*M airga* intake manifold
Hooker headers
Original manual 3 s*eed
Mallory electric fuel *um with a 3-8 *si regulator

Ok basically everything on this motor has 0 miles them, exce*t for the heads and intake manifold and cam , they have maybe 50 miles on them( *ulled from the original 327).

So I *ut this setu* together last summer, and ke*t having hesitaion backfire thru the carb when increasing r*ms while trying to set timing. It would idle, but the motor would overheat within 5 minutes and has accually desiel'ed one time. This is one of my *roblems. The other is that I could never seem to get it timed. *eo*le would tell me its 180 out, so i would 180 it, n it would refuse to start ever. I got so frustrated I let the car sit for a year.

So I caught the bug again this weekend, after the new girlfriend asked to hear it run. It started u* the very first try, it started to idle high so I shut it down. Since then, I can't get it to start. Found the heater core blown dum*ing lots of coolant(yes it had antifreeze in it), and by*assed it. Now I think I flooded it n *ulled the fuel smelling s*ark*lugs, so now I'm here ty*ing.

I'm trying to cover everything I may have overlooked a year ago and I have a few questions about the setu*. If I can't figure this out, I may just give u* and *ay the several hundred dollars to have a professional finish this car(which i'd rather not do.) The short block is the *artnumber for a ramjet 350 re*lacement. Is the firing order any different then say my Chilton manual from 1974(father had a lot of nice old sho* books.) Is my chea*o 268H cam com*atable? Idk if it HAS to be a roller cam or what, I assumed I could go either way. Second, the water *um* was orderd for the original 327, V-belt driven. Do you think this motor requires a reverse flow?
Ok while the *lugs are ulled, I think I will take compression readings and *ost them here. Hoefully there will be some ideas *osted by the time I'm finished. Ty for your hel*.

 

Firing order is the same.
The RamJet 350 is a roller cam engine. Is the 268H a roller or flat tappet cam? What exactly (cam & lifters) did you *ut in there? Now you got me doing it!!
You can't go mixing and matching a roller cam with flat tappets, or a flat tappet cam with roller lifters.
The engine isn't reverse flow, that started with the 2nd gen LT-1. But, the pump would be reverse rotation because of the serpentine setup turning it the opposite direction from a v-belt drive. If you're using v-belts, you want a conventional clockwise rotation water pump.

 

The cam, lifters, and timing gears came in a kit from Com* Cams thru Summitracing. All flat ta**et. The current setu* is still using the old v-belt for now....(found a broken 91 chevy truck to rob the ser*entine system. So yur saying the as long as I have v-belt still on, I won't need a new water *um* till I *ut the ser*entine system on?
Btw heres the com*ression readigns I got.

 

As long as the water pump definitely is a clockwise rotation type, then it's the right one.
Those compression readings look pretty darn good.
For the timing:
Are you sure you got the timing marks on the cam and crank gears lined up, and not off a tooth?
Are you using a timing tab that's compatible with the TDC notch position on the harmonic damper?
No crossed plug wires?
Have you tried, just for the fun of it, advancing the timing more? Overheating (if it's timing related) would usually be from it being too far retarded.

 

I was actually considering *ulling off the timing cover to verify the marks are right. I think I'll do that in the morning. If its right, I think I'll start completely over and re-find TDC and chaulk a 0 mark this time. As for the tab, I bought a 5 dollar tab from advanced auto n *laced it on the drivers side. But when I *ut a timing light on, the camaro only seems to idle smooth when the original mark on the dam*ner is at like 5'oclock, looking at the crank from the front of the car. As soon as i twist the distibutor so the timing mark gets close to the tab, it starts s*uttering and dies... S*eakign of harmonic balancer, it was a re*lacement dam*ner for the 1968 327. Do you think maybe the timing mark is totally different then say a modern dam*ner? I really don't understand why im having so much trouble. This is my first small block *roject, but I've rebuilt n installed my 454 in my 90 454SS n had no *robs with a gear head's hel*. He's no longer around, so this is my first solo attempt So I must be overlooking something. I am very glad you have some time to give some advice btw.

 

Yur use of the letter 'P' makes me sad.

 

LOL What makes me sad, is the keyboard is only 3 years old, n it cost me 120 bucks when I bought it.

 

sounds like the float may be sticking or fuel pump pressure may be to high. when it sat the fuel all dryed out and it started. how did it run other than high idle, and by high idle are we talking 5k.

 

I didn't get a look at the tach, but it sounded like 3k.
Ummm.. now that I'm looking at the online instructions for my regulator... I was turning the pressure screw the wrong way. I thought tighter meant less flow. TY sir, that should definitely have caused the flooding. I been meaning to install a permanent pressure gauge, now I wish I already did. I sure hope that helps with the timing portion as well. Ok off to find TDC, reinstall plugs n try again. grrr
Glad you guys knows yur stuff. I bet there would still be a lot of cars collecting dust if you guys weren't here.

 

Does the fuel regulator have psi markings on it? Otherwise, how do you know what setting you're at?
Reading back about your harmonic dam*ner, no matter what timing tab you're using, the timing mark shouldn't be at 5:00.
What you need to do is find your true TDC (or damn close to it) on the #1 piston. This will be best done if you pull all your spark plugs so you can turn the engine over by hand without a fight.
The first thing to do is the finger in the #1 plug hole method to find TDC on the compression stroke. At that point, the timing mark on the dampener should be approaching the timing tab (still to the left of the tab looking straight at the front of the engine). But, that way doesn't tell your actual piston TDC because the piston has a momentary "hang time" at the top. Take a small wooden dowel rod and stick it down the plug hole so it rests on top of the piston. Make sure it's long enough so it doesn't go oops down inside the cylinder. After you find your TDC compression spot, slowly turn the engine clockwise more and watch the dowel. As soon as the dowel rod stops moving up, stop turning the engine and make a mark on the dampener, lining up with the TDC (0) mark on the tab. Now, keep turning the engine clockwise until the rod goes down a little bit. Then turn the engine back counter-clockwise again until the dowel just stops moving up. Make another mark on the dampener to line up with the tab. The point between those two marks is your true piston TDC. Now you can start seeing what else, if anything, is out of whack.