New Roush engine issues... Please help

[diverdaveman]

I have a brand new Roush crate engine that has not over 65 miles, granted I’ve had it running more in the shop than on the road. The problem is that I’m seeing smoke out of the exhaust. It appears to be blue/black, but not the really blue smoke you would see if it was oil. I’m thinking its more gas than anything else.

Here is my setup and a little history: It’s a 351W board to 427 cubic inches. I installed the engine with no problem. Roush did dyno the engine, so I know it was good. I had to remove the distributor to install a 90 degree heater hose adapter. I did mark the outside of the distributor, but failed to take not where the rotor was. I put it back where I thought it should go. I called Roush, and they said the timing should be between 30-35. I must have got it right because it run the smoothest at those numbers. I have an electric Holley fuel pump with a regulator. I’m sure that Roush dynoed it with a mechanical fuel pump. Also, it does seem like there is not the same power as when I first got it. This could be my imagination since I’m having this issue.

Could someone give me some insight on what could be causing the smoke? I’m sorry this is so long, but the more information you guys have the better.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[98Snakebite]

check the float level on the carb and check the fuel pressure out of the regulator. Also, what kind of carb are you running? Has it ever backfired through the carb?

 

[diverdaveman]

The carb is a Holley Street Avenger. The guys at Roush put it on. It has never backfired to my knowledge. I have a guage on the regulator and have back the screw all the way out to where the pressure shows between 0 and 1 with no changes in the carb or smoke out of the tail pipes. Do you think it's getting too much gas or could that smoke be oil?

 

[loud 95]

Does it only smoke upon startup? Have you pulled your spark plugs to check them for fouling? As for your power discrepancy, I would guess that you may be off a tooth with your distributor. In other words, you put it back in very close to where it should go, but not right on. As long as your timing is set correctly, this should not be a problem. Have you bothered Roush about the smoking? Given their engine program, they should know about little idiosyncratic problems like these with their freshly built engines.

 

[98Snakebite]

The carb is a Holley Street Avenger. The guys at Roush put it on. It has never backfired to my knowledge. I have a guage on the regulator and have back the screw all the way out to where the pressure shows between 0 and 1 with no changes in the carb or smoke out of the tail pipes. Do you think it's getting too much gas or could that smoke be oil?

Something is wrong here. If you change the fuel pressure and you get smoke, it is fuel. Every carb motor I have had I run 6-8 lbs fuel pressure. Sounds to me like you have a stuck float or a weak needle valve. Pull the float bowls and see if the valve is working and that one of the floats isn't stuck. Lots of times I have sucked crap out of the tank that accumulated while the engine was out. A piece of the afore mentioned crap could be wedged between the needle and the seat on the float valve, so have a can of carb cleaner handy.

 

[Rootus]

I would guess that you may be off a tooth with your distributor.

One of the fastest ways to destroy your credibility is to suggest that the distributor could be a tooth off.

 

[Ctchmeifucn50]

One of the fastest ways to destroy your credibility is to spend $7000 on HP upgrades and not run in the 12's like me

:SNSign:

 

[98Snakebite]

In my humble experience it is hard to be 1 tooth off on a sbf. because the oil drive is hex, usually it is dead on, or 30 degrees off, in which case it won't run. besides, even if it was one tooth iit wouldn't matter, just move the dizzy that much to compensate. Right? I am too tired to think today.....

 

[98Snakebite]

:SNSign:

View attachment 462311

 

[Scooby5.0Doo]

ive put my distributor in one tooth off when i didnt know till i checked my timing and was a few not 30 degs. off the oil pump have moved the little bit to get one tooth off, so i just moved it to one side to corrected that small problem. if you dont think its oil then start the motor let it run and get the smoke then turn it off and pull the plugs and inspec for fluid on them. you may have washed your cylinders or just one with fuel.

 

[loud 95]

One of the fastest ways to destroy your credibility is to suggest that the distributor could be a tooth off.

Why? If you read my post, you will see that my distributor comment had nothing to do with the engine smoking problem he described. It was merely a suggestion about a possible cause for the power problem he also mentioned. I have installed a distributor one tooth off before, as someone else had helped me disassemble the engine and had not marked anything when they pulled it out. It is always a pain in the ass to try to stab a distributor, based upon a guess about where it should go. As I said, it should not be a problem if the engine is re-timed. However, I don't know if he re-timed the engine after he put the distributor back in.

 

[Rootus]

Why?

Because there is no such thing as 'a tooth off' with the distributor.

Unless you mark the distributor, trying to get it back onto the same orientation with the cam gear as when you pulled it out is going to be pointless. The spark timing will still be wrong.

Dave

 

[Rootus]

:SNSign:

My fastest time is 12.28 .

 

[loud 95]

Unless you mark the distributor, trying to get it back onto the same orientation with the cam gear as when you pulled it out is going to be pointless. The spark timing will still be wrong.

Dave

Exactly my point, which is why I suggested he verify his timing.

 

[Scooby5.0Doo]

12.28 with the rwd car red not yellow or the awd car?

 

[84Gt350]

What is your initial timing set to at idle and what RPM are you setting the 30-35 degrees at? Do you have vacuum advance and was it disconnected while setting the timing?

Dan