im pretty sure its coming from the top of the engine. i guess it increases with RPM's, it is kind of hard to tell though because the more gas the more the carb backfires.

 

well, i have been sort of putting of the car lately. i think because i am scared of what ill find.

today i tried to start her up, and the battery was dead (as usual). i jumped her and she started pretty easy surprisingly. i didnt sound as bad as before at first, but of course it got progressively worse for about a minute.

the only way i can explain what im hearing from the engine is a loud mechanical sound. it just sounds like i can hear all the lifters and all the metal parts and stuff working. but i hear this under the loud popping coming from the carb. then when i try to give it gas the car will either rise in RMP's and start to pop more with it, or just start to die down. also i have a decent amount of smoke coming out of just the drivers side exhaust.

just brain-storming i thought the timing might be off. i didn't know i was supposed to loosen that bolt at the base of the distributor to move it though. when i went to move it, i couldn't so i tried a little harder and my hand slipped and i smashed my elbow on the hood mount. that kind of discouraged me so i didn't bother.

can i run the engine while that bolt at the base of the distributor is loose? i just wantto test if anything will change with timing. it couldnt hurt right? if it could let me know.

 

Yeah, you have to....that's how you adjust the timing. :-p

Pick up a timing light they're cheap.

 

what engine is this? does it have adjustable rockers?

 

its a 1970 318. im not sure if it has adjustable rockers, how do i tell?

 

a 70 wouldnt have adjustable rockers,(unless someone put them in) how do you tell? pop the valve cover off, if the rockers have a adjustment type bolt going to the push rod then its adjustable.

 

no i guess they arnt adjustable.

i tried messing with the timing. when i first started the engine, it seemed like it was running decent. then when i revved it a little it started coughing backfiring again. then i tried moving the distributor. when i turned it clockwise, the engine started to die, when i turned it counter clock wise the engine just rose in RPM's. so i put it back around where it was.

 

after reading up, now ive got a different theory (1 of 1000). could the timing chain have gotten loose and jumped some teeth?

the loose chain would explain the sounds im hearing. the skipped teeth would explain the back-firing through the intake, and the crappy running.

what is everything i would need to put in a new timing chain and sprockets?
i have some money right now, so i can buy stuff i need what i everything i will need like down to the gaskets? should i go double roller? if i did would i need a new timing cover?

 

It's not very hard or expensive to do. All you will have to buy is timing chain and gears. Costed me about 80. While you're in there you should go ahead and do waterpump, not that expensive either. All you gotta do is remove all belts and pulleys the remove timing cover and replace. Same for water pump.

 

the water pump was done a little bit before i bought the car.

do i need any special tools? like a gear puller or harmonic balancer puller? does the timing cover use silicone or a gasket?

is there a test i could do see if that is the problem or will i only be able to tell for sure when i get in there?

will i need like a water pump gasket or any other thing i have to takeoff that will need to be re-gasketed?

 

Do you know the last time the timing chain was changed? I you don't you should go ahead and do it. I was having all kinds of weird problems with my car, I went through everything from carb to dist, it wouldn't idle good drive good or anything. I opened timing cover and saw that the old chain was super loose. Replaced chain and gears and everything was gravy after that. The only special tools you will need is the harmonic balancer puller. You will need a new timing cover gasket. If water pump is new and you trust that is true don't replace it, just do the chain.

 

ive seen that happend alot, a car would run fine shut it down go to fire it up and it jumps, need chain, timming chain cover gaskets front seal, i think you can buy a gaskets set made just for timing chain replcements,

 

and if you cant find the gaskets, just go to an autozone, buy gasket material, use the old gasket as a template, and make yourself a new one

 

im just going to start tearing down the engine so i can see if it is the timing chain.

i just drained the coolant out of the radiator. the coolant near the end was kind of turning brown, not all brown just tinted brownish yellow. bad? it would make it easier if i just took the radiator off. but the tranny lines go to it, and i don't know what to do with those, so im probably just going to leave it on.

so next just take everything i can off the water pump i can right?

 

Yep. Remove the fan, belts pulleys, water pump, pump housing, balancer and timing chain cover. Did you get the gaskets and the balancer puller? When you get the balancer off check the rubber on the back. You may have a bad balancer as well.

 

so far i got all the hoses and belts off. then i started to take the brackets that connect to the water pump off, and more coolant started to drip out of the holes that the bolts were in. after all that comes out ill take the water pump off.

 

got the water pump off. what do i take off next? the big bottom pulley?

there are 6 1/2" bolts and one big bolt holding that big pulley on. i dont have a socket big enough to take that big bolt off, ill have to get one. it is a pain in the *** to get those bolts to spin though. every time i try to loosen them the pulley just spins. any way to make this easier?

i did a test i read about online to test the timing chain. i took off the distributor cap and then spun the engine over by hand by the pulley and then see how much the pulley moves until the distributor does. it moves decent amount. the timing mark on the pulley can be moved around about 1/2" until the distributor moves at all.

 

The best way to remove the bolt on the pulley is to get and impact on it. Once you get the pulley off, you're already almost done

 

i got the bottom pulley off, but i cant get that damn middle bolt.

now that the car cant drive, i dont have any wayto get a impact gun to the car. i have a big wrench that fits it but the engine just turns over. im thinking im just going to try to put the wrench on and beat it with a rubber mallet hard enough to break the bolt loose.

can i repaint the bottom pulley and water pump to make them look better? i was thinking maybe just black high heat paint?

 

yeah you can paint them dont need i temp paint tho,
to keep the engine from turning over you should be able cut a wedge from a 2X4 and wedge the TQ converter to the bell housing, or have another person with a big screwdriver and stop the TQ converter by sticking it in the teeth and pry against the bellhousing

 

could i use the starter to break the bolt loose? i could wedge the wrench up against the frame and then blip the starter just to turn it over and loosen the bolt.

the engine turns over clockwise looking form the front right?

could this damage my starter?

also could this be done or damage the engine since there are no pulleys and no water pump on?

 

Not a good idea.

 

Better idea.

 

Best idea.

 

where do i stick the screwdriver to stop the torque converter?

 

you need 2 ppl for that. 1 to hold the converter the other to turn the bolt, under the car behind the inspection plate of the tranny, you will see the converter, the easiest way to tell you is stick the screw driver up to the teeth of the converter and use the bell housing as a fulcrum the screw driver as a lever, find the best spot to turn the converter then that should be the best spot to hold it,

 

where is the inspection plate?

 

the inspection plate is behind the oil pan, on the transmission, it may or may not have one, alot of ppl never put them back on, if you can see the converter its not on,

 

i took off the inspection plate. i got a screwdriver that fits in there good. the only thing is, the metal on the side that the screw driver will be pressed up against, doesnt look very strong, i feel like it would bend before that bolt is going to come loose.

 

well tied it anyway, and i bent my 1 1/4 wrench. wtf how tight is this damn bolt!?

also when i put my car on a jack one one side, i got this brown sludge dripping out of my radiator. i was just going to dump water in and flush it out, but my tranny lines are still hooked up to the bottom of the radiator. does that matter? can i still just dump straight water in?