jcsbadta,

Good post. Really good thinking there.

My heads were only cut to the tune of .015", and the block was decked, but things aren't that far off as my accessory bracket still has no problem being bolted in. Done it a couple of times in recent months actually.

I test fit a spare stock manifold I had sitting here last night, and amazingly enough, it fit rather well. I'm starting to wonder if this manifold I"ve been using is a by product of some other persons motor and is the root issue of the entire deal. Mine has been cut twice now, and lines up perfectly while leaving a great pinch pattern on the gaskets, but oil still manages to penetrate around them. I'm going to be running my car again later this week using it and a stock set of lifters as I had the typical Comp R failure a couple of days ago.

My cam is big, but not so big that I shouldn't be pulling decent vacuum. EVERYONE who's been in contact with me/my car has agreed that the cam specs I'm running shouldn't have a problm pulling 10 in/hg. I think the combination of picky comp R's and the intake problem was just too much.

More to come.

 

How is it possible lifters can be even partially to blame for your problem?

 

In pictures 1, 5 and a little in 6, it appears that the lower part of the gasket, at the port, has been cut though. As if it were to tight.
I suppose I'll get a lot of flak for this, but have you done the really simple things like put a straight edge across the heads and intake to see if they're even flat or placed the intake on the motor without any gaskets to check if the surfaces are parallel?
Ok, you can go back to your discussion now.

 

Because I started losing vacuum when that one came apart. Just compounded the problem.

I think the seperation you're speaking of simply comes from the combination of me taking the manifold off and having weatherstrip adhesive on the gasket around the ports.

I have checked both the heads and manifold for being straight, which they are. I've also test fit the manifold on the motor without any gaskets and it looked good there too.

 

That's very strange.... Unless it caused a valve to hang open I can't imagine how it would influence manifold vacuum.
Nonetheless... good luck.

 

Probably as I was setting it as the car was running, I loosened it and when it started clacking, tightened until the point that it was quiet. Sadly, I am thinking that point was with not enough lash as the retainer came apart as I was starting to tighten.

Stock lifters are in it, but that spare manifold didn't fit. At all with gaskets/rtv on the block and heads. It only fit right with nothing down, just bare metal.

I honestly think we've got the manifold gasket issue taken care of, or at least manageable enough to work with. So once it's back together and running on Saturday probably, if it's not acting a little better, it's leakdown test time. And from there......who knows.

 

Ok, just ran it with a doublestacked set of Fel-Pro OEM replacements. I'm not getting ANY oil vapor out through the front of the TB now after shutdown, but the car still won't pull a steady vacuum, wavering around wildly at idle and even with a steady amount of throttle applied. I've got stock lifters in there for the time being, and they're adjusted to a half turn past zero right now.

I can't find any vacuum leaks, the IAC is controlling the idle as best as I can tell, so what gives?

Doing a compression test here in a little while also.

 

Did a compression check on my motor tonight.

1 -- *
2 -- *
3 -- 228
4 -- 224
5 -- 240
6 -- 224
7 -- 220
8 -- 220

*............We couldn't get a reading. A couple of times on each we'd get a jump to about 150 PSI with an immediate bleed off down to about 130 PSI, but no subsequent pressure increases with continued cranking, only slight drops. Extremely odd considering that this was happening on the foremost cylinder on each side of the motor.

My buddy Doc and I just sat around mulling this one over. We couldn't hear the air escaping anywhere, and the motor didn't even feel like it was trying to build compression like with the guage on the other cylinders. Problem? We think so.

So what would cause this in the locations on each side opposite each other like that???? Crack in the block maybe??

 

Ya sure the valves are correct?
Is it carberated? Ya running hose? Head gasket?
Those are the two leanest cyls if it is carbed especially if it has a Victor JR.They are also the coldest running.
Sounds like it might have broken ring lands and rings.
That would account for your low vacuum.
Do a leak down test or just put air in the cyl and that will tell ya if/where it is leaking ie. valves or rings. Ya should be able to hear it either in the intake or pan if it's really leaking and not a false reading.

 

Nope, just running a LT1 intake. Nothing special. I figured those were the most lean running cylinders just thinking about it (my conclusion at least) and how the vacuum effect from the rear of the manifold would suck air away from the front cylinders. Valves are good, we verified that as we were cranking the motor over with the valve covers off. They were moving fine and not hanging the valve open.

Gonna have to get the car to my buddies house (or use this as an excuse for a little air compressor) to get air in the cylinder.

It was the strangest thing down there. I'd have Doc crank the motor over, and with no fitting on the plug hole you could feel some light blowing and then suction as the cylinder moved. Stick your finger ON the plug hole to close it though, and you may get a puff from it and then nothing.

 

Does sound strange. Ya will now with some air,PDQ.

 

PDQ???

 

Ya ARE young....
Pretty Damn Quick.

 

I ain't that young. Just a little frazzled tongiht with the thoughts of replacing an almost brand new motor.

 

Wasn't trying to insinuate anything. My mother said that all the time.

It may not be all that bad,maybe just valves.