Trouble shoot 1950 8Ba initial start up Help

Aright you ready for some wild **** diagnosis ? Took off both carbs and locked down the the single best one that had the advance port. Sprayed ether, pumped gas in and poured a little. ....Nothing and sounded slower that usual.
Decided to pull all plugs and do an inspection all plugs looked dry again . Cycled the engine with plugs out and fluid flew out of 1 and 5 . I mean ALOT ... like A GYSER a pool had been sitting there in 1 and 5 . did it about three times before it stopped. Did catch on fire in the front two plug holes on both sides i assume from vapor and spark inside the wires that were left open lying about Anyway after that was clear the engine sped up dramatically. I finally was able to look down the plug holes after i flushed my face with water, yes i got a facefull. and did notice that all the valves are moving up and down as they should. So i have lake headers which are very close to the frame and to compensate i added two 1/2 inch nuts to the trans mount to get clearance so the headers did not lay on the frame rails. Did this quite a while back and to boot i had the *** end of the car 2 or 3 inches off the ground. I run big and little so it takes even a bit more to get them up. My theory is that because of an engine that is at an angle not conducive for level fuel flow all the gas and ether had run to the front drowning #1 and #5 and not allowing any fuel to the other 6 holes in the back. Even though though 1 and 5 looked dry.???While this was going on it hydrolocked (not totally) the engine slowing it down. What do you think? Based on this i will attempt to get engine back to proper degree angle. ???? Sound like a decent theory?
Such is hot rodding!:) .
 
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Plugs can look good and still be bad, especially after things like yours have been through. Just ask any old time snowmobiler. Let the engine sit a couple of days with no plugs in it and then install a new set. With all of that gas etc. in the cylinders, an oil change is probably in order as well.
 
Bustingear said:
My theory is that because of an engine that is at an angle not conducive for level fuel flow all the gas and ether had run to the front drowning #1 and #5 and not allowing any fuel to the other 6 holes in the back. Even though though 1 and 5 looked dry.???While this was going on it hydrolocked (not totally) the engine slowing it down. What do you think? Based on this i will attempt to get engine back to proper degree angle. ???? Sound like a decent theory?
Such is hot rodding!:) .
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Normal engine level is appox. 4 degrees. With the same angle built into most intakes to bring the carb.to level.
With the exit point at the fuel tank so far below the entry point at the carb. it is hard to visualize any fuel flowing into the engine.

I suspect that any raw fuel in the manifold and combustion chambers is just from all the previous attempts to start.
 
I agree with post 51. Cam and crank are not in synch. Picture by OP not good enough to tell if it is correct and I don't think it is.
 
The stock distributor won't work with dual carns, but it should work. Back in the 50's I drove half way across the country with dual carbs on a 50 merc engine. Over heated all the way, Stopped at a garage in Indiana and the mechanic told me this. Fortunately I had the original intake and carb in the trunk . we installed ot amd I drove the rest of the way to Wisconsin with more power and better milage and the engine never got hot again..
Learn sumpin every day.
Gramps.
 
A real long shot. Check your intake manifold to make sure that the wall between the heat riser port and the adjacent intake ports is not burnt through.
 
deuce_roadster said:
I agree with post 51. Cam and crank are not in synch. Picture by OP not good enough to tell if it is correct and I don't think it is.
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I dont understand how it could be out of time when you take the timing cover off and make sure the cam gear slash and the crank gear dot meet at 6 and 12 oclock. Put the timing cover back on and the needle and the pully Dot meet dead on as well as well. Then you pull the cap and the rotor is pointing directly at the #1 plug wire and then you check the order of the wires 5 times and they are correct to the firing order on the cap and meet the correct plug holes. And then you pull a #1 plug and rotate the engine till you see spark on the plug end and stop immediately and pull the cap again and the rotor is on #1 plug wire again. I ask then how could it be out of time? What then am i missing?
 
On the fuel issue, just to be sure you understand, gas will not ignite in it's liquid state. It has to be vaporized to a specific ratio with air to ignite. It is very easy to "flood" a carbureted engine.
 
Ok please dont get mad at me as I dont know much. the guy who posted in post number 48 shows his two gears and the markings of each. I am stuck away from my car so I do alot of reading.
Somewhere a guy had put his cam gear on backwards, could not believe it might be but he took it off and turned it around to find correct marking.
 
I don't know about putting the cam gear on backwards but the crank gear could certainly be slid on wrong. I have never seen a "slash" on a crank gear the 2 dots on the gears in the picture on post 48 should be prominent and I don't see that on the OP's picture.
If I was betting on anything I would guess one or both of those gears is either marked wrong or on backwards. I hope we eventually find the answer.
 
JMO & not trying to criticize, just trying to be helpful as I’ve been here my self ( I’m a bit stubborn). Bustingear seems to seek agreement with his opinions of what the problem is more than he wants to accept help. Bustingear if you haven’t you need to try several of the suggestions given. Get a timing lite & verify spark from position 1 on distributor matches cyl #1 as post 21 suggests. Get / Borrow a multimeter & verify resistance & voltage entering ur coil is correct as suggested in Post 26. Pull your cam & crank gear off & verify the prevalent dots / gear markings are facing out as suggested in post #71 & others. JSeery suggests among other things to go with new plugs to be sure. I’d suggest as your heads look to be Offy heads that the plugs are entering your cyl at right depth as it is an issue with Offy heads ie too deep or too shallow. Step back & verify your on right side of each suggestion. As said with compression, correct spark, & fuel delivery there should be ignition or signs of life. With out any combustion at all I lean with the others timing is mechanically off.
 
As to the thinking that the cam gear could be on backwards.
The gear has a counter-bore on the back side that fits the dia of the cam flange to center it.
The counter-bore is also smaller than the outer one and does not allow the heads of the mounting bolts to be turned.
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deuce_roadster said:
I don't know about putting the cam gear on backwards but the crank gear could certainly be slid on wrong. I have never seen a "slash" on a crank gear the 2 dots on the gears in the picture on post 48 should be prominent and I don't see that on the OP's picture.
If I was betting on anything I would guess one or both of those gears is either marked wrong or on backwards. I hope we eventually find the answer.
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The "slash" is not uncommon on the cam gear.
 
Bustingear said:
I dont understand how it could be out of time when you take the timing cover off and make sure the cam gear slash and the crank gear dot meet at 6 and 12 oclock. Put the timing cover back on and the needle and the pully Dot meet dead on as well as well. Then you pull the cap and the rotor is pointing directly at the #1 plug wire and then you check the order of the wires 5 times and they are correct to the firing order on the cap and meet the correct plug holes. And then you pull a #1 plug and rotate the engine till you see spark on the plug end and stop immediately and pull the cap again and the rotor is on #1 plug wire again. I ask then how could it be out of time? What then am i missing?
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It is obvious the rotor is pointing to #1 When it sparks!!! It Doesn't prove anything?????
Keep it simple. One step at a time. You are over thinking it when you don't have the first step sorted.
STEP 1; Buy a timing light!
Number 1 is the front plug on the passenger side!
Crank it over on the starter and check the position of the timing mark on the pulley
 
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