Chris Kelly or 351C tuners please

Coupla Questions here:
I did a compression test on a "fresh" (1500 mi) poor man's rebuild. The rebuilt was done by keeping it stock bore, but just honing the cyl. and putting on new rings, and breaking in a new cam. It has Aussie heads etc. The Left bank (drivers) is leaking coolant out the front of the mating surface. Just a bead when it's hot. I'm not sure if these numbers indicate anything, but here goes:
#5: 120 psi #1: 150 psi
#6: 150 psi #2: 172 psi
#7: 135 psi #3: 150 psi
#8: 155 psi #4: 170 psi

It seems to me that the right bank has more pressure overall. Could this be a warped head or block? This is the second gasket i've tried on the left bank.
Also, i'm trying to curve the distributor. It's a stock single points dist. I'm putting on the Crane adjustable vac adv. and spring kit, because with stock setup it will either have no power down low, and ping up top, or have oodles of power down low while pinging. I need a heavier spring? Question being, while taking apart the dist., I noticed that there is a long limiter slot and a short limiter slot; a thick spring, and a thin spring. Are stock disttribs set up so that you can just turn the "cam" in there 180* and have a stiffer setup? Would you guys use the long slot? How should this be set up for an aussie headed cleve so that I don't ping so friggen much ?

[img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_cool.gif[/img]you definately need a new head gasket on the left side. check the head gasket surface for square and level, it may need resurfacing. for the pinging problem, sound slike too much initial timing and too much advance. the springs you mentioned are the advance springs, the heavy one is the primary spring. the tower can be turned 180 degrees if you need more or less total mechanical advance. it should be set on the 13 degree side though. if the mech advnace springs are loose that will also be part of you pinging problem as the weights are moving outward too soon. you initial timing should be between 10 and 14 degrees, with a total timing between 36 and 38 degrees. as for the vacuum advance, if you have too much you need to go heavier on the spring adjustment.
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I agree with Rbohm, warped head, warped deck, or bad head gasket.I've used the standard Felpro head gaskets for years with no problems at all on my streetstrip Cleveland. I did notice a little oil seepage at the corner of the intake & left head on occasion, but nothing unusual & I attibuted it to high rpm's & crank case pressure forcing a miniscule amount of oil out the corner of the intake.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: anthonydalrymple on 7/7/03 4:04am ]</font>

Yes, the low reading in #5 is most likely a gasket leak. The probable reason for the difference in readings between sides is that the chambers are not the same average size in both heads or the deck is not the same in relation to the crank centerline.

The deck needs to be toally clean, spotless and dry to seal good. If there is any warpage, you'll never get a good seal.

I answered the dist. q without seeing this post. Anywhere from 10~16 initial with about 34~36 total. If you can get this with a stock cam - good. I never could without welding and grinding. I'd shoot for 12 and 34 and see how it runs. The left side looks like it should handle 91 octane - not sure about the right because of the 170 readings. Too many variables. Fix the leak, set the timing and check the hell out of the plugs.
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Those pressures all seem very low unless you're running a big cam, #5 definately has a problem. In my first cleveland I used a small comp high energy 260 cam (212 at 050), dish top pistons and aussies. My cranking compression was about 200-210 psi.

Good luck
Tris

flat-tops, aussies no unshrouding done, cam is crower 220/225, 230/235 112LC
I thought the psi was a bit low all around too, but definitely low on the left. I think the ring job was just done poorly. I did it the quick easy way, not the right way.

Could be the rings lined up on that cylinder.

I run a 226/230 Crane with 9.3 average compression and my cranking pressures are only 145~150.
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