remember me? back again. fixing the Z

[clutchdust]

for those of you who don't remember i'm working on a friends z for her. it sat for years so i got it running just to have a valve hang and get slapped sideways by the piston. so she asks me to go ahead and fix it. i pulled the head and replaced the valve, and concequently the guide as well. so i managed to get the head off and back on without dropping the chain.

well let me back up. i really screwed up and just started disassembling the thing. didn't bother timing the engine or anything, just yarding stuff out. hey, i'm a SBC guy, give me a break. so when i reinstalled the head, i just got the sprocket back on the cam and rolled the #1 cylinder up to TDC. then i rotated the cam as close as i could get to both #1 valves were centered closed. after i installed all the rockers (note to self: install rockers BEFORE cam next time) i turned them all up to 0 lash (FOR TESTING PURPOSES ONLY, and rotated the engine over a few times to make sure i had not piston/vavle contact.

one thing that concerns me though is all the fighting i did with the chain. at one point, i was so tired i just let the thing go and the chain did not fall. i'm thinking that's not right. i did get it all back together and the chain is tight. so i'm wondering if i have some kind of chain tensioner problem.

what's your thought on the cam timing and chain tensioner?

today i plan to put it all back together and fire it over. hope nothing bad happens.

[clutchdust]

well, i got everything back together today. reset the lash to .006/intake and .008/exhaust. bolted everything back up. why is it you can put the exact same parts back on that you took off but yet nothing seems to want to line up quite right? is that some kind of assembly line voodoo or something?

anyway. rolled the engine over a few times and didn't hear any clattering or othewise nasty noises so hooked up all the plugs, wires and hoses. after charging the battery a bit, i gave it a start. turns out i was 180* off on my ignition timing. for the time being i just rotated the plug wires, i'll redrop the distributor later. well, it kind of sort of runs, a little. <---been doing this alot today. but it won't stay running. it'll kind of lope along for 20 or 30 seconds and just die out. put my vacuum gauge on it to see what it reads. and i get just a couple inches of vacuum. i'm going to do a compression test tomorrow but my theory right now is, the most obvious, i have the cam timing off. i figure the cam timing is late, real late. at that low an idle (~400rpm), i would expect to be pulling at least 15", even if ignition timing is off and carbs are out of whack. needless to say, i checked everywhere for an external vacuum leak but could not find such a thing. that really only leaves the cam timing. as i figure it, the valve opening and closing events are occuring much closer to the center of the pistons stroke than at either TDC or BDC. that is the only way i can figure i haven't had valve contact and i dont' get any vacuum.

so, any suggestions on what to do to fix this timing issue? i know the cam sprocket is on the same setting on the cam but i'm sure i'm off the correct tooth count. how the hell do i time this thing now? :ermm: