Mike
Well-Known Member
After a couple of recent requests for tuning help have turned into catastrophic train wrecks, we are going to change the way we do things in this forum, effective immediately. I hate to sound like a ruthless dictator on this matter, but it is time to square up some of the ways people seek and provide help.
If you find yourself struggling with an engine problem, have no fear, because we are here to help you. There are hundreds of collective years of diagnostic tuning experience available to you, right here on this forum. And we all want to see you enjoying your car, not being stuck in a garage trying to fix an elusive problem.
But be advised, there is a right way to seek help and there are countless dozens of wrong ways. And you will want to avoid all the wrong ways, because they might result in a less than pleasurable experience for you. Actually, I am thinking you can take that one to the bank.
Before posting a help thread, please read, comprehend and follow the four rules, listed below.
RULE 1 - Details. In order to tune an engine via long distance, we require details. Please note, I did not say we 'want' details, or that details make us feel all warm and fuzzy. I said we require details. And that means it falls upon you to provide those details. Tell us exactly what the problem is. Tell us exactly when the problem actually became a problem. Tell us exactly what you have already tried, to fix the problem.
For instance, is this an engine you were driving down the street, that suddenly started giving you fits? Is this a new engine, you are struggling to tune, after initially getting it running? Or is this an engine you have just made some changes to, after which the problem manifested itself? We require these details, to provide the help you seek.
Then we need to know what you have actually done to the engine, in an effort to diagnose the problem on your own. Have you changed any components? Have you changed jets in the carb, adjusted a fuel pressure regulator, changed ignition timing, changed spark plugs, etc.? We require these details, to provide the help you seek.
If someone asks you any subsequent questions about your problem, you need to address those questions, by again providing as many details as possible. We're not asking you questions in an effort to waste your time, so do not waste our time by ignoring those questions. We're asking questions to learn more details, to provide the help you seek. If you refuse to answer questions for additional details, you better be wearing Nomex knickers, as you are going to be mercilessly flamed, just before your help thread is locked down. We require those details, to provide the help you seek.
You can save all of us a lot of time by providing even the smallest details. If you are having fuel issues, get right up front, in the very first post, by telling us what carb you are running. By that, I mean you need to tell us it is a Holley 0-1850, with a 7.5 power valve, 72 jets and 6 lbs. of fuel pressure. Tell us if you have, or have not cleaned the air bleeds, if you have adjusted the float levels, if you have changed the needle and seat assemblies. Are you running a choke blade? Manual choke, or electric choke? How do you have the choke set? Tell us what kind of idle vacuum levels you are seeing, as well as what kind of cruise vacuum levels you are seeing. What pump nozzles are you using? What pump cam are you using and which position is it in? Tell us what intake manifold you are using and the specs on your camshaft. We require those details, to provide the help you seek.
If you have made a camshaft change, tell us exactly what camshaft you are running, and provide the specs from the cam card. We are the ones taking time out of our own days to help you, so kindly don't expect us to be doing Web searches to learn information you should have provided in the first place. We don't know lobe specs on an ACME Cracker-Jacks camshaft, so give us that information. Don't make us do your work for you, we are here to help you, not take you to raise. What lifter are you using? How did you set valve lash, or lifter pre-load? Are you running stock pushrods, or have you changed lengths and diameters? What rocker arms are you using, and are they a different ratio from OEM? If the cam is an aftermarket grind, how did you install it, straight up, advanced or retarded? What timing set are you using? If the cam is an aftermarket grind, did you check piston to valve clearance, and what was that number? We require those details, to provide the help you seek.
If you are having oil pressure issues, what oil are you using? What filter? What oil pump? What oil pan? Where did you set bearing clearances? Have you modified the oil pump? Are you running any restrictors? Where are you taking your oil pressure readings? We require those details, to provide the help you seek.
What kind of ignition are you running? What distributor, what wires, what spark plugs? How long have you been running these pieces? Are you running an aftermarket CD ignition box? if yes, what box is it? Where have you set plug gap? Where is your ignition timing set? Where are your battery voltage levels? We require those details, to provide the help you seek.
RULE 2 - Go back and read RULE 1, until you fully understand what it says. If you think you might not understand all of it, then you do not understand any of it.
RULE 3 - If you have a problem with an engine overheating, a carb spewing fuel from a vent tube and a bent pushrod, kindly open different threads for different problems. It helps everyone to keep tech threads as short as possible, in order to maintain focus. So do not pile all of your problems into one thread.
RULE 4 - If you cannot comprehend RULE 1, or if you cannot comply with RULE 1, then take your problem elsewhere, because we are only willing to help those who are willing to help themselves. However, if you can provide us with the details we require, I think you will find several forum members who will go out of their way to help you in your time of need. Ignore this last rule at your own peril.
If you find yourself struggling with an engine problem, have no fear, because we are here to help you. There are hundreds of collective years of diagnostic tuning experience available to you, right here on this forum. And we all want to see you enjoying your car, not being stuck in a garage trying to fix an elusive problem.
But be advised, there is a right way to seek help and there are countless dozens of wrong ways. And you will want to avoid all the wrong ways, because they might result in a less than pleasurable experience for you. Actually, I am thinking you can take that one to the bank.
Before posting a help thread, please read, comprehend and follow the four rules, listed below.
RULE 1 - Details. In order to tune an engine via long distance, we require details. Please note, I did not say we 'want' details, or that details make us feel all warm and fuzzy. I said we require details. And that means it falls upon you to provide those details. Tell us exactly what the problem is. Tell us exactly when the problem actually became a problem. Tell us exactly what you have already tried, to fix the problem.
For instance, is this an engine you were driving down the street, that suddenly started giving you fits? Is this a new engine, you are struggling to tune, after initially getting it running? Or is this an engine you have just made some changes to, after which the problem manifested itself? We require these details, to provide the help you seek.
Then we need to know what you have actually done to the engine, in an effort to diagnose the problem on your own. Have you changed any components? Have you changed jets in the carb, adjusted a fuel pressure regulator, changed ignition timing, changed spark plugs, etc.? We require these details, to provide the help you seek.
If someone asks you any subsequent questions about your problem, you need to address those questions, by again providing as many details as possible. We're not asking you questions in an effort to waste your time, so do not waste our time by ignoring those questions. We're asking questions to learn more details, to provide the help you seek. If you refuse to answer questions for additional details, you better be wearing Nomex knickers, as you are going to be mercilessly flamed, just before your help thread is locked down. We require those details, to provide the help you seek.
You can save all of us a lot of time by providing even the smallest details. If you are having fuel issues, get right up front, in the very first post, by telling us what carb you are running. By that, I mean you need to tell us it is a Holley 0-1850, with a 7.5 power valve, 72 jets and 6 lbs. of fuel pressure. Tell us if you have, or have not cleaned the air bleeds, if you have adjusted the float levels, if you have changed the needle and seat assemblies. Are you running a choke blade? Manual choke, or electric choke? How do you have the choke set? Tell us what kind of idle vacuum levels you are seeing, as well as what kind of cruise vacuum levels you are seeing. What pump nozzles are you using? What pump cam are you using and which position is it in? Tell us what intake manifold you are using and the specs on your camshaft. We require those details, to provide the help you seek.
If you have made a camshaft change, tell us exactly what camshaft you are running, and provide the specs from the cam card. We are the ones taking time out of our own days to help you, so kindly don't expect us to be doing Web searches to learn information you should have provided in the first place. We don't know lobe specs on an ACME Cracker-Jacks camshaft, so give us that information. Don't make us do your work for you, we are here to help you, not take you to raise. What lifter are you using? How did you set valve lash, or lifter pre-load? Are you running stock pushrods, or have you changed lengths and diameters? What rocker arms are you using, and are they a different ratio from OEM? If the cam is an aftermarket grind, how did you install it, straight up, advanced or retarded? What timing set are you using? If the cam is an aftermarket grind, did you check piston to valve clearance, and what was that number? We require those details, to provide the help you seek.
If you are having oil pressure issues, what oil are you using? What filter? What oil pump? What oil pan? Where did you set bearing clearances? Have you modified the oil pump? Are you running any restrictors? Where are you taking your oil pressure readings? We require those details, to provide the help you seek.
What kind of ignition are you running? What distributor, what wires, what spark plugs? How long have you been running these pieces? Are you running an aftermarket CD ignition box? if yes, what box is it? Where have you set plug gap? Where is your ignition timing set? Where are your battery voltage levels? We require those details, to provide the help you seek.
RULE 2 - Go back and read RULE 1, until you fully understand what it says. If you think you might not understand all of it, then you do not understand any of it.
RULE 3 - If you have a problem with an engine overheating, a carb spewing fuel from a vent tube and a bent pushrod, kindly open different threads for different problems. It helps everyone to keep tech threads as short as possible, in order to maintain focus. So do not pile all of your problems into one thread.
RULE 4 - If you cannot comprehend RULE 1, or if you cannot comply with RULE 1, then take your problem elsewhere, because we are only willing to help those who are willing to help themselves. However, if you can provide us with the details we require, I think you will find several forum members who will go out of their way to help you in your time of need. Ignore this last rule at your own peril.
