91 D150 360 mag swap, .020 overbore, 11.1:1 CR, Monster Magnum heads, .501/.524 lift cam .258/.268 duration, 112LSA, Edelbrock duel plane intake, Edelbrock 650 carb. 160* high flow T-stat. Maybe 1,000 miles on build.
i decided to pull the spark plugs, they are all a reddish brown color, but clean besides that......... It was skipping and not running very well, I flooded it the other morning, and it sat. The idle surges when holding it at a steady rpm. I pulled the spark plugs because it acts like a blown head gasket, radiator hoses rock hard, developed new leaks tightened one hose, but it's leaking past the squeeze clamps on the heater core, blowing oil out of the breather filters on the valve covers, and blowing it out of the dip stick tube. No oil in coolant, no coolant in oil, not burning oil, not burning coolant. Plugs are, reddish brown, with some black soot around the outer edge from being flooded if I had to guess. Stock oil pump, I'm running shell rotella 15w40 for the added zinc. Switching to synthetic next oil change. Plugs have been in it since the build, and may well be fouled. Stock plug, plain ole copper champion, .035 gap, nice blue spark. Napa lifetime wires, brass cap and rotor, mds blaster 2 coil (red) oil filled, Mopar electronic ignition, orange box. Running dual resistors, I'm thinking of bypassing them? And doing a full tune up, plus a carb rebuild. It sat for a few months with ethanol gas. I've been running sea foam. Valve cover gaskets are starting to leak now also. Could the oil ground out the plug and make it skip??

 

how bad was it flooded? gas in the oil flooded? 11.1:1 seems a bit high of a compression ratio unless i am missing something. i would assume you would almost have to be almost running race fuel at which point you probably do want to not let the fuel sit for much more than 30 days. did you check the PCV valve?

 

I had the block decked, it's been running fine on 89 octane. No pinging, 8* initial advance. 36* all in at 3,000 rpm. No pcv, no cats, no egr. It's been starting up just fine, then we got this cold snap for a few days, 29* cold. Started right up today, but like I said it started doing everything I mentioned above, lol. Unless it has moisture somewhere in the dist. I had it running for about 15 minutes. Let it sit maybe 10, went back out to move it, and it ran just fine. That's when I pulled the plugs. I'm gonna start with a good tune up the cap, rotor, and wires were on the the 318 before I went with the 360 swap, it's all 2 years old but sat around for the entire time it took me to get the 360 built, and installed, and running. Then it all sat for another 3 months or so while I put a bigger trans in. I'm just baffled at how it just started leaking coolant, and oil. I've been driving it daily all summer, until the last 2 days.
Oil don't smell like gas, but I'm still gonna change it, prolly wouldn't hurt to go through the carb. AZ has an Edelbrock rebuild kit in stock for my carb. Edelbrock brand.

 

you should probably install a pcv valve. it may be part of why there is so much pressure in the crankcase which is causing the valve cover leaks. there is a reason almost every engine out there still has one. you should be able to see moisture in the distributor cap if it is there.

 

I've got the Edelbrock valve covers with the breathers, should I still put a PC valve in?? Breather in each cover.

 

usually it is a good idea to have one. helps keep crankcase under vacuum which should hopefully help cut down on any oil leaks.

 

I can put one in, ain't no big deal. Bottom of the air cleaner has the knock out for the hose. I'll put in an oil catch can, help keep the oil film out of the intake.

 

Did you happen to do a compression test any time since it was rebuilt? This seems like it could be cause by blow by. Also do the valve covers have the plate under the breather holes? If not the oil just gets thrown up into the breather. Had this problem with different M/T (Mickey Thompson) valve covers. And i would ditch the champion plugs and use Autolites.

 

pcv valve usually hooks to the carb base plate. no need to knock out any holes in the air filter breather unless you want to hook the crankcase breather to air filter breather.

 

No I didn't do a compression test, I want/need to get a compression test kit. Because I really want to know what the CR is. Valve covers do have the baffles, they suck. I swear it takes 15 minutes to pour in 5 quarts of oil. And my best question was autolites, the champions were dry, but smelled like gas. It's possible it got some gas in the oil, I just can't smell it lol.
Yep, my mind was on other things. It's got the nipple in the very front of the carb. I got it plugged off. I got everything I need, unless the hole in the valve cover is to big for my pcv valve...... But I kept the stock magnum valve covers, so I can put those on if I have to, with a new set of gaskets easy peasy. I got the $20 Edelbrock special covers lol, cheap. I'll put the aluminum ones back on.