225 V6 Help!

Quick synopsis: I rebuilt a buick 225 v6 several years ago with my dad before going to college. We never got it running right and I am now in a place where I can start throwing money at it again. The symptoms: The motor runs smooth, but appears to only get warm on the drivers side engine bank (temp at headers on drivers side is hot while passenger side stays cool). I replaced spark plugs and rebuilt the carburetor but still nothing except now I will get some really bad backfire on revving off the passenger side). I am curious what could cause one cylinder bank to run normally while the other does not appear to.

I read somewhere that this could be a timing issue - but it is my understanding that a timing issue would cause the whole engine to run ruff or have trouble starting, which is not the case. Please help!

 

Ignition Timing..........Odd fire , perhaps wrong Distributor , rotor ...........

 

Number 1 cylinder should fire on the wide lobe of the distributor.

 

I think that one side being hot and other side being cool is a symptom of your distributor being 180* out. I had that on my Jeepster. Best way to find TDC in my experience is the pull the drivers side valve cover and watch the valves to be sure you're on the compression stroke (valves closed I believe)

 

To add to the confusion, I was looking at the plug wires tonight, it so happens that no. 6 and no. 2 are reversed. If I put them to the appropriate cylinder the jeep wont start. I am starting to think this is a timing issue for sure.

 

Plugged carburation caused 1 side not to run on mine, it ran smooth at idle, use a spray bottle with gasoline in it and spray it into the Venturi of the side that is cool. If the carb is plugged on that side when you spray gas into it, it will start running on all six cyl. I had to rebuild mine twice before I found the blockage.

 

Isn't only firing on one bank a symptom of the distributor being installed wrong on an odd fire?

 

Usually that is true as I have found in the past but I can't discount the carb issue as well even though I have never had that problem.

 

I second the hf ultrasonic cleaner that thing rocks.

 

I mistakenly installed my distributor on my odd fire such that cylinder 1 was firing on a point on the cam rather than a wide lobe and I had exactly the result you have. Re-installed correctly and all was well.

 

Or an oddfire distributor with the wrong shaft installed.

 

Problem solved. Loose retaining bolt on the disturber caused it to jump a couple teeth. Amazed it ran as well as it did considering, now it has scary amount of power. One question regarding oiling for the 225. Since it oils down the rail in the heads, how much oil should there be under the valve covers while the engine is running? Mine always has oil but doesnt seem to spray out or be profuse. Good oil pressure up to 60 lbs when revved

 

That's great that you got it solved

 

Mine hardly spits any oil at all. even when revd up. the fan blows it around more than anything