Can we assume that the compression is good in all cylinders? How low is the vacuum at idle? How high does it go if the engine is revved and the throttle snapped shut? Usually a low vacuum signal would signify a leak and the engine would run lean, not rich. Perhaps the two problems are not related? Retarded ignition timing can produce low vacuum and also poor performance. Have you verified the timing mark as straight up and then timed the engine with the vacuum line disconnected? What are the signs of the richness? Carbon in the tailpipe? Smoke out the exhaust? Poor fuel mileage? A pretty good check for a vacuum leak is squirting a combustible fluid around places where the leak might be,(with the engine running) such as carburetor flanges, intake manifold flanges, vacuum lines, etc. If a leak is found, the engine will change RPM. I have used starting fluid, carb cleaner, anything that will burn is good, probably the starting fluid is not a good choice because it is explosive as well. I doubt the cylinder heads are warped so the intake surfaces can't seal with the intake gasket in place, but that the block surface will seal to the head. Doesn't make sense. One possibility is that the heads or block were milled, but the intake surface of the head was not cut correspondingly. This could make the head's intake surface the wrong angle. Long read, sorry. Bill Huff At 9/25/200908:14 PM, Ryan Hill wrote: >Some of you may remember trying to troubleshoot >the poorly running (completely rebuilt) 383 in >my '65 300 sport over the past several years. >Unfortunately I haven't had the time required to >undertake removing the engine again and starting >from scratch, which is what I'm about to do over this winter......I hope. > > > >My question at this point is simple. Is there a >possibility that interchanging the heads from >one side to the other could cause the intake >manifold to sit in a slightly different position? > > > >When I tore the engine down, I used the carbon >outline on the head and intake machined >surfaces, around the runners, to establish where >the valley pan gasket had been seated. I >re-positioned the gasket and sprayed it with >yellow paint, leaving a perfect outline of where >the gasket port opening on both the heads and >the intake. I proceeded to die-grind all of the >ports in an effort to improve efficiency and flow. > > > >When I reassembled the engine, the new valley >pan gasket fit perfectly over the intake ports >of the manifold and the head when placed on the >mating surfaces seperately. However, I have no >way to tell for sure whether the ports are now >perfectly aligned. (other than plasti-gauge or >plastercine perhaps) The tollerances are very >close now that I've narrowed the runner walls, >the gasket is only about 3/16 of an inch wide >between runners as I recall, and so are the manifold and heads now. > > > >The engine runs, but runs rich. It has vacuum, >but not as much as it should. I have researched, >tested, replaced parts, tripple checked >everything, and run down every suggestion >everyone has offered me. If the runners on the >heads are not perfectly alligned with the >runners on the intake manifold, I suspect I >could have a leak. Hope my description is clear >and makes sense. Does anyone know how accurate >these castings are? Are the dowels aligning the head always exactly the same? > > > >Special thanks to anyone who has even read this far :) > > >Ryan Hill > > > >_________________________________________________________________ >Create a cool, new character for your Windows Live? Messenger. >http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9656621 > >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > >------------------------------------ > >To send a message to this group, send an email to: >Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > >For list server instructions, go to >http://www.chrysler300club.com/yahoolist/inst.htm > >For archives go to http://www.forwardlook.net/300-archive/Yahoo! Groups Links > > > ------------------------------------ To send a message to this group, send an email to: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx For list server instructions, go to http://www.chrysler300club.com/yahoolist/inst.htm For archives go to http://www.forwardlook.net/300-archive/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chrysler300/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chrysler300/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:Chrysler300-digest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx mailto:Chrysler300-fullfeatured@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: Chrysler300-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/