[madtexan]

Guys, thanks for the help. Here is the best I can answer right now:

Originally Posted by PontGuy

Bad fuel pump - causing low fuel pressure at lower RPM (seen this before) Not sure but it was installed new when I did the rebuild 15 yrs ago... <1000 miles
Ignition timing wrong - frozen mech advance, slipped balancer, something like that I'm going to get out the timing light tonight
Cam timing way off - would have to have been installed incorrectly I specifically remember lining up the dots and isn't there only one place to install the keys on the shafts?
Crushed exhaust pipe - easy to check Not the problem
Carb problem, I think we covered that.. but is the choke opening properly? Choke works great. Opens all the way when manifold gets warm.

Walt

Originally Posted by Greg Reid

A leakdown test will tell you a lot more than a compression test and you can get the tester for well under $100. Where do I get one?
A compression test will tell you how much pressure the piston it building. The leakdown test tells you how much compression the cylinder is holding...and if it's not holding it, where it's going...Out the exhaust valve, the intake valve, past the rings, to an adjacent cylinder or into the water jacket.

I fought the stinky exhaust problem for several years. An acrid, eye watering smell that I could smell on my clothes later. That's the smell and lingering effect
After four used carbs with identical results I came to the same conclusion as PontGuy...There's something wrong and it's not the carb.
I did a Leakdown test and found I had some fairly significant blowby into the crankcase.
My engine is in the shop now. My machinist not only found that I needed valve guides but the last shop that worked on the engine installed 30 over pistons and the cylinders were bored 40 over. Wouldn't the compression be really low with this problem?
Surprisingly, the engine ran very well and if not for the fuel smell, I would have just run it like it was.
Not saying you have that problem but just to give you more evididence that it could be internal to the engine.

I'm hoping that's not the case here

Originally Posted by PontGuy

Mike more questions-

The bottom end of the engine was rebuilt quite a while back but has very low miles on it, way less than 50,000, right? Yes it was less than 1000 miles ago but 15 yrs. I start it every few months and add fuel stabilizer. Change the oil every year too. Mobile 1 only

Does it runs smooth, with no obvious miss or stumbles? Runs pretty smooth.

With the Rhodes lifters the valvetrain should be a bit noisy- is it?I think it is but with tube headers, it's hard to tell

Has the smell been there from the beginning, ever since the engine was installed? I think so but not sure. It use to stay outside before it was painted

If you run it up without the breather you don't see a plume of oily air coming out of the vent tube from the valve cover, do you? I think the crankcase air is pretty clean but i'll check again. It's not an oil burning smell though. More like ROTTEN EGGS

Walt