Thread: HELP 350 sbc runs like crap and has no power

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The first time I ever adjusted small block Chevy rocker arms I adjusted them too tight and the engine ran exactly the way you are describing. You might try backing each rocker arm nut off one full turn and see if that fixes the problem.

Good heads and a great job on tightening them properly. I’m a bit concerned about a ”no-name” head gasket as it may cause some problems (if not right away down the road a bit). I also like a bit of lube on head bolt threads as well as both surfaces of the washer to make sure torque values are as accurate as possible. I use Fel-Pro 1003 for aluminum heads (on a 4 inch bore). They’re about $60-$70 a set, but the best for this application. That said – let’s wait and see what your compression numbers look like before thinking about a possible head gasket replacement.

As mentioned, the valves could be too tight – the compression test will also tell us if that’s a problem.

The black plugs do tell a story and wet fouling can be a sign of a compromised head gasket.

I’d wait on any serious carb tuning and let’s see what your compression test shows us.