Not a maverick question, but still it will make you scratch your head. I does for me, and I don't know what to do. Ok now I'm stumped! This is 66 chevelle ss 396/325 4 spd. Points dist! I saw the link for a video on how to set your timing "very informative" http://www.setyourtiming.com/video.html ok now here is my problem. I have my timing set to this. But it idols ok, but when you give it some gas it dies. But wait! If i set it to this setting Then it runs ok and I can drive it, but it has no power what so ever. Ok now wait. According to the video the when gas is applied to the engine the timing should go up in this direction But mine goes in the opposite direction like this! WTF? Ok I am so confused right now. Something must be wrong with my distributor? This is strange. Hope you guys can help me out!
timing Whats your dizzy set up? Vacumn advance or no ?, single or dual ?, points or pertronics? Bring the car up to 2800 rpm, set timing at 28-31* and lock it down. Then check the initial with the vacumn advance disconnected and pluged, see where it is.
Yes has vacuum advance, single, points. I'm still at a loss been messing with it all day. grrrrrr.....
check your vacuum hose to the vacuum advance (the vacuum pulls a diaphragm, if you need ported vacuum and you give it manifold vacuum it would do the opposite same goes for if you need manifold and have ported) if you dont know what manifold is and ported is, ported is vaccum from outside the throttle plate ( no vaccum at idle but increases with throttle position). manifold vacuum is after the throttle plate and vacuum is greatest at idle or coasting with foot off gas. hope this helps, and if not hope you learned a lil bit
Which side of the timing tape are you looking at it from? The left (in the pics) or the right? Or rather, which side is the front of the harmonic balancer?
The left side of the tape. "baddad" and R hero, I do have it on a ported vacuum, Maybe I will try manifold vac, and see what happens. Thanks for any tips
Dumb question but does a chevy engine turn the same direction as a Ford? I don't know which is why I ask. Are you using timing tape or looking right at the scale on the balancer? The big difference between ported and manifold vacuum is manifold vacuum is there at idle where ported is not. If you hook up the advance to full manifold vacuum it will pull in all of the vacuum advance at idle instead of after you open up the throttles. Both will work but you will have to tune for each. Some like ported some like manifold. Most run ported If you bring the RPM"S up to say 2ooorpm's and put the timing light on it is the timing marks steady or all over the place? clint
If you look at the engine from the front, it turns clockwise. I am using the scale on the balancer, and every notch is 2 degrees. And it does bounce a little maybe 4 degrees or so when in bring up the rpms. Maybe I will make a video and post it. Be easier to explain. lol. Thanks guys, I'm still trying to learn this!
According to the 1960's Motor Repair manual, your timing should be set at 4* BTDC which is to the upper side of zero in your diagrams. Distributor rotation is clockwise (opposite of a Ford)So I think it would be reasonable that when advanced, it will go in the diredtion it's doing.
Ya I read that too in my book. It says 4 degrees also. That is my next task. Hopefully tomorrow I can mess with it!
Take the cap off,take the rotor off.Check side to side play of the distributor shaft...There should be very little(almost none) If you can wiggle the dist shaft side to side alot...Replace it its done,or have it re-built.Points distributors wear out in this fashion...Its not uncommon.This wear will cause all sorts of timeing woes just like your describing.Points that are not properly secured will do this too.Had a mopar do this to me years ago...one of the screw holes was stripped out and caused the points to float a bit every time the cam hit the rub block on the points...drove me nuts for a few hours.
