Get the number off the cam. He may have used the 351w cam which is the opposite firing order to what you used. Early 302s and 289s used the 28oz balancer and if your engine has the 86 internals(crank and rods) you need to have the 50oz balancer and flexplate. But if it were the balancer you would still be able to set the timing. Does it ever pop through the carb. If so this would indicate the engine being retarded way too far. Just some stuff I have run across. Good luck. Make sure your vacuum advance is hooked to the right spot too. For now unhook it all together.
Took the words right out of my mouth. I was just reading through to see if anyone suggested that. There it is the last post. Go figure. A vacuum gauge can save hours of wasted time. If its valve lash you'll see it. Very erratic.
I don't know if this is your problem but on my wife's car a couple years ago, her motor started idling really high and it ended up being the intake manifold gasket. After we relpaced that, it ran great....
I am betting on a 351w cam and wrong firing order myself. Maybe the throttle is hanging up on the base plate gasket or the secondaries are adjusted too tight. Why is the distributor running through a relay? Is it just the 12v feed running though it? Just curious clint
