setting engine timing -- vacuum advance mid 20s?

[GRONK]

Anything other than the stock carter BBD non-n u t t e r e d should be runnning PORTED vacuum for the distributor.  I can argue this all day but the simple fact is, you want the distributor to be non-advanced at idle (no hg to dist advance) and you want full advance at WOT (Wide Open Throttle)

If you have a setup working pulling manifold vacuum to the advance you are compensating for something failing elsewhere.  I have tooled on too many Jeeps/Eagles to count and even when running great w/ manifold vacuum to the distributor and an owner that swars by it, It always runs better when I configure it properly and correct the other PCV/ntake/vacuum leak/issues under the hood.

Base Idle should be at 650 (720 for automattic's) and tining (with no advance) starts at 8-9deg and advances 1 degree (still with no vacuum to advance) for every 1000'increase in elevation.  Example, I live at 6000' elevation, I set my base, non-advanced istributor to 14-15deg at 650RPM.

[kajsdf]

hooked up a vac gauge today and compared advance to vac pressure, and according to the distributor curves chart in the tsm we are dead on where we need to be.

now on to the other issue of fine tuning the carb.  when stomping on the gas the engine still wants to die.  checked the float and it looks good however i am pretty new to carbs so i am not sure where to begin looking or adjusting.  i know you jetted it correctly, where else should i look?

[projectscreamingeagle]

lol we both read that tsm 3 or 4 times and the chart said at 13 (what we have at idle) inches of vac should have 24 degrees advance. it didnt specify what rpm though. were obviously missing somthing here  could that vac diaphram on the distributor be bad? could i even have the distributor 180 out? i think we can rule out the ignition box the numbers are consistant every time. in park the car purrs like a kitten throttle responce is great doesnt knock nothin. driving it  is when we start to have a issue. cruzing around its great. tromp on it and after the squirt from acceorator pump burns off (aprox 2500 we havent hooked up the tach yet) it falls on its face and have to get out of it to keep it running... so if im correct its doing one of 2 things. its either running out of time or running out of fuel. it doesnt backfire when this happens or knock when its about to. if it is the carb i know its already jetted for alttude 

[GRONK]

The TSM isn't going to be dead accurate once you swap carbs/distibutors.  The TSM referrs to the stock configuration.

Right now, what is your timing set at (in degrees) at 650RPM with the advance disconnected and the ported vacuum port capped?

Post some installed pics too if you can and I'll liik them over in detail.

[GRONK]

Looking at the pic you posted earlier too and I don't see the choke wired to 12V.  If the choke is not wide open with the fast idle cam dropped and running on the curb idle screw (properly set) you cannot set timing or idle properly.  I might have looked at it wrong, but I just noticed that.  The choke should open on its own within a few minutes of running.

[Prafeston]

I know I'm probably going to need help on this later so I'm just commenting to make sure this thread is easily accessed.

[carnuck]

I have to ask if that's a Holley or Motorcraft. Holley sometimes has manifold vacuum at that port and Motorcraft is ported. It's easily checked with a vacuum gauge. It should be near zero at idle. If there is a port for the EGR valve, you can tee off that for vacuum advance.

[carnuck]

Anything other than the stock carter BBD non-n u t t e r e d should be runnning manifold vacuum for the distributor.  I can argue this all day but the simple fact is, you want the distributor to be non-advanced at idle (no hg to dist advance) and you want full advance at WOT (Wide Open Throttle)

If you have a setup working pulling manifold vacuum to the advance you are compensating for something failing elsewhere.  I have tooled on too many Jeeps/Eagles to count and even when running great w/ manifold vacuum to the distributor and an owner that swars by it, It always runs better when I configure it properly and correct the other PCV/ntake/vacuum leak/issues under the hood.

Base Idle should be at 650 (720 for automattic's) and tining (with no advance) starts at 8-9deg and advances 1 degree (still with no vacuum to advance) for every 1000'increase in elevation.  Example, I live at 6000' elevation, I set my base, non-advanced istributor to 14-15deg at 650RPM.

Should that read ported vacuum for non-nuttered?

[GRONK]

Drrrrrrrrrrrrrr...  Yes.  Only the Carter BBD (non n u t t e r e d) runs manifold vac. Sorry about the confusion.  I know what I meant    

[carnuck]

yabbut... we couldn't read your mind! LOL!

[kajsdf]

Looking at the pic you posted earlier too and I don't see the choke wired to 12V.  If the choke is not wide open with the fast idle cam dropped and running on the curb idle screw (properly set) you cannot set timing or idle properly.  I might have looked at it wrong, but I just noticed that.  The choke should open on its own within a few minutes of running.

we had choke tied open for timing setting just to be sure, not in picture though. the port the distributor is hooked to increases vacuum as throttle opens. at this point i am thoroughly confused - is that ported or manifold? sorry to be so noobish.

idle screw you are referring to is on the back by throttle linkage correct?

[kajsdf]

hooked up a tach. idle rpm is 650, 8* base timing w/o vacuum hooked up. choke open. pulled computer completely today, definitely not a factor.

[carnuck]

If the wiring wasn't bypassed, you could still have a problem. How about the knock sensor? It's tied directly to the ignition box AFAIK.

[kajsdf]

wiring was bypassed correctly.  we finally figured out there is an adjuster screw in the vacuum advance itself and we are much better.

[projectscreamingeagle]

we got it adjusted to whare we have about 10 degrees at idle (with the vac plugged in) and peaks out about 35 at 2000 rpm. and we were actually able to put some miles on it too! we drove it from his house to mine about 15-20 minutes away. car felt like it was surging and still falling flat mid range almost as if it was working too hard definatly wasnt as bad as it was before lol. got it in my drive and popped the hood and the exhaust manifold had a slight glow to it. temp barley got into the green line... ive got another ignition box here out of my 84. could it be the box thats causing the surging? as far as the glowing goes too lean? idle screws are about a full turn from closed. they were initially set at 2. car definatly doesnt load up any more lol.