uh oh, stumbling, sounds like a diesel

[rich weyand]

i found it, gotta look straight down from the top between the water pump and the block. that's gonna suck

chiltons is a bit worthless on timing specs too (worthless on everything it seems), so for a 305, most likely stock cam, what would be "normal"?

also going to pick up a new vacuum advance because it is pretty rusty and corroded, no idea if it is working or not

Easy to tell. First, disconnect it and look at the timing mark with the timing light, with the engine running. Note the position, this is your base timing. Now connect it to manifold vacuum (never ported vacuum -- that's nonsense) and look at the timing mark. If the vacuum advance is working, the timing mark will now be about 20 degrees earlier than base timing, ccw on the crank (to your left).

 

[flyboy1100]

to tell if its working, lift the cap off. Hook up a run of vacume line, and start sucking on it...... Easiest way.

That's easy enough

 

[flyboy1100]

Easy to tell. First, disconnect it and look at the timing mark with the timing light, with the engine running. Note the position, this is your base timing. Now connect it to manifold vacuum (never ported vacuum -- that's nonsense) and look at the timing mark. If the vacuum advance is working, the timing mark will now be about 20 degrees earlier than base timing, ccw on the crank (to your left).

Ported vacuum is above throttle plates?

Sorry I'm relearning all this stuff

 

[rich weyand]

Ported vacuum is above throttle plates?

Sorry I'm relearning all this stuff

Yep. And manifold vacuum is from below the throttle plate.

 

[HotRodPC]

Are you talking about the plug wires on the distributor cap?

 

[Skweegle89]

Are you talking about the plug wires on the distributor cap?

Yes. But I don't understand how it was going anywhere. I drove it home 80 miles when I bought it and it didn't run great, but cruised at 65mph. My only guess is that the plugs and wires were brand new and were still firing, just out of order and now the plugs are fouled and its missing on 6. From what I can tell, they rotated the distributer some and didn't put the plugs in the right spot. I feel like we need to move this somewhere being as how its not my thread.

 

[Driver4r]

On the cap, where is cyl 1 plug wire located???

Should be like this

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the only time you would hook them up one off is if you couldn't advance the distributor enough, or they dropped the distributor in 1 tooth off and tried to compensate.

 

[HotRodPC]

That matters a little but not much, so long as you have the wires in the right order and the ignition timing is correct and wires are routed away from heat sources. I usually try not to make issue of the location of #1 for the not very experienced if they've got it running well. Especially if it's only off by a tooth or 2. Someone goes to pulling the dizzy to make it look like the book, then they just might have screwed up what they had running good. You can actually put #1 anywhere you want it. It doesn't matter a bit so long as the plug wire routing is good and in order.

 

[Skweegle89]

I have got new plugs and will look at it when I get home and I will run them all down and see where each is at on the cap. its definitely not running right though. Sounds like **** and wont go but about 30mph. Backfires when I try to accelerate. I have a guy that's going to check out the timing tonight being as how idk anything about it.

 

[flyboy1100]

could my problem be too much timing, and the ESC is killing all the extra timing and therefore all my power?

going to move the distributor back to left about 1/4" tonight and see if that makes a difference. also gonna test the vacuum advance with a mity vac and make sure that is working. father in law is going to bring timing light up this weekend and we will try to retime it properly

what is the proper spec, or is it all just tuning, test drive, tinker some more?

final question, if i need a new vacuum advance, what one should I get, one parts store said they are distributor specific, but that doesn't make sense to me, maybe CA emissions vs not?

 

[Driver4r]

final question, if i need a new vacuum advance, what one should I get, one parts store said they are distributor specific, but that doesn't make sense to me, maybe CA emissions vs not?

Just get a standard vacume advance, theres an adjustable one but if you dont know how to set it, then dont mess with it.

Get a standard HEI vacume advance.

I just noticed the year of your truck, is the computer controlled distributor still in it? And is the matching q-jet?

 

[flyboy1100]

Just get a standard vacume advance, theres an adjustable one but if you dont know how tyo see it, then dont mess with it.

Get a standard HEI vacume advance.

I just noticed the year of your truck, is the computer controlled distributor still in it? And is the matching q-jet?

I will test the vacuum advance tonight, it is pretty rusty looking, so no idea if it will even move.


I think so, but pretty much every sensor or electrical connector I have seen under the hood is disconnected. There is even an electrical connector on the carb, but no idea what it goes to or where the wire is

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[Skweegle89]

New distributer cap, bug, plugs and wires and wiring it correctly and she runs like a top.


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[flyboy1100]

Ok, distributor did roll back about 1", but I couldn't move it without loosening the bolt. What is the proper way to tighten it down so it doesn't happen again?

Going to be properly timing it this weekend

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[HotRodPC]

Ok, distributor did roll back about 1", but I couldn't move it without loosening the bolt. What is the proper way to tighten it down so it doesn't happen again?

Going to be properly timing it this weekend

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So what it probably did, it was a little loose, it rolled back and tightened itself under the clamp and why you had to loosen it back up. Just get it where you want it, make sure the clamp down is over the dizzy housing and snug it up with a 9/16 open end wrench if you don't have a dizzy wrench. It's a little difficult to get back in there and under the dizzy housing without the dizzy wrench, but using the open end wrench you should be able to get on the bolt enough to snug up the bolt over the clamp.