318 Engine stumble

Been thinking about this a lot.

I might have my distributor indexed off 1 tooth. I remember trying to put the gear in and how difficult it was. I’ve never had to install a gear before in a Chrysler. The gear only wanted to slide into the oil pump in 2 places. This could be because the oil pump wasn’t moving with the gear and when I put it in.....it was just hitting the oil pump key wrong. One of those places was completely wrong. Is there a way to turn the oil pump to make indexing it a little easier?

What I’m thinking is that by indexing the gear wrong....if that’s what I’ve done. I’ve retarded the timing and it might be sitting at like 10° Or more after TDC.

I’m using the distributor advance to bring it back to 0° .......and then advancing it to where I need it.so if my timing light could possibly read regraded. I could see where that is. So in a sense.....maybe I’m advancing it 30° From TDC to get to 15° Initial Advanced


If this is the case.....then it’s fine and I can get back to all this other stuff. Either way I’m a lot further than when I started and have leaRned a lot from you guys.... I went back through this thread and noticed that I didn’t know enough to understand some of the advice given. You almost have to think like an engine.


Originally I thought the main jets were 62......they were not. They were 602 or basically #60 this helped with the lean spot when I went to #64....it must have been when main cruise was activated. When I put #64 in there it made a huge difference. The car still had the lean spot in acceleration off idle. The orange cam fixed that. I’ve heard that bigger jets can affect idle due to head pressure. Almost like raising the float up to make the gas in the float bowl put pressure on the main jets. If this is true or not I don’t know. The bigger jets did take the lean stumble out and left a lean hesitation. ......having a tach now finalLy installed tells me a lot more about exact rpm problems. This year I’ll get into using a wide band but I can’t do that yet.

I still need to sort out that lean transition.....it’s when I go into it slow or fast it has hesitation.....it’s not bad....it’s just not smooth....if I get the timing right, then I put in the metering block I have drilled at The ifr and adjust it.
I don’t have the brass inserts yet and the inserts in the metering block are .033 which would make the ifr and transition way too rich. I’m thinking I need to be at .031. Supposedly, Holley made some carbs that have this lean spot.

There are other things to check first.....like all the timing. One other thing.....this carburetors metering block is not the one that came wothnhe carb.....at least I don’t think. My carb is 2009. When I checked the metering block. It had the ifr down in the lower spots. I think Holley had moved them to the upper spots by this time. .....for all I know. That metering block could be from a 500. I think whoever had this carb before me, just threw it together from whatever they had lying around. ...why would someone put #60 jets in a Holley and then open up the secondaries 1/4”. Then install a a fast idle cam kit .......and then take out the screw to disable it.....

I won’t hook up he v can until I get the total right. One step at a time.


Also......someone told me that Chrysler distributors were not supposed to be set up at TDC. I’ve never heard this before and it doesn’t make any sense.