360 timing issues

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318willrun said:
well, means you did not pull the cam, remove the chain, and you've advanced/retard the timing, I would say either fuel delivery or something is wrong with you Mallory distributor. OR..... what ECU are you using? Could that be playing games?
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It’s hard to believe that every one of those was working fine and now one isn’t. I’ll see what I can figure out. I have a truck I can swap some parts from to try. I’ll have to look again, but I believe it has the silver ignition box.
 
crackedback said:
Which fender are you looking over to set timing? Pass or Drivers side?

Loose wires at the coil for power and trigger?
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Drivers side, and no loose wires anywhere on ignition side. The only thing that got unplugged was the distributor. Everything else stayed in the car.
 
60Powerwagon said:
It’s hard to believe that every one of those was working fine and now one isn’t. I’ll see what I can figure out. I have a truck I can swap some parts from to try. I’ll have to look again, but I believe it has the silver ignition box.
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Well, lets face facts. It was fine and now it isn't. Something changed. If not fuel delivery, and you are sure the timing is correct, and all electrical components are working fine, then you messed up the heads or the installation of the heads, valve train assembly, or the pistons or the installation of the pistons. Swapping parts from a known good vehicle is a great idea. Process of elimination.
 
318willrun said:
Well, lets face facts. It was fine and now it isn't. Something changed. If not fuel delivery, and you are sure the timing is correct, and all electrical components are working fine, then you messed up the heads or the installation of the heads, valve train assembly, or the pistons or the installation of the pistons.
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You’re right something did change. That’s what I’m try to figure out. The only thing done to the heads was clean the old gaskets off and check for straightness. Pistons are all right side up in the same hole they came out of with rings at 10 and 2, and oil rings at 8 and 4 with center spacer at 6. I’m not reading where timing should be is the problem, and it won’t run where it should be.
 
60Powerwagon said:
You’re right something did change. That’s what I’m try to figure out. The only thing done to the heads was clean the old gaskets off and check for straightness. Pistons are all right side up in the same hole they came out of with rings at 10 and 2, and oil rings at 8 and 4 with center spacer at 6. I’m not reading where timing should be is the problem, and it won’t run where it should be.
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You don't have 1 and 6 plug wires crossed, do you ?
 
Man I would start from zero and forget everything up to this point. Pretend it’s a new to you engine. I would yank the distributor and plugs/wires. Set the crank at 15 degrees BEFORE TDC on compression number 1 on the timing mark. Drop the distributor back in with the rotor pointing at the number 1 terminal and put the plug wires on one at a time in the correct firing order. Some times (myself included) we look at something so long and fiddle with it for so long getting frustrated that you start to assume your checks and rechecks are correct and can easily overlook something simple.
 
60Powerwagon said:
My timing light is showing it at 5-10 degrees after TDC, but when I try to retard any more than 5 it will die. It
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This is an odd statement. Please explain. You should be advancing the timing when it’s at 5-10 (another problem 5-10 is a huge spread for a light to be jumping around) after TDC.
 
TT5.9mag said:
This is an odd statement. Please explain. You should be advancing the timing when it’s at 5-10 (another problem 5-10 is a huge spread for a light to be jumping around) after TDC.
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5-10 atdc is where it will run. Timing light set on zero and engine running I can adjust the distributor within this range before it starts to run like crap or die.
 
TT5.9mag said:
Man I would start from zero and forget everything up to this point. Pretend it’s a new to you engine. I would yank the distributor and plugs/wires. Set the crank at 15 degrees BEFORE TDC on compression number 1 on the timing mark. Drop the distributor back in with the rotor pointing at the number 1 terminal and put the plug wires on one at a time in the correct firing order. Some times (myself included) we look at something so long and fiddle with it for so long getting frustrated that you start to assume your checks and rechecks are correct and can easily overlook something simple.
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I guess that’s my next step. The factory timing marks only go 10* each way. I’ll pull it and reset like you said. Unfortunately I won’t be able to do that until Saturday evening so it will be eating at me until then.
 
At idle, with correct valve timing events, your engine should be happier the more timing you give, up to about 25 degrees and sometimes more. The proof is in the idle-speed continuing to increase steadily.
I'll bet your cam-timing is messed up. Since it has already been running, I suggest a compression test. Crank at WOT, all plugs out, enough compression-cycles to get two consecutive shots at or near the same pressure.

BTW
Just to be clear;
>on your timing-tab, from the front of the car, numbers to the left are Advance.
>The #1cylinder is the Driverside front.
> In most cases, you cannot use a dial-back Timing lite on any multi-strike Ignition system
> if your timing lite strobe is doing all of these things;
jumping back and forth, and
missing strobes, and/or
double-strobing; and
you have a magnetic trigger in the Distributor, then;
chances are better than good that the polarity on the pick-up is reversed.
 
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You can set it up at 10 and it will be perfectly happy there for a baseline.
88BA37C4-7AFC-43A3-8EBC-8D8B3BB5375B.jpeg

like AJ said everything to the left of 0 is advance and to the right of zero is retard. When you stab the distributor set the timing mark on the balancer at before 10. If it doesn’t run well there at idle you have a different issue.
 
I think I’ve figured it out, and it makes me feel stupid. I did as suggested and removed the distributor, brought it up to TDC, rolled it back to about 12* btdc, put in the distributor and set it to #1 plug wire. Cranked a bit and it fired up and runs way better. I think I just had it far enough off that it would run, but not right. Also figured out that the carb is leaking fuel and that’s most lies where the clatter is coming from with the extra fuel. That’s why it was loading up at idle. Thanks for all the help guys! Now I just need to get a carb kit and it should be good to go burn some rubber
 
Great news. Don’t feel stupid, it happens. Sometimes taking a step back and re evaluating the entire situation helps a bunch. Glad you got it figured out.
 
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