Stupid Distributor Questions
so it pings a lot more under load?
Skinnier primary rods will richen it up.
So you know, if it was an extreme case of lean it would basically start to cut out at a certain rpm like a rev limiter.
Whats f'd is you say you put a new eddy carb and still can't get it to even low rpm cruise, now eddy's are quite lean outta the box
[their calibrated for chevys] but I would only expect a surge at cruise not pop pop pop outta the carb.
Lets work 1 last time on the carb but not the factory mystery carb.
What size eddy is it and if around 600 or so I recommend size 100 jets and .073 rods to start.
The plugs are white with no color even down in the plug= lean
With that comp you need plugs that are 2 steps [at least] colder.
No. It only pings at hi RPM with my foot to the floor.
Where can I buy jets & rods for this terd? Jegs etc?
Longgone told me to replace the plugs to a colder set, but I haven't done it yet. I don't know if that would help the popping though.
George, it sounds like richening that carburetor has helped. You`re getting closer to getting the bugs worked out, now we`ve just got to get a good electronic ignition on there and some colder plugs. 34* BTDC is about all you want to go on a stock smallblock. In the interest of street driving and mpg, I would hook up the vacuum advance. That can also help with the car bogging out of the hole. It sounds like you have very good compression. Are you running at least 93 octane?
I have been running the 87 octane gas.
Are the butterflys opening on those exhaust manifolds?
The heat riser butterfly has been removed.
To check your wires run the car in the dark idling with the hood open and look all around for arcing.
I did that last week. I didn't see any arcing at all.
I'm going on the idea you haven't just re-done everything on your engine.
The oldest Tech artical read from Mopar when you are haveing a missfire problem is to replace the bearing under the distributor. That would be the IDEAL TIME TO REPLACE THE POINTS DIST. TO AN ELECTRONIC UNIT. Go with the Mopar Performance unit. It is tried and TRUE. The bushing below the dist is most often overlooked and cause spark scatter at upper rpm.
Next is to look at the spark plugs after 1000 miles. If the plugs are white then, you have a vacume leak or a really bad lean intake charge.
You must take these problems one at a time or you have NO BASIC IDEA OF WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING. Many problems mask other problems. If you listen to every tom dick and harry you can run around like a chicken with it's head chopped off. Replacement of the brass bushing will only cost a few dollars. Replacement of the dist with a Mopar Performance will cost you about $150 and this is something that you will profit from regardless so there is no downside to this swap. Mopar Performance Ignitions are good to 7500 rpm at least and will overcome a lot of small problems with your setup.
Just thinking out loud...................
PS: If you buy the Mopar Performance unit, Upgrade to the Chrome Box. The Orange Box has proved to be junk.
I have no idea what bushing you're talking about. I was told that even if I buy a MP electronic unit, it will still need to be set up for the right advance curve.
Worst part of that route would be having to replace the (new) alternator and the (new) voltage regulator which will end up costing a LOT more that $150.
If I cover the carb with my hand, the engine speed decreases, so I can assume there is no vacuum leak, no?
I will pull the plugs and have a look at the color.
Yes the carb is lean but we`re addressing that as well as getting vacuum advance out of the idle circuit. There are several things that need to be tweaked here. I mentioned that the plugs are too hot , an Autolite 63 would be a better choice. George has the timing up to 38* now ,which for a stock 340 is too much even with good gas. I suggested bringing it down 4* and running at least 93 octane gas. 34* timing may be too much yet, it may have to come down even more if spark knock persists. All of these things will help alleviate the lean condition. These cars stock are meant to run with only 5* initial advance and pick up only another 12* mechanical by 2000 rpm. The vacuum advance will give just enough advance at low rpm to help with bogging and won`t matter at WOT. The car`s a stock 340 and should drive like a street car. I`d like to see George put a good electronic ignition on the car but I know he`s fighting it in an interest to keep things (at least) appearing stock. (Hear me George? Lol!) Another way to go about things would be to start with stock specs and go from there. Champion N9Y plugs with 5* BTDC initial timing ,11.5* mechanical advance @ 2000 rpm, and 8.5* vacuum advance @ 10.5 inches. Your advise is good 3404spdvaliant and I`m sorry if my suggestions clash with yours but we`d both like to help George, we`re just going about it in two different ways.
I don't know if I can swing the cost for the conversion kit, plus all the other bolt-on's that it will require in order to install it. Christmas is coming. LOL
It SHOULD run well with the set up it has. It might run better, or get better HP with upgrades, but it shouldn't pop and run crappy just because it has a points dist in it.
My 72 Vette had the stock original points dist in it, and the points/condenser I put in it in 1999 were still in it when I sold it in 2007, and they had 35000 miles on them. Car never made a pop, stumble, hesitation or anything.
george, please tell us you changed points and gaped them correctly around .020 if your still running that relic.
I don't know why I thought you changed to electronic already, damm it!
Some times we/I assume that the basics are covered, if this is the case it's kinda like why dosen't this lamp work?=cause the light bulb is burnt out....
The points are new, the distributor is new, the condenser is new, the cap is new, the wires are new, the plugs are new, and the coil is new.
I set the point gap to 19 thousanths.
I'll pull a few plugs and take some pix for you guys.
Thanks for all the help. I would be lost without this place.
George
