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Old Apr 18, 2017 | 05:28 PM
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Default Timing

Please forgive my basic questions and lack of knowledge on this subject.
My 58 is hard to COLD START and tends to low idle at a stop sign and stalls if I dont give it a little gas. I had called Edlebrock about the cold start and am adjusting the butterfly for best starting.

when I mention to them about the stall at stop sign, they told me "both might be a timing issue" and suggested I check the timing.

they suggested: 10 - 12 initially and 30 - 36 Max.

I have a timing light and someone to help me with this, so question is the proper timing settings . ARE THESE CORRECT?? I have a 327 engine and a dual 4 barrel Edelbrock.

any help and suggestions appreciated.
ED G
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Old Apr 18, 2017 | 06:26 PM
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Do you mean a "single" 4 barrel carb or 2 quads? If only a single, I think someone at Edelbrock is blowing smoke up your tail pipe. Sounds like a carburetor issue to me.

Btw, what intake manifold and type of choke do you have?

Gary

Last edited by Gary's '66; Apr 18, 2017 at 06:33 PM.
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Old Apr 18, 2017 | 06:39 PM
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Your cold start issue could be an improperly set choke. The idle speed should be high enough when warmed up that it is around 750-800, and I would be comfortable with the 10 degrees initial and 34-36 total timing. According to what low gear/rear end ratio you have, sometimes the low speed drive away at a stop light can be a learned skill. I am also assuming you have the solid lifter 097 Duntov cam. If it is more radical, that too can effect low speed driveability.
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Old Apr 18, 2017 | 07:30 PM
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Those timing figures are in the ball park with the vacuum advance disconnected and plugged. Does your distributor have vacuum advance? If so, I would plug it into a carb port below the throttle blades so you have vacuum advance at idle.

Sounds like your carb probably needs some adjusting to the choke and fast idle settings if it is idling too low when cold.

Also a car that starts hard when cold could just be suffering the typical drying out of the fuel bowl if it's been sitting idle for a couple of days or more. Modern gas evaporates faster than 50, 60s fuel and fuel bowls were typically well vented. You may have to either prime the car through the fuel bowl vent or just crank the motor for about 20 seconds to fill the bowl, pump the throttle 2 or 3 times and hit the starter again.
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Old Apr 18, 2017 | 08:43 PM
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Default Timing & choke

Originally Posted by Gary's '66
Do you mean a "single" 4 barrel carb or 2 quads? If only a single, I think someone at Edelbrock is blowing smoke up your tail pipe. Sounds like a carburetor issue to me.

Btw, what intake manifold and type of choke do you have?

Gary
hI AND thanks for the reply. It is a dual 4 barrel, - 2 quads . and as for you other question, I have no idea about the intake manifold. How do I figure that out? Is it labelled or stamped on somewhere, somehow?
the CHOKE is a single ELECTRIC black disc type mounted on the right side of the rear 2 barrel.
that answers your questions to the best of my ability.
thanks
ED G
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Old Apr 18, 2017 | 09:03 PM
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Originally Posted by DansYellow66
Those timing figures are in the ball park with the vacuum advance disconnected and plugged. Does your distributor have vacuum advance? If so, I would plug it into a carb port below the throttle blades so you have vacuum advance at idle.

Sounds like your carb probably needs some adjusting to the choke and fast idle settings if it is idling too low when cold.

Also a car that starts hard when cold could just be suffering the typical drying out of the fuel bowl if it's been sitting idle for a couple of days or more. Modern gas evaporates faster than 50, 60s fuel and fuel bowls were typically well vented. You may have to either prime the car through the fuel bowl vent or just crank the motor for about 20 seconds to fill the bowl, pump the throttle 2 or 3 times and hit the starter again.
----------------------------------------------------

IT is not idling to low when cold. Once I get it started, it idles around 1700 till warm, then drops to just below 1000 on the tach.

BTW - 2 for 2 on COLD start since I opened the butterfly a bit earlier this afternoon. But based on your note, this could be due to the fact that the fuel bowl is still full. I will have to wait to see how it starts after sitting in garage for > a week before I can determine if it is fuel evaporation issue - good thought. On my 56 Nash Metropolitan I added a small push button start elec fuel pump, and when it has sit for a while, I prime it with the pump and it starts right up.

Does anyone have any experience with adding an aux fuel pump, or not necessary? I just hate cranking the motor for about 20 seconds to fill the bowl as this make the garage have a awful gasoline smell.
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Old Apr 19, 2017 | 06:00 AM
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OK - I misunderstood your comment about idling low at stop signs and thought that was in reference to while it was still warming up.

I have an electric fuel pump on my 66 for that purpose and have used it some. However I don't much like sitting there listening to it run for 30 seconds or so either (probably should isolate it better from the frame) - but that's just me. But yes, that is another good option.
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Old Apr 19, 2017 | 09:23 AM
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Originally Posted by egerson
Please forgive my basic questions and lack of knowledge on this subject.
My 58 is hard to COLD START and tends to low idle at a stop sign and stalls if I dont give it a little gas. I had called Edlebrock about the cold start and am adjusting the butterfly for best starting.

when I mention to them about the stall at stop sign, they told me "both might be a timing issue" and suggested I check the timing.

they suggested: 10 - 12 initially and 30 - 36 Max.

I have a timing light and someone to help me with this, so question is the proper timing settings . ARE THESE CORRECT?? I have a 327 engine and a dual 4 barrel Edelbrock.

any help and suggestions appreciated.
ED G
Where did your engine come from? You should know what it has for a cam in order for us to help with idle speed and distributor setup. Were does the engine idle after it's hot and off the choke?

It MIGHT be a timing issue as Edelbrock will obviously blame something besides their carburetor for the issue.

Check the flyweights for sticking first. They should be clean, free with no binding. Don't know what camshaft you have so not going to recommend a vacuum can for the distributor. You need to post your engine's vacuum reading at idle. The speed largely depends on the cam. Your vacuum advance should be fully deployed a full 2 in-hg below your engine's idle vacuum. If anything less the engine will "hunt" and stall.

I am not an Edelbrock/Carter expert but it sounds like the hard start might be caused by the fast idle speed rod being out of synch with the choke butterfly position. Have someone look at the carb while you're cranking to check.

Last edited by 65tripleblack; Apr 19, 2017 at 09:31 AM.
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