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ignition timing issue.

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Old Jan 7, 2015 | 12:32 PM
  #1  
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From: some hole in the ground town- camp verde:) arizona
Default ignition timing issue.

initial timing is set at 25 advanced and it still wants more at idle. i can't give it gas from a stop or it dies. once i get it rolling it has plenty of power. hit the gas and it backfires through the carb and dies. not sure what is going on here. took it to a mechanic who set it at 8, adjusted the carb and it ran great for the day, but next day was back to the same. at 8 degrees advanced it runs like crap. died in an intersection when i barely touched the gas.
one thing i find strange it that even at 25 degrees it doesn't buck against the starter. fires right up, no problem.
when i rev it at idle, with a timing light, i can watch it advance normally up to 32 or so.
cam shaft is a comp cams xe262h-10 if it makes any difference.
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Old Jan 7, 2015 | 01:25 PM
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1. Excuse this question but you definitely having the timing light hooked up to the cylinder closest to the front of the car on the drivers side?
2. Have you looked closely at the rubber bond on the harmonic balancer to see if the outter ring has slipped.
3. You are setting the timing with the vacuum advance disconnected?
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Old Jan 7, 2015 | 01:44 PM
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yes it's hooked to the #1 cylinder
i've considered that but then excused it since it will idle fine at 8 degrees and moves up to 32 degrees etc. i don't believe it has slipped.
and yes timing was set w/out vac advance hooked up.
i was wondering if this could be air fuel ratio or if it is strictly a timing issue.
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Old Jan 7, 2015 | 01:53 PM
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could be a bad accelerator pump. With the engine off and looking down the primary side of the carburetor do you see a shot of gasoline from the squirters?
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Old Jan 7, 2015 | 01:56 PM
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brand new carburetor straight out of the box. could the pump be not giving the correct amount of gas for the size motor?

leaving the library, be back tomorrow
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Old Jan 7, 2015 | 02:01 PM
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New carb, could be you need a larger squiter, that's an issue I'm having but mine doesn't stall, just a small lag...
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Old Jan 7, 2015 | 02:22 PM
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1. Did this problem start after installing the new carburetor?
2. Exactly what brand/number carburetor did you install?
3. You sure you dont have a vacuum leak from the installation of the new carb?
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Old Jan 7, 2015 | 10:15 PM
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what carb and intake do you have? these new carb tend to be very lean.
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Old Jan 7, 2015 | 11:30 PM
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Check the harmonic balance. They slip.
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Old Jan 7, 2015 | 11:51 PM
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Originally Posted by 75vetteman
initial timing is set at 25 advanced and it still wants more at idle. i can't give it gas from a stop or it dies. once i get it rolling it has plenty of power. hit the gas and it backfires through the carb and dies. not sure what is going on here. took it to a mechanic who set it at 8, adjusted the carb and it ran great for the day, but next day was back to the same. at 8 degrees advanced it runs like crap. died in an intersection when i barely touched the gas.
one thing i find strange it that even at 25 degrees it doesn't buck against the starter. fires right up, no problem.
when i rev it at idle, with a timing light, i can watch it advance normally up to 32 or so.
cam shaft is a comp cams xe262h-10 if it makes any difference.
I would double check accelerator pump I have a 750 edelbrock had same problem was not getting a good squirt of fuel and was a new carby
ian from australia
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Old Jan 8, 2015 | 11:53 AM
  #11  
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just built the motor, the carb is a holley 3310- 750 cfm vac secondaries. intake is a weiand stealth. heads and intake are ported. block bored to .040 over. world product sportsman 2 heads.
no vacuum leaks that i know of. finally have vacuum staying pretty steady at idle.
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Old Jan 8, 2015 | 11:59 AM
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i would strongly support trying a step or two bigger squirter.
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Old Jan 8, 2015 | 12:26 PM
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thanks. i'll try it in the next few weeks and see what happens.
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Old Jan 8, 2015 | 12:44 PM
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Lars has a Tech Tip #3 concerning lean and rich off-idle stumbles in his excellent "How to Tune a Q-Jet (basic)" paper. Disconnect the accelerator pump lever and try to rev the engine slightly. If it responds better without the pump, it's too rich. If it responds more poorly, it's too lean. If there's no change, the pump is inoperative.
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Old Jan 8, 2015 | 01:36 PM
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Originally Posted by jnb5101
Lars has a Tech Tip #3 concerning lean and rich off-idle stumbles in his excellent "How to Tune a Q-Jet (basic)" paper. Disconnect the accelerator pump lever and try to rev the engine slightly. If it responds better without the pump, it's too rich. If it responds more poorly, it's too lean. If there's no change, the pump is inoperative.
now that is very helpful to know. thank you
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Old Jan 8, 2015 | 03:38 PM
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Originally Posted by wombvette
Check the harmonic balance. They slip.
That was my first thought, too.
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Old Jan 8, 2015 | 06:09 PM
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Originally Posted by C3Hawk
That was my first thought, too.
It wouldn't hurt to paint a yellow stripe across the face of any original harmonic balance to know if/when it does spin even a little.

I also had a module starting to fail in my HEI distributor that caused some similar problems.
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Old Jan 9, 2015 | 11:05 PM
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It's definitely timing related.
You need to verify your timing mark at "0" is actually true TDC. Then set your timing from there. Nothing wrong with it at 25* initial if the engine starts ok. Make sure you are disconnecting the vacuum advance when you are setting the initial timing though. I have seen vacuum advances cause some screwy stuff with idle in park to idle in gear transitions...(idle speed drops->vacuum drops->timing drops->idle speed drops more -> this cycle repeats until sometimes it dies).

Make sure your idle mix screws and idle speed is set correctly, then move onto timing/dizzy diagnosis. Isolate anything vacuum related until after the timing is set right.

FWIW, I just set the timing on my dad's 65' 396 car with TI ignition, I set his total timing at 33* and his initial timing landed at 21* with the stock distributor curve and no vac advance. Completely stock distributor and it yields 21* initial/mechanical. Pretty good Id say.

Keep trying things and report back. First verify TDC is 0 on the tab.
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