I will try the small stuff that I can do on my own for now. I will follow your directions and if it doesn’t start, I’ll let Bob school me up
If you don’t have a dwell meter (yet) or timing light, give the vacuum advance can a tug about 1/8” CCW and see what happens. Don’t touch the carb! 2 pumps, hold pedal halfway down at least while cranking, and if it starts, be ready to get off the gas before it over revs. If the carb catches on fire, don’t panic and keep cranking until it’s out.
The above only applies when you have the original distributor. How likely is that on a 50 year old car that has had the distributor replaced?
On my 68 350 it has to go °O at around 450 or 500 rpm. The proof comes under hard acceleration. Anything else will produce spark knock -or whatever u want to call it. Detonation etc
Jim, can you get the distributor number for me? It's stamped into the circumference just below the cap parting line.
In one of your pictures, it looks like 1112109, but I am not sure if you replaced that distributor or that is the replacement distributor that you currently have installed.
This is the second new distributor. The first replacement I did a month ago had the broke wire on it so I returned it and got this one. This is the one currently installed on the car
Good, 1112109 is a 1972 Buick 350 distributor, it is WAY better than the correct 69 distributor. Have a look at the specs, first the correct 1969 distributor, 30-34* of mechanical advance. It has to be initially timed at 0* or so. Now the 1972 Distributor, 12-16* of mechanical advance. You can easily run 12-14* of initial advance. The engine will like a lot better.
So if I’m understanding correctly when I get the compression stroke at tdc do I match the harmonic balancer to the tab at 0 or do I make the tab line up with the 12 on the tab and then insert the distributor?
Id stab it in around 10 degrees initial. Anywhere in that areas within a few degrees will get you in the ball park. Once the car starts, you'll have to fine tune it with a light
Maybe not set the balancer to 10* and see where the rotors pointing. May need to simply rotate it a bit to pint at #1
