As you saw, it was nearly invisible, but after more cleaning, there appears to be an O ring, but it is so compressed and hard that it can't act as a proper O ring anymore. \ Frank
I would have suggested PB blaster too but if you do get out in one piece I would suggest a little anti sieze on it when you reinstall it so this does not happen again.
The car ran well as it was, but I want it stock. I have a 68 distributor to put in it. I did lots of tests yesterday, and while I had around 10* of vacuum advance right away, I had practically NO mechanical advance until at least 3000 RPM... I had to rev the car to the point of what I considered danger to get any mechanical advance at all. So having a properly curved distributor, with 10* initial, and 36* or so all in by 2400, should wake this baby up quite a bit. I expect another 10* or so from my vacuum advance, giving me 46* at part throttle average driving-- it should be optimal! Frank :beer
There is something slightly wrong I got the new distributor installed today, totally new everything, and I think the distributor is installed a little off. The car runs OK, smoothly and with pretty good power. Easy starts hot and cold. The symptoms are these: --the distributor is turned so that the vacuum advance is touching the heater bypass hose --the timing light flashes only what seems to be every fourth time the engine fires the cylinder (does that make sense?) --I do have some detonation on acceleration I didn't have before So, I think I need to start over and assume I didn't mark the orientation of the old HEI properly. That means finding TDC for #1 on the compression stroke (?)and install the distributor so that the rotor points to the #1 plug wire port on the cap. Is that right? Anything else? TIA Frank
Frank, can you check the total timing? Sounds like it's too advanced. If this is a new distributor, it probably has too much mechanical advance, and the total is too high. That means, you can't run the same initial timing as the other distributor.
No it's really off... It is a correct number 1968 distributor, used but cleaned up. We put new springs and the Crane adj. VA in it, but it has to be cranked around too far to be right. Normally, the points window should point to the fan, but this thing has to be cranked around clockwise reallly far to run at all. I just need to start over . Frank
Sounds like it's a tooth off. Just start over. pull the #1 plug, bump the starter over until you feel compression in the cylinder, line up the marks. Then point the rotor to #1. 1111285 is the 1968 400-430 distributor. It has about 30-34* mechanical advance which means you need to run about 0-2* initial at most.
I picked this off the web just now, and wanted to pass it along for review. It seems right, and since I have an adjustable vacuum advance, I think I will change to a full vacuum port, instead of the ported outlet I am using now... *SNIP* Now, for setting your timing .... Hopefully you are using a quality Advance Timing Light ... these are the expensive ones with buttons or a dial (if you do not utilize a Advance Timing Light, the correct degree tape for your balancer diameter is the way to go) that you can always "shoot zero" and read the timing on the light. This is the best way to see what your TOTAL timing is at and exactly at what RPM it is in by. Example: You want 12* initial, so you set the timing light to 12* and shoot to the zero mark on the tab and balancer. Adjusting the distributor so that you have flash at "0" degrees is actually 12* based upon what you have set the timing light at. Example -2: You want to know what your timing curve is really set at. You can do a step-test which is when you can write down each timing setting at a given RPM (usually 300 or 500 RPM increments up to full advance RPM). Run engine to 1500 and adjust timing light to where you see ZERO on the balancer --- write down the number on the light. Spin the engine up to 1800 RPM and adjust the light to where you are again at ZERO on the timing marks --- write down the number on the light. With these numbers you can plot and change your timing curve to where you want it by either the weights and springs in the distributor or with electronic timing controls. The timing you had set (36*) total should be a fine starting point. What you need to be aware of is that vacuum can. There are two types of vacuum advance functions available: One uses a PORTED vacuum source that as RPM increases, so does the vacuum to the port .... this is a BAD connection in Racing, especially since we typically retard our timing at the upper RPM levels. But it can be used as a tuning tool so long as you do not exceed the MAX total timing figure you need. In this case you will be using the vacuum advance as part of your total timing. The second uses FULL MANIFOLD vacuum, which is how I prefer to use vacuum advance (street cars only). Some may disagree, but it works for me! To do full manifold mandates an adjustable vacuum canister on the distributor. The way this system works is when you smash the throttle and vacuum levels go to atmospheric the vacuum advance is stopped. No ping, no excess unneeded timing that is only good for street car efficiency anyway. In a TRUE racing environment, vacuum advance is not needed. You will typically run an ignition control with FULL advance on all the time. You then use a start-retard and various timing controls for retarding at high speed or at the initiation of a Nitrous solenoid to get the curve the way you want it. In most racing applications a timing curve is not needed. Think about it ... we stage our cars --- bring the RPM up on the converter (or clutch in, RPM up in stick cars) --- light turns green and throttle goes to the floor. How often are we in the curve of a car that has all the timing in by 2500-3000 RPM? A split second at the most? That is for most of use ... someone with an 18-Second racer will obviously disagree. Newer experimentation and available ignition controls are giving us programmable ignition units that through our PCs or an independent controller allow us to change the timing map at any given RPM or load (vacuum sensor) to get the optimum timing curve for each individual engine. Many have opted to skip these controls by virtue of their complicity or cost, not to mention that you will need a lot of seat time to make beneficial changes or a chassis or engine dyno to do it right with "hard number" measurements. Examples of these units are Holley Annihilator which is very thorough but a pain to make changes. Mallory now offers the Hyfire VI, Hyfire VI-A, Hyfire VI-AL, and Hyfire VIIC ignition control units. After you get the advance curve, correct timing marks and vacuum advance to behave, you will need to experiment with actual "initial" settings for best off-line power and then the "total" timing number for the best top-end charge. *SNIP* Opinions, please? Frank
Frank, I use manifold vacuum myself, but some guys swear by ported vacuum. I say try both and use what works best for you. If you put a vacuum gauge on the ported nipple and open the throttle, you'll see vacuum increase with wider throttle openings, then if you whip the throttle wide open, you'll see the ported vacuum go towards 0. Manifold vacuum will be at it's maximum at idle and low engine speeds, but drop off as load on the engine increases. That is what you want your vacuum advance to do. You want maximum vacuum advance at light engine loads, idle and cruising, but you want it to go away when you punch it. I find that manifold vacuum reacts somewhat quicker to the throttle than ported, they both go to 0 at WOT. How fast the added vacuum advance is pulled out depends on the spring tension in the advance cannister. On the Crane unit, that is adjusted with the allen key. I have found that the stock vacuum cannister can work really well if you simply make a limiter plate for it. The stocker has a fairly stiff spring, which will pull the added advance quickly, yet allow full cannister advance at about 16" of vacuum. I now use a stocker limited to 10* Works for me.
Thanks, Larry... you are the Guru of Timing! I will change to manifold vacuum. I got the distributor installed correctly tonight, but my 9.00 Harbor Freight timing light is kaput. I will go buy a Craftsman Dial Back light tomorrow... The instructions are really clear for the adj. VA... I'm looking forward to getting this timing set just right!! She will be racing Saturday!! The Brand X Bash!! Frank
Nice carburetor! :Brow: :TU: But there is one thing wrong in your engine bay, the screw for the heater hose clamp is not tightened to proper specs. :grin: :moonu: :laugh:
I know it. It drives me crazy, and I lose sleep over it every night. I am so embarrased you noticed... what am I thinkin... converting back to stock ignition BEFORE I adjust the heater hose clamp torque tension adjustment tightness... :Brow: This winter: complete engine compartment overhaul, painting and detailing!! :TU: :bglasses: frank
