Help me make it to Oktennerfest! (under my own power), Engine #4 backfire/popping/ Cam & Carbs Options

[Garland]

Trying to get #4 to stop popping from the carb. I have checked the timing, dist drive gear, intake for leaks, swapped plug wire, replaced spark plug, adjusted and balanced carbs, plugged and unpluged the vacuum port on that carb barrel. ( I leave these plugged and have no use for them) And done a valve adjustment.

Heres what Im wondering. My drive gear looks a bit off from the pictures here and in the book. But if I lift and drop, right or left its way off. The location of #1 on the cap is seen in the picture below. The engine starts right up, and runs well. Yet the popping from # 4 is killing me., If i adjust the timing it seems that I can retard it to mostly exhaust backfire.

The #4 plug hole is a pit short in depth, at least it looks that way, but the plug is seating and appears to be no leakage. I think it was slightly miss threaded in the past.

I am concerned that somehow I am missing the correct distributor alignment with the gear, or the gear is off, or I'm clocked wrong. Or the spark plug hole is not sealing.

I have put about 100 miles on the engine, with it running like this. Seems a little rough, while cruising along at 70 almost like a intermittent miss whit that cab popping.

What could be the cause of this? Any ideas of what now? Could the items Im addressing be the cause? I am going to drive this car to Okteenerfest.

Mallory unilite installed.

(silver tape marks #1)

[Mark Henry]

You have the drive 180 off but that won't cause issue if the order is also 180 off (backwards). Drive being off a bit won't cause your popping issue.

Linkage issues is ALWAYS the number one problem I see, it must 100% open the plate at the exact same rate from full close to WOT. I only use quality 1/4 in.- 28 Thread Ball Joints (like in link below) and since, other than the Berg T1 linkage, I've never found a crossbar linkage that wasn't a total POS, I make my own linkage. for a T4 I custom make a centerpull linkage. The big trick is I bend the arm rods I make so they are pushing at exactly 90 degrees to the throttle shafts, This is important to not cause any thrust wear on the carb. I also use the bend to make slight adjustments to the rod length.

Then when you have it perfect you disconnect the one arm and at idle set your sync. Then reconnect the arm making damn sure the it doesn't move the other carb even a hair.

Setting sync at different RPM's is totally stupid, because if your sync changes from idle to say 3000rpm this just proves it's a linkage issue.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/The-Hillman-Gro...83546/204726444

I used the home debit link to show you can get these almost anywhere. On the ones with the little rubber boot I cut the boot off.