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)

[rhodyguy]

If you turn the idle air mixture screw on #4 in until seated and it has no effect on how it idles the idle jet is prob fouled. Check the flow with the rpm off idle speed. Just turn one idle speed adj screw in to raise the idle (the other one will now be off of it's stop) and recheck the balance. If your linkage is sloppy at the hime joints or loose end play, it's time to go linkage shopping.