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]

If you don't have the fab skills for a center pull try the cable style from tangerine racing.
I've never seen a hexbar/crossbar style that IMHO thought was worth a pinch of shit. I don't even like the commercial centerpulls available, my bars are custom only.