I've set timing before and it seemed right, but today, I just can't get it. I gapped the points with my feeler, setting the basic dwell at 44 degrees. I can see all markings on my impellor. With engine idling, I can advance timing enough to see red mark (27deg), but I can't back it off enough without stalling to get red to stay at 3500 rpm - hell, I rarely even see red mark on revup or down. HELP PLEASE

Do you have vacuum hoses to distributor disconnected?

Yes. Following directions in Haynes book and Pelican Tech Article.

Can you see the mark move when you rev the engine up and down or is it staying in the same possition? Perhaps your mechanical advance is gummed up and sticking. I had a problem like this once - the dizzy shaft is two-pices held together by a c-clip under the felt button in the hole in the top of the shaft under the rotor. My clip popped off and the upper half of the shaft walked up enough that the advance weights got bound up and stuck.
-Ben M.

Possibility. I'll check. Wouldn't that really screw engine running, though, as in it wouldn't run?

Not sure if this will make sense, but I once had the distributor 180 degrees off, but was able to rotate it enough to get engine to run.
Could not time it properly though because the condensor hit engine tin, not allowing enough rotation to time it. I set at TDC by hand (plugs out), removed distributor, rotated engine 360 degrees and reinstalled distributor. Everything came together.

It would run (poorly).



When you say you "can't back it off enough without stalling" are you saying that if you set the advance at the red mark at 3,500rpm that then the engine won't idle? Or are you saying something else?

IMPORTANT: If you can set the proper timing at 3,500rpm and it runs fine EXCEPT AT IDLE, then you probably just need to adjust the idle. Changing the timing will always have an effect on idle speed. Don't forget to hook the vacuum lines back up before adjusting the idle (air bleed screw).

Assuming I understood the problem, I hope that helps, otherwise ignore me.
-Ben M.

I've never had dizzy out and thus can't imagine that it's reversed when she was running and able to be timed before.

Idle bleed screw wide open and she'd die at idle if I retarded the spark enough to theoretically get 27 degree mark in notch at 3500.

Well, I don't know exactly what changed, but perseverance pays. Cranky ***** finally timed.
Idles at 800. Smells like 30 year old engine.

Good, sounds like you got it. Disregard everything I said if you did not remove the distributor.

i checked my timing as well. thanks mike. i'm just a deg or so under not worth screwing with at this time. ordered my helmet, SILVER. see you sat jim?

kevin