Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

Ya' I figured as much!
Thanks for the chuckle!!
My keyboard's a bit wet but worth it! LOL!!

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

Even in using a pen, doesn't that help solve the issue?

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

Just by chance, did you look at the distributor and see where the rotor was pointing, when you had the timing at TDC? There could be a chance that the dizzy is off a tooth or more.

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

Yes we made sure to verify that it was pointing towards the #1 cylinder and in fact it was pointing pretty dead on.

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

Okay, so I want to ask a question how important is it for a balancer to be accurate?

Reason for asking this still trying to get it running right actually just went and bought a new timing chain and gear set, installed it verified, double and tripled checked TDC and everything lines up perfect even the dizzy, so the only other thing I can see being the key issue would my balancer being somehow completely messed up.

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

Dude, I just wrote a super long response and the whole ****ing thing disappeared. Skip White Performance sells distributors for $50, old ones aren't worth messing with for that price. I have bought a couple and they work flawlessly. I thought you already bought a balancer?

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

damn that sucks!!!

Yeah I bought a new one but I haven't installed it yet.

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

take it off and toss it in the trash,. but a good qjet. enjoy .

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

Put your new balancer on, old one might have slipped causing all your headaches trying to set timing.

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

Well being I just spent $500 on a combo kit i'm going to keep the rdlebrock and I just got rid of the qjet.

Yeah most likely that's what my weekend project will be is make sure everything is back together and running

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

Man, I hate to hear you are having such a hard time. Getting everything timed right can be a real pain in the arse sometimes.

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

It has presented quite the challenge I won't lie but hey i'm learning and I know I'm getting close so its all good when its good and running it will all be worth it :metal:

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

Good attitude to have! Hands on experience is the best.

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

Yeah and don't get me wrong this has been disheartening but I know when it's running strong and better than ever it'll make all that annoying cussin, frustration, and drinking fully worth it.

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

I think you're chasing your tail by throwing parts at it. You set the timing and verified TDC physically (and I assume the balancer timing mark lined up when you did that?!?!), that would be the end of that road for me. A new balancer isn't going to solve anything if the mark lines up with a verified TDC and a verified #1 on the dizzy. I'm still stuck on the poor start up issue and kicking off of high idle too soon, to me, points to a simple choke setup problem, especially since you said it runs well with good power the rest of the time.

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

Typically I would agree with you, but when we try to time it at 8 degrees advance the truck doesn't like it and if we would rev it in park it just would backfire so I can imagine trying to driving it like that would be worse as well. It's as if it's too advance, the truck has jumped time completely to the point where it wouldn't start so right now after verifying it again, I would be be betting it's my balancer to me that's the only thing I can think of to be causing all of this due to a timing issue.

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

i have a similar issue. it runs like a champ dont get me wrong, just that every here and there the idle seems to go low, and my oil pressure would drop. i will accelerate and it will slug a bit. i checked everything. everything was good till i finally came to conclude it was the carb. i clean it a bit not to much and felt a difference, but it will need its rebuild

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

I'm not saying it's not possible but my carb is brand new hardly any run time on it or anything on it.

I'm lead to believe it's my balancer because the PO put his own marks on the balancer for what reason I have no idea the trucks motor was retarded so much that it ran the way it did. So I partially blame them on there timing and them improvising it so I'm thinking it's the balancer in which I have replaced but not yet installed.

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

So with everyone chasing their tail and keep going round and round no one seems to remember there is multiple diffrent balancers and timing pointer depending on the year of the engine later years should have had the timing mark straight behind the water pump earlier had the pointer at the left side @ a 45 degree angle so the po probably put a dont get you home chrome timing chain cover with the aftermarket timing tab and then re marked the balancer either change the balancer and timing tab to match which would have been easier when the chain was done you could have used those timing marks to be 100% you were on or do what everyother got rodder or real mechanic would do and set the timing until it runs good with no starting issues or detonation and e done with it

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

Actually believe this or not, it's still the original timing cover with the point at a 45 degree angle, so I personally though I don't have a lot of knowledge on how these engines work I think he just marked it not knowing where the original mark was and slapped it on and it ran "fine" so that's where they left it.

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

Okay, so I got the truck back together and running so I took 3 videos

1st video is at 8 degrees advance, tell me I know it might be hard but do y'all hear anything that would make you think it's not running how it should and since I'm not driving I'm just doing power braking.


2nd video is at 0 degrees timing, which I can only tell 2 differences that it idles higher and that it idles smoother.


3rd video is just showing that I'm giving it good throttle, and in this video it's at 8 degrees advanced.

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

You said you physically verified both the crank and the distributor at TDC. If that statement is true then there is no way a new balancer is going to fix your issue. You also stated that you verified that the rotor was pointing to #1 at TDC. The only way physically that crank to distributor timing could still be off is the timing set is either stretched out very badly or installed incorrectly.

STOP THE PRESSES!!! Take a picture of your distributor at 0* then again at 8* advanced. I would SWEAR that in the "advanced" video you're distributor is retarded and not advanced from the 0* shot.

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

Well do correct me if I'm wrong but the timing set is supposed to be at 12 on both the cam gear and crank sprocket? If that is correct that's how there lined up correctly.

Okay, so your saying that in my video where I'm supposedly advance it's possibly actually being retarded?

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

The timing chain gear dots will line up at 12/12, but typically you want to set initial physical timing with the cam at 6 and the crank at 12 since it's easier to tell if it's a tooth off.

From the video (it's quick and I can't tell for sure) but yes, it looks like you're retarding it instead of advancing it. Advanced is counter-clockwise and it looks like you went clockwise in reference to the 0* video. I could be wrong, but from the quick glimpse it looks like it.

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

Okay. Well I placed it at 12/12.

That's exactly what it's doing when we would advance it the idle would drop, but when we would retard it, it would rise. So what would be my course of action? Would I take out the dizzy and try to figure out how many tooths it's off and just play with it that way or what?

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

So, were you advancing or retarding??? Set it at 8* advanced and adjust the idle settings on the carb.

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

And you understand how 12/12 timing marks could be harder to know if you're one tooth off... at 6/12 the tooth tips should be pointing towards each other directly.

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

I was advancing it to 8 in the 1st video but I didn't ever think of adjusting the idle screws. Would I also adjust the high idle on it too? But when it was at 8* advance it sounded like it took half a crank then it would start where would I look at for that issue? Or would that be a choke issue?

Yes I understand what your saying but how would I get it to the 6/12?

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

Put #6 on tdc and #1 will be at 6/12.

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

Wow........when you advance the timing you pull the dist by the vac canister towards you the front of truck youre idle speed will pick up and when you retard it you push the canister towards the firewall youyre idle will decrease....................set idle at approx 2000 rpm and turn the dist to the point you get the smoothest idle.tighten it down lower youre idle now done

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

Yeah I know it doesn't make sense it confuses me too but yeah when I get a chance that's what i'm going to do.

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

Correct, since the cam turns at half speed the marks will line up at both locations. It's just easier to see at 6/12. If you have the marks at 6/12, rotate the crank one full 360 degree turn, the marks will now be at 12/12 and ready to drop the dizzy in at #1. One more 360 degree turn they will be back at 6/12 (you can drop the dizzy in at #6 here). If you truly got them in the right place on your 12/12 setup, then they will also line up in the 6/12 position perfectly with the dots's teeth pointing 100% directly at each other.

Cylinder #6 and #1 are at TDC at the same time, just that #1 is ending the exhaust stroke and starting the intake stroke, and #6 is finishing the compression stroke and starting the power stroke.

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

Okay thanks guys! So I guess I get to pull everything off again :lol:

What do I do if it is indeed a tooth off?

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

Loosen all of the rocker arms, pull the cam gear off, and reset. I highly recommend the 6/12 tooth to tooth method, then rotate to the 12/12 position and recheck with a straight edge. Then you can drop the dizzy at #1.

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

Okay thanks but it might also would help if I put it at 8* advance and also get that set straight before I pull it off again?

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

If you put the timing marks at 12 and 12 then you are out of time by 180 suppose to be dot to dot or crank at 12 and cam at 6

Re: Edelbrock Carb Help
 

You don't need to set it before you pull it apart. You don't even need to pull it all the way apart to check it. You can pull the pan and timing cover, rotate the engine by hand, make sure the dots line up at the 6/12 position, then rotate to 12/12, double check still lined up at the 12/12 with a straight edge, reassemble pan and timing cover, drop in the dizzy at #1. Start it, set timing to 8* BTDC. Adjust idle as needed when warm. If you want to mess with cold start, you will have to wait until later... do all of the timing setting when warm so that you're not chasing more than one thing at a time...

OMG no... read the entire post. This has been covered in great detail.