timing or bad dist.

[blazer2007]

well I thought you guys are always timing something,so I have a 70.s 454 with about 1000miles,comp cams xe 262 h cam,10-1 comp ratio. My harmonic has 2 marks,one for 0 and the other for total advance,34 degress.I,ve done all my tdc timing stuff but it likes to run as if the 34 degree mark is my 0 degree mark.I,m using a advance timing light set at 10 btdc where it likes the 34 degrees.There is no retard type timing chain,just a good one.I switched to a upgrade mallory hei but was wondering if this dist. could be giving me my troubles.The truck runs fine lots of power,going up hills etc.at the 34 degree mark.I,ve moved the dist. but it likes the same spot.I,m just wondering if hopefully is dist. or a underlaying problem,please don,t say cam

[fastwillie 696969]

picture would help or video

[Keller]

sounds like your distributor cap may be two terminals off...

[Marv D]

You say you have "done all my TDC timing stuff".... Just to clarify, you have checked that the 0° on your dampener does EXACTLY match 0° determined by a piston stop used in #1 hole? First things first,, just verifying 0° IS really 0° inside the engine. We know that the outer ring of the dampener is notorious for slipping after 30+ years, and thousands of heat cycles.

I'd suspect you going to have really big cylinder pressure (unless the motor was built with low compression) which you seem to have a handle on all that,, so......
Assuming all that is correct, the outer ring hasn't slipped on the dampener, and the timing tab truly shows 0 at 0

I'd:
1. borrow another (standard, non dial-back) timing light,
2. do the simple geometry to measure 34 degrees around the damper ring,,
3: see if 34°is what you have.

34° plus mechanical advance+ vacuum advance would easily be 60+ degrees,, that should NOT be happy there unless your coasting downhill from 12,000 feet (LOL)

All Mallory distributors are built for 24° of mechanical advance at 3000rpm,,, at least they were before it was sold to Dana, or Echlin, or Mr Gasket and now all their junk is now built in China.

Heres why I won't buy another Mallory ignition product...
http://www.coutantcapital.com/recent...gasketinc.html
but wait,, I won't get off on that rant,, not today.

The 'good old days' of Mallory being a home-grown, American made product manufactured in Carson City Nev are GONE. Mallory is just the red-headed stepchild of Prestolite wire company now. Good luck with any tech support on anything, and thank you American corporate greed for destroying a great product!

http://www.prestoliteperformance.com/

ohhh wait,, didn't I say I wasn't going to get off on that rant today.

[Keller]

hate to ask this question but are you sure your timing light is hooked up to the right spark plug wire?

[blazer2007]

Yes is hooked up to #1.I tried the light on my other truck and I get the 8 btdc.Even when I do a quick tdc with spark plug removed my timing mark is close to the 0 zero mark on the harmonic.Its got to be the dist,so I think I,ll look for another this afternoon.

[blazer2007]

did a google on mallory and there was lots of problems came up and a few that pertain to my dilema,wish I could find someone with a dist. machine,I just have to know why