back to old timing issue.

[jasonroman]

at around 800 rpm, might have been neer the 12 mark.
but then when i shut truck off, i end up with lots of pre ignition.
prior to me messing with things today, think i was around 24-28 on timing light.

took off distributor to change the oil pressure sending uint, to see if i have issues there.

then when i put it back i figured i was not exactley where i was before. so i played with timing and my rpm. just installed a tach last week.
timing light says 800 tach says 7iish....

at one point i had it at the 12 ish number i thought i read somewhere...starting point. around 12?


so when i was around the 12 ish area, and at around 760 rpm.
had a bit of fire under hood from time to time and when id shut truck off, lots of over run/ pre ignition i think its called.

id like to know what i need to do to dial in.
my adjustments came from moving distributor in different directions and getting different responses.

again, i had an 82 with a 350, intake carb, headers....
id get on gas and lay wheels for a good distance.

this 85... if i get on it too hard, truck will shut off.....
and only when i hit a corner and get on it do i notice a bit of reaction
but i also hear more noise than id like coming from the rear end.


so lots off bla bla bla on my end.


any of you guys able to help me with this??

please let me know if i need to move this to another area.

thanks for any help.

[1LowToy]

Set the timing where the factory says, no more that 3 degrees advances from there. If you have the stock carb there are two idle settings. One will be with the idle solinoid with engin running in drive set at 650 rpm. Unplug the wire from the electric solinoid the idle setting on the primary shaft on the carb set at 550 rpm. If you don't have the stock carb 800 is too high of an idle. That should stop you dieseling when you shut it off.
Stop being so hard on the rear end before it goes bang for the last time.

[jasonroman]

thanks for the reply....

Unplug the wire from the electric solinoid the idle setting on the primary shaft on the carb set at 550 rpm. If you don't have the stock carb 800 is too high of an idle. That should stop you dieseling when you shut it off

not sure where the wire you want me to unplug is???

ive been only adjusting the one idle screw on carb. the on on the driver side of carb.

carb is original. q jet carb.

think i have it at about 24 or 28 right now with no pre ignition after shut off..

im not hard on the truck or the rear. i just want the truck to respond when i gas it.
not sure why 350 wont go like my old one went.

[jasonroman]

forgot to mention, when i took off distributor cap to get access to oil pressure sending unit.....i noticed what looked to oil under distributor cap????

problem headed my way?

[csb#356]

24 degrees advanced is way too much at idle. Unplug your vacuum advance and set it to 10 or 12 and go from there. As far as the oil in the distributor cap, no its not supposed to be there and I have no idea how it would even get there, but there isn't supposed to be any moisture or anything in the cap.

[jasonroman]

i forgot about the vacuum.
did timing without taking off the hose off carb.
think thats what im supposed to do. but didnt.
hopefully tomorrow when its done raining. ill remember what to take off to do the timing
hopefully ill get better results.
thanks for reply
any and all help is much appreciated.

[cableguy0]

Theres you problem. Disconnect the vacuum advance set timing to 12 at idle. Your way retarded if its showing 12 with the advance connected. You should be around 24 or so with advance hooked up.

[jasonroman]

im around there
had a couple drinks yesterday while messing with it. and forgot i needed to take something off.

the advance the one coming off back of carb??
been a while, and i forget easy.

thanks for reply

[cableguy0]

Just unhook the line direct from the distributor and stick a bolt or screw in the end of it to plug it. If you try to set timing with a vacuum leak it wont be right.

[jasonroman]

ok. ill look for that tomorrow
got soo many lines under hood man, its nuts
think last time i took line coming off back of carb
but ill look for a line haded to distributor tomorrow and try again.

thanks again man

[cableguy0]

silver can hanging off the side of the distributor with a vacuum line running to it. You cant miss it even drunk . Good luck

[jasonroman]

as always thanks. owe u many. check for can in am...most sober
another question i have....
passenger side...valve cover...
theres some can looking thing there. what is it?
n do i need to remove to put net gaskets on valve covers?

thanks for helping me man!
much appreciated

[cableguy0]

Got a picture?

[jasonroman]

[cableguy0]

OK the big silver can next to your hand is the egr valve no reason to unbolt that to remove the valve cover. The small silver can with the hose coming off of it is the vacuum advance. Unplug that vacuum line and then plug it to set the timing.

[jasonroman]

well, little story now.
so the other day, i looked under the hood at label. and it said, 4 at 550 idle in drive...i think.

so having the distributor pretty straight, i shot light at crank and rather then get it to 0, i set it to 4. to see what it would be like from there...

took truck to work, and parked it. had a bit of pre ignition...
next morning went to start truck to leave work....and of coarse, it would not start. turned and turned but would not start.

so i popped hood, and gave distributor a bit of turn one way, got more crank, but no start....then i got a little pissed off, and gave it a turn the other way.
then truck started.

idle was low, so i got wrench and turned it up a bit.
on the way home. i noticed the truck seemed to be running good. and when i gave it gas, i actually got a response out of truck....for the first time since owning truck, finally felt a little power.

got home, turned truck off...no issues.
idle was still a bit low, so i turned it up a bit.

now, distributor is not straight tho.... turned towards driver side quite a bit.
but trucks running strong.
not sure what to do now. leave it and not loose the power i finally found.
or try and get it back straight again and most likely loose it

any input on the new results.?

[cableguy0]

Well we figured out before that you have the wrong timing tab on your truck. If you remember. So Just leave it be until you get the right timing tab. If its running good and starts up/shuts off right. Just leave it alone.

[jasonroman]

guess your right. ill leave it as is...
just didnt know if the diz being turned so far might end up giving me another problem with something else.
but ill see what happens.

[cableguy0]

Nope the position of the distributor doesnt matter it cant hurt anything.