Timming/tuning questions

[71dart666]

I am busy trying to get my Darts 318 timed and tuned. Before it was timed or anything it idled pretty well. However when I gave it gas and held it at part throttle (not just bliping the throttle) it would stutter and run really really rough. So.. I timmed it today and retarded the timming back to about 10 degrees advanced, before it was way ahead..maybe past 15 degrees. The part throttle stuttering problem seems to have mostly went away and it feels like its got an extra 20 ft lbs torque when I drove it down the street but now the car idles poorly. I notice a small amount of white smoke comming from the exaust pipes so I am thinking it might be running a bit rich? The car also seems very very finiky with cranking over.. a few degrees back too much and it really doesnt want to crank up. My carb is a 670 holley street avenger... also holley says it adjustable for more power or fuel economy 6% either way I beleive. I am not sure exactly how it works or what it adjusts inside the carb but there are two screws, (might be idel mixture screws) one on each side of the carb which I adjusted and it definatly made a difference in a bad way. I got them back to where they were originally but I still couldnt seem to get the engine to run smoothly at idle. Im sure its probably something minor or maybe just some more tweaking with the distributor but I wanna see if anybody could give me any input? Thanks.

[dwc43]

10 intial may be too high on yours. Get a dial back timming light and set total timming to 36*. The screws are for idle mixture. Turn them all the way in and back them off two full turns for starters. You can use a vacuum gauge to adjust each one to get the highest reading on the gauge for best idle or just turn them in till the engine falls off and then back them off til it picks back up. Blue smoke is oil, black smoke is fuel and white smoke is water. Most likely yours is moisture or condensation in the pipes burning off.

[TK]

sounds lke the mech advance is stuck, or hooked up to the wrong port on the holley, or it could be the holley, i wont go there

[71dart666]

I did in fact back the timming off a bit back down to like 5 degrees when I was timming it and it didnt seem to like it at all. It ran worse and worse heading in that direction. My distributor is an MP electronic, brand new. Holley is new as well. Do you think possibly I just need to turn the idle rate up a bit ?

[TK]

OK, to make it idle smooth, i truns bad off idle? set the idle up, if you retard the distributer, will it smooth out? If you set the timing at like 30 before at 3000, does it kick at the starter?

[TK]

what cam is it? or a vacuum leak? is it a miss idle, a lopey idle, or a retarded lame ford M block idle?


bobby

[dwc43]

If retard the timming you will have to up the idle since the engine speed will slow with less timming. Also check to make sure your dampner has not sliped the ring on it and is reading incorrectly.

[TK]

thats a good idea!

[swingin72]

Hey 71Dart... what ever happened with your tranny???

[71dart666]

Its just a rough kinda weak idle, like it barely wants to run. I didnt know that setting the timming back would generally lower the idle rate so I should probably set the idle rate up a bit. ( that makes alot of sense now)I was also noticing that it ran better when i put the air cleaner back on it when I was tuning the idle mixture screws, that'd probably mean its running on the lean side then huh and it wants to run a bit richer? 72 - My tranny is still F#$%ed up, I am actually planning on taking the car down for a diagnostic this thursday.

[dwc43]

Yes, that could be the sign of a lean carb. Whats wrong with the tranny?

[71dart666]

My first gear doesnt work, i posted another thread on it about a month back. I am just going to take down to get it diagnosed, could ship it back to Cope but I am impatient with getting my car going and dont really wanna bother with the shipping and time that takes ect.

[eckertt@epri.co]

DWC, you read my thoughts; that maybe 71dart is dealing with slipped timming marks (slipped harmonic balancer) and you suggested that he check it for slippage.

How does one do that? (without removing a head) can one poke a stick in a spark plug hole on a small block to easily indicate where TDC is?

Tim

72 Cuda 360/904

[TK]

dwctq had the idea, use a vacuum guage, o rtime it by ear, sounds like he's got a lean holley (wont go there), and he's got to retard it to make it idle somewhat smooth (ford M block idle), so screw the idle mixtures out, maybe that'l help.Somehting else, a dodge 318 makes lots of vacuum, a carb set up for say, a weak ass chev will be too lean on a dodge. (I know this from swapping carbs around). Youll be eatin chevy's in no time.


"chevy's are fine for church on sunday, but if you wanna go racin, ya gotta get a dodge"!

[71dart666]

Well my balancer is brand new so I kinda doubt there'd be any issues with that. You are right, vacuum is great ! powerbrakes work as well as they did with the stock slant 6.. maybe even alittle bit better.

[dwc43]

Originally Posted by eckertt@epri.co

DWC, you read my thoughts; that maybe 71dart is dealing with slipped timming marks (slipped harmonic balancer) and you suggested that he check it for slippage.

How does one do that? (without removing a head) can one poke a stick in a spark plug hole on a small block to easily indicate where TDC is?

Tim

72 Cuda 360/904

Pull the plug out and rotate it by bumping the starter with your finger over the plug hole and when you feel the compression blow your finger offf stop. And yes, use a screw driver or something of the sort and turn the engine by hand till the piston is up andcheck the dampner against the timming marks.