ATC= After Top Center. You want 10 degrees BEFORE Top Dead Center. So mark the "10" BTDC. As far as the low idle goes, is it idling smooth but slow? Or choppy rough idle.

 

It was kind of choppy. Tried at work, but couldn't get the dist. Cap to rotate. Ended up just cutting the zip tie that was holding the choke. Balanced my carb mixture and checked the timing. I put a mark on the zero line, and the gun said I was at 20 BTDC. My boss thinks the mark isn't right and that I should find true TDC and mark it if I want to set it.

Anyways, for now it runs fine and choke is functional (although it sticks and isn't smooth). My entire throttle sticks a tiiiny bit every once in a while, too. It also looked like I'm missing some sort of adjustment fixture/screw for the kick-down rod. I think it's the kick down anyways...comes right up from behind the block as if it goes to the trans. The whole connection is loose and sloppy at the carb

 

The cap won't rotate, the whole distributor body will rotate in the block.

 

Oh! I'm sorry, I totally meant that whole thing but I didn't word it right. Yes I unbolted it and we both tried rotating the entire deal but no budge. Does it lift up a little and then rotate?

 

No, but it's probably just stuck. Soak some PB Blaster around it and grab hold of it with a big channel lock style pliers. That should get ya.

 

Two reasons for sticky action in a carb:
1. Carbon build up on the shafts, most common and fixable by rebuilding.
2. Worn shafts. This usually occurs because a carb got sticky due to carbon and someone fixed that with a really strong return spring. This loads the shaft in a way that the bore or bushing starts grinding into the shaft making a step.

 

Stuck dizzy is not a good sign!

A Lot of guys think it's from where it seats into the intake manifold where there's a rubber seal so it won't leak oil.

The real cause is from a miss alignment of the intake manifold mainly.
The dizzy is suppose to be installed into place for using as a alignment tool of the intake manifold so that this dizzy problem does not happen.

Plus poor maintenance can add to it, with the wrong type of engine oil being used. This can cause a build up of sludge in the lower part of the block where the dizzy seats into a bored out area that holes the lower dizzy housing where the cam & dizzy gear meet.

Some times the dizzy housing can crack as it's being man handled the wrong way so be careful.

To loosen dizzy it's best too Twisting back & fourth at the base , to remove dizzy twisting back & fourth all while pulling upwards.
But the oil pump drive rod could come out with the dizzy or drop into the pan.=screwed into another can of worms..

orich

 

Thanks for the heads up orich, I'll be careful

 

Okay I'm finally off work. So you think one possibility is that the intake manifold gasket may have been replaced and the manifold itself wasn't put on correctly? Making it difficult to rotate the distributor. Hm, I don't know for sure obviously but I'm thinking the gasket hasn't been replaced. Valve cover gaskets seemed to be factory cork when I did them, so I bet the intake hasn't been touched.

Not trying to refute you at all, just seeing if I can eliminate certain things. Could the manifold have shifted over time?

I'm thinking it's part of the distributor stuck on the block. I'm servicing an '87 f250 at work and that little O ring at the top of the shaft was realllllly brittle. I'll do some tinkering when I have time and come back with results. Thanks for you help and input, I really appreciate it

 

Soak it with penetrating oil for a day or two. That should do most of the work for you.

My dizzy was stuck on my Cleveland engine. And it just goes DIRECTLY into the block.


I bet it's just corroded itself in after many years of not being touched.

 

Yep, definitely gotta sell 'er. It's sad I know, trust me I feel it, but it's the smartest thing to do for my life right now.

I bought a used radiator, had to braze the bracket back on which melted the original solder and created a leak. Put the old one back in and it leaks even worse. On top of that my passenger rear tire decide to nudge the velve stem out and start leaking air, good thing I had a spare (poet and I didn't know it). Anyways yeah, too many things are going wrong and I need a reliable rig. Once I'm done moving this weekend she's going on the market. I'm really sad. But life goes on. Maybe another day

 

Maybe post an ad here on the forum. Maybe a fellow FTE brother will buy her from you. Then you know she'd be in good care.

 

2X sorry you have to let her go... here's hoping you find another when the timing is right.

 

Thanks guys, I really appreciate it