I've got a problem with the 69 F250 with 360 V-8, mentioned in another thread: 69 F250 basic questions. I pulled the plugs, replaced with BF-32s gapped at .035, replaced points and condensor, set the points to .017. Put a new, rebuilt Autolite 2100 2-brl carb on it (all basic settings at baseline). Problem is I can't get the timing nailed down. I pulled the No.1 plug, found TDC and see the rotor is pointing to the No. 8 tower on the distributor cap...the one before No. 1 tower. Noticed the plug wires are arranged to accomodate this...the tower the rotor points to goes to cyl. 1, etc....like the cap was rotated a little to the right. I can start the truck and it runs fast at idle, like at 1200 rpm or higher...my tach only goes to 1200. If I pull the vacuum line off the dist., it dies immediately. Even running with the vac line hooked up, it will run for a while, then bog/drop rpms suddenly and die. The dwell with my dwell meter is showing just under 15...I know this is wrong but the point gap is right. I re-checked the point gap and noticed some play in the dist. shaft...I can move it right and left almost 1/4 of a inch. Is that normal?
When I get it running and check the timing marks with my timing light, with timing light clamp wire on No. 1 plug wire, the timing marks are way left of the timing pointer. If I loosen the dist. hold down bolt and turn the dist. counterclockwise to match the timing mark with the pointer, it bogs down and dies and won't restart.
This thing is driving me nuts. Is my distributor off a notch to the right, so it points to tower No. 8? How do I tell if my distributor is all right and not toast? Why does it idle so fast and die with vac line off?
Need the board's help here. I have to have it inspected and driving right pretty soon...it will be my daily driver.

 

Your distributor is quite clearly off a notch in the cam. Put the crank at TDC indication, pluck the distributor and correct this. Move wires to accommodate.
The engine should not die when the vacuum line is pulled off. Your vacuum line is hooked to manifold vacuum, not the vacuum port high up on the carb above the throttle plate. Find this port, relocate the vacuum line to the proper port.
What is happening is that the manifold vacuum is pulling your advance full on at idle. The line should not pull until the throttle is partially opened and the top port is uncovered.
Xstrange gave a coherent explanation of what these ports are for and how things work a few months ago. Search back.

 

Thanks for the input. I'm now thinking the timing is retarded because at TDC on No. 1 the rotor points to No. 8 on the dist. cap. I've the got the vac advance hooked up to the only port on the Autolite 2100 carb, it's on the left by the choke linkage up some from the carb base...I'll check for another port, but didn't see but the one.
How hard is it to pull and re-stab the distributor so the rotor points at No. 1 on the dist. cap? Never done this. I tested the vacuum advance today and the advance plate in the dist moves under vacuum, but I wonder about the guts of the distributor...maybe I'll look under the advance plate tomorrow. What does it look like in there, will a bad/broken part be obvious?

 

I am looking at the manual for the break-apart of the carb. Yes, only one port shows, the one you describe.
You will have to do what I said, TDC on the crank pointer with compression at the plug hole to ensure that you are not 180* off , pull the distributor and rotate it until it drops back in with the rotor pointing at #1. It may not seat which means it is not engaging in the oil pump drive. Play with it, bump the starter. Until you get it seated with the rotor pointed at #1, you are going to continue to have problems. Then move the wires.
Someone before you has obviously honked things up and half-arzed things to get the thing running.
Plug the vacuum line and get it running. We will go from there.
It sounds like you are not having a very happy new year.
Stay with the problem. The old salts will have sobered up by noon tomorrow and they will come in to help you.

 

Yeah, I've had better days, but it wasn't all bad. Discovered the out-of-time condition and wires being off from stock, and it was blowing cold here today. On the good side, I did a lot of reading on this and feel confident enough to try the dist. adjustment tomorrow. Does the dist come all the way out, or do I just raise it a few inches and then align the rotor to No. 1? I've read other posts about pulling out part of the oil pump drive when doing this, so I need to go carefully. Too cold to be pulling the oil pan.
I couldn't get enough finger over No. 1 plug hole today to feel compression, how about jamming a candle or something in there and bumping the starter until it pops out...then turning the crank nut to put the timing mark dead on with the timing mark? Stopped earlier enough to play with the Choc Lab this afternoon, pick up wifey at work (sux borrowing wheels) and then found my replacement antenna mast came in the mail. Got that installed before sundown.

 

Just pull the distributor up a bit, rotate the shaft about 20-30* and drop it back in. It will curl a bit when it hits the cam gear as the gear is helical. If it doesn't seat, pull it up a bit and tweak the crank by putting pressure on the fan belt and dragging the fan or have wifey tap the starter. It will drop and it must be pointed directly at #1 lug.
No need to pull the pan. Do not start until it drops down on the pump-no oil pressure until you engage the oil drive shaft.
You can find TDC on the compression stroke by putting your finger in #1 plug hole and rotating the crank by the fan belt. You will feel suck and blow as the piston comes over TDC if you are phased right. If not, rotate the crank a full turn and try again.
Who knows what mess the last guy left you?
I hope this helps.

 

Well, this sux. Tried moving the distributor today, with engine at TDC on compression stroke, and had to work like a dog to get the dist. out. Definitely not new, as said in the ad for this truck. It was hard to get out and a bear to get back in, binds going down in and won't drop the last 1/8 inch no matter how I bump the engine. Took it out and took the advance plate out and both springs are intact inside, but this thing looks toasty. Will a new dist. (rebuilt) be as hard to deal with? If so, would it be better to upgrade the ignition at this point...petronix or Mallory? Any input is appreciated...the clock is running. I have to be driving this thing soon.

 

TM, that last little bit of drop is where the shaft female hex drops over the pump drive's male hex. It sounds like you have the shaft hard down on the oil pump drive and both are turning when you bump the starter. Pull the distributor up about 1/16" and try again. The idea is to move the distributor shaft and not the oil pump. You have to get the hexes aligned.

 

Wrestled the beast again today, with no luck. Repulled the old distributor and restabbed it a few times and finally figured out how to walk the dist. down while getting the shaft/rotor position down pat. The old dist. would not drop all the way down, the culprit was the old, concreted O-ring. Got a new dist. at Autozone and it drops further down, but the top casting and hold down plate are still a little proud of the manifold. I can see and hear the new dist. pop into place, because I put some white engine assembly grease no the new dist. before trying again.
With the new dist. in and seated (I think), the truck turns over but never fires. I found TDC on the engine with No. 1 plug out, compression gauge in...turned the crank pulley/engine by hand and put the timing mark on the pointer. Third time for this so far, and still no luck.
I can see the oil shaft/hex down in the engine, and can center and turn it sightly with a small hex driver extension found in my toolbox.
Gonna check for spark tomorrow, just to make sure the coil, etc. is firing. If I find spark, I might just drag the truck to the neighborhood mechanic...I'm stumped.

 

You have done all the right things, Buddy, and I don't have any more advice to give you except to watch the oil pressure as soon as she fires. And she will.
It is possible to engage the distributor in the cam gear without engaging the oil pump so be careful. She will run without oil pressure.
Let us know.

Semper Fi

 

Problem resolved. Bad cap.