A little history first. When I got the truck, I set the timing to the painted marks and a little notch that was on the harm balancer. The truck was hard to start and pinging. I went back and started to time it by 'ear' I and when looking at the marks with a timing light, lo and behold, here comes another notch, only more pronounced on the harm balancer! I shut her down and set the timing by bringing up #1 and moving the dizzy to the #1 tower on the cap. The 'new' mark sure enough is the right one and lines up with 0 when the rotor points to #1 tower. Now there is no timing adv until 1500RPM or so. Blow on the hose and it’s like blowing on a straw, no resistance at all. The dual diaphragm on the dizzy was blown so I replaced it. After this, the truck is running a lot better.
Now the lines are hooked up with the manifold to the inside toward the cap and the carb port to the outside (end). I set the RPM to 850 and check the timing. It is 6º ATDC. I then pull the manifold line at the dizzy and plug it. RPM's race to 1300 and the timing is 6ºBTDC, per the manual.

Should I set the idle to 850 after I plug the manifold or set the timing when the idle is at 1300RPM. Seems like the mech adv would be coming in around that RPM affecting the timing. I don't recall any engine racing like that when the vac line is pulled. Seems to run better with the line off! Are the lines hooked up right? When pulling the carb port line, there is no difference in RPM, only pulling the manifold line makes a difference.

Dwell is set at 38º at 850RPM but when I pull the manifold line, the dwell drops to 32º Is this OK.

Vacuum gage is steady needle. (Re-manufactured carb from Discount Auto)

The truck is running alright and is getting me back and forth to work but it seems to have this funny, throaty idle. Like its waiting for 1500RPM or it's retarded or something. Hope this is enough info. Sorry for the long post.

Thanks,
James

 

you may want to ajust your carb by using your vaccume gauge. adjust it until you get the most vac. at idle. there should be no vac.at dizzy at idle, and when you remove line off manifold it leans the motor out and idle will come up. sounds like your running rich