Also before you fire it up take some chalk or a metal marking pencil (used in welding) and mark/fill in the lines/timing marks on the crank shaft.

Basically mark it all up and then wipe it off and the white stuff will stay in the groves and make is way easier to read.

Plug the vacuum advance hose with a wooden or plastic golf T.

 

UMMM...

 

My truck rattles somethin fierce! Should I adjust the timing?


All joking aside +1 on almost everything above. Love it when some stupid kid starts twisting that round thingy around with all the plug wires hanging out of it. Especially when they've never heard of cleaning/replacing the points and condensor on older rigs.

 

further to GLR's post (#13) - old truism: 90% of carburetor problems are electrical in nature. Before anyone launches, though, remember timing is essentially a MECHANICAL function, not electrical.

 

I get what y'all are saying, but we were all stupid kids at one point. No one should be embarrassed to come here and ask for help, just because it might frustrate the guys that know all the right answers. JMHO.
I apologize in advance if my response shows bad timing.


David

 

From OP's first post "The standard battle cry I hear from morons that don't know what they're doing is, "The timing is off! The timing! It must be the timing!"

Key words being, "from morons that don't know what they are doing!"

I'm pretty sure most (most I said) of the knowledgeable guys that chime in to offer help here, are NOT who he is talking about. I have heard this time and again from friends vehicles I have ended up working on, they buy an older pile, unawares of the issues and costs that come with them if they don't know how to work on them. My new 77 F250 4x4 "Max" is a prime example,,, young man bought it, because he thought it was cool,,, finally gave up trying to get it running, and I traded him a 68 F250 2wd that was running, registered and leaky, and winched the 77 onto my trailer. Took the Battery out of my other 77, new NEG. ground cable, a screwdriver and a beer (or 2 maybe ) and I was able to get it running and drive it into my garage and begin work. Carb kit, cap/rotor/plugs and a few days and a 6-pack, I was driving it around with a nice SEG like this ~> !

Years ago, when I lived down in OC, one of my friends had an 88 Beretta I think, leaked oil like a sieve, and when you came to a stop, would die unless you kicked it to N,,, occasionally,,, meaning, whenever you weren't ready for it! He had already dumped like $800 into it, was ready to just leave it at the shop and write it off instead of paying the bill. It still had same problems, I went with him to the shop, the couldn't produce any of the parts they had supposedly "changed out", couldn't explain why $800+ later it STILL did same thing, so we loaded it onto my trailer, and told them to pound sand and took it to my house.
I went to local chevy dealer, talked to mechanic about oil leak, $12 in parts for O-ring and gasket, talked to transmission shop about it dying, $50 for torque converter lock/unlock solenoid. $62 a 12-ver of adult beverages and 2 evenings work, and he was just ecstatic that he didn't pay the $800+ and more.

 

The way I heard it was "90% of carb problems are ignition related." I think what it is, the carb sits right on top, and that's convenient, all that's necessary is the Golden Screwdriver.

I enjoy the folks who leave out important and/or critical information and save that for last, so to speak, after trying everything else.

"Well it did overheat last week on the way to Leadville and it died. It hasn't started since." Gee, ya think? Often if they don't like the diagnosis they try to reword the symptoms and ask somebody else, hoping for a different outcome. Getting a second opinion isn't a bad idea but there's something else going on with these folks.

 

Hope I'm not to late to get in on this but the better half tells me my timing is really retarded

 

i dont know what this thread is about... but if my truck wont start.. first thing i usually check is the fuel gauge... opps i forgot my fuel gauge dont work... now i dont have any idea what to do.. ha ha ha ha ha

 

I did have a timing problem once. Driving down I-10 my 78 with the 351 shut down. It did start back up after a few try's. wouldnt run right so i did have to put it on a trailer to get it home. After digging into it and scratching my head the roll pin holding the gear on the distributed broke. It would grab now and then.

 

photo3_zps2a8195a6.jpg Photo by lparkki | Photobucket

This is the result of someone saying the "timing is off"....Previous owner had a "mechanic friend" that said the timing chain was stretched and thats why the engine wasn't running right..previous owner tore front of engine off, never put it back together and left it open for 10+ years..after I bought the truck I started going over it, i found vacuum hacks, wiring hacks, etc...the chain probably had nothing to do with it.. but whats done is done.. engine had dust/sand in most of it's cylinders..It was sold to Five star engine exchange as a core, and given a second chance at life. Truck now has a different 460..

 

The 10 cent roll pin that holds the gear at the bottom of the distributor has split and caused the gear to move. Found that out the hard way one time. I thought the slop was in the timing chain turning the engine by hand watching the rotor not moving, SOOOOO... Rip the front of the motor apart to replace the chain and whalllllllaaaaaaaaaaa it's OK. $250 later and a day spent fin around for a 10 cent roll pin. LESSON LEARNED.

 

You know what they say...."timing is everything!".

BB

 

LMFAO. So true!!!!!!!