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The second issue is now driving me crazy and seems to be worse, and that is the engine stalls when shifted into gear.
Try this. Unplug the vacuum line, start it up, warm it up,make sure it's idling below 1000 rpm so you aren't getting any centrifugal advance and set your initial timing at 12 degrees. Plug the vacuum line into FULL MAMIFOLD vacuum and make sure your vacuum can pulls in another 15 to 20 degrees for around 30 degrees advanced at idle. If you don't have that much advance at idle you will never get a crisp idle with the gas we have now.
If all that's good. Chock all the wheels or chain it to a pole, hook up your vacuum gauge put it in drive then adjust the carb.
The torque converter should only pull the engine down around 200- 300 rpm max depending on how much torque your engine makes at idle the more torque you make the more it will pull the engine down. If it chirps the tires when you put it in gear you need a looser converter. Most of the stock 390 converters are around 1600-1800 stall according to Ford but any converter shop will tell you that Ford lied and they are nowhere near that much in most cases. If your converter is the type that's smooth on the outside with no dimples in it you will be lucky if it's 1200 stall.
Gonna work on the weak spark first. Then, will try as you say. Will say this though, in the past, have always set initial @ 6 degrees and always used ported vacuum. Never any issues.
Poor man's test for strong, consistent spark: With the rear wheels in the air, put it in gear and slowly accelerate. Apply brakes fully, slowly push the gas pedal to the floor and hold it at stall speed for ten or fifteen seconds. Any miss in that period is ignition.
I think you are on the right track by identifying a weak spark. Sounds like it's going to be a cheap fix!
Eric
Poor man's test for strong, consistent spark: With the rear wheels in the air, put it in gear and slowly accelerate. Apply brakes fully, slowly push the gas pedal to the floor and hold it at stall speed for ten or fifteen seconds. Any miss in that period is ignition.
I think you are on the right track by identifying a weak spark. Sounds like it's going to be a cheap fix!
Eric
Will try that.
Why wheels raised, and how do I determine stall speed?
Update:
Taking everyone's advice into consideration (including my own) I feel like progress is being made. Don't ever overlook the obvious, I tell my kids. When all else fails, go back to basics, I tell my kids. Often repeated, so easily forgotten. Guess this old fart needs to be reminded every once in a while too. Discovered weak spark possibly due to points gap set too small (.007) Had previously set dwell without paying mind to gap. Perhaps time to give up my 40+ yr old Allen Engine Analyzer Did also notice that with jumper wires and alligator clips, even slight movement affected results quite a bit. Will certainly be going through all wires and final connections for sure. Engine now idles at 750, drops to 525 when shifted, no stall. Even moves on its own without any crazy footwork. Advance connected to manifold vacuum. Will now attempt to retune carb and make sure all wiring good. Use of four letter words have decreased substantially. Might be a good day after all.
After a couple of hours trying to get everything dialed in, I am walking away from this for today. Can't get it to run well in gear. Bucks and hesitates horribly. Ordered pertronix conversion as I do believe consistent, strong spark is the issue. Just can't get it to behave.
Not to offend, but is beyond my thinking why points are even still an option. I've had a Pertronics for more than 6 years without a hiccup , same cap, rotor wires and a spare module in the glove box. Every now and then I check things out and don't see a need to change anything so far and I drive 5-10k mi a year. Just sayin.
Agreed. I’ve been running Pertronixs for 5 years now
Personally I am not a fan of points. I know this system has worked for years. Way to much maintenance for me. Electronic ignition is for me. I would rather have a hotter spark. As the commercial says "Set it and forget it" Cleaner burn on plugs and combustion chambers.
After a couple of hours trying to get everything dialed in, I am walking away from this for today. Can't get it to run well in gear. Bucks and hesitates horribly. Ordered pertronix conversion as I do believe consistent, strong spark is the issue. Just can't get it to behave.
Don't forget the matching coil and hotter plug wires. Get rid of that resistor wire.
Wondered about that.
Increase plug gap (.045) as well, right?
Worked for me. The resistor wire comes thru the firewall block, Just cut each side back 1 - 2 inches and solder a 14ga wire and shrink wrap to each side to replace the resistor wire.
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Did also notice that with jumper wires and alligator clips, even slight movement affected results quite a bit. Will certainly be going through all wires and final connections for sure. Engine now idles at 750, drops to 525 when shifted, no stall. Even moves on its own without any crazy footwork. Advance connected to manifold vacuum. Will now attempt to retune carb and make sure all wiring good. Use of four letter words have decreased substantially. Might be a good day after all.
