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i have a 72 302, and I was never sure witch side of the engine it bolts to, currently it is on the drivers side, but when i check my timing it dont come anywere near the damper marks and when i turn the dist even a little it acts much worse. it runs rough and hesitates bad when i try to move the car. I have been checking pictures out to see if i had it on the right side, and keep seeing the pointer on the pass side, but thats mostly newer engines ive seen. So witch side does it go on for sure, I know some of you guys can help me with this. Thanx for any help in advance.
--Brian
p.s. mostly everything on this engine is new, so i know the ignition, wires, plugs all work just fine, and tryed many carbs, still acts the same.
The odd thing is that i can only get it to bolt on to the drivers side. Please guys i really need some help with this, i am gonna be working on the car all day tomarrow and hope to have all probs fixed.
It most definitely goes on the passenger side. It should fit under the two bottom timing cover bolts on that side. They are directly above the oil pan. I'm not sure how you are getting it to fit the driver's side. With the way that it's stamped, I don't think a stock pointer will fit on the wrong side. Are you sure that it is a stock pointer? If you can't get the pointer on, you should be able to adjust the timing without it. Which way are you turning the distributor? I'm guessing since you said it makes it run worse that you're turning it counterclockwise or retarding it. You should try turning it counterclockwise to advance it. That should make it run smoother and the idle should increase. If not, I'd say that you have something else wrong. Did it just start running bad? Has the distributor recently been out of the engine?
i not quite recently, but since ive been building the car, i got the engine from my grandfather and had to dismantle and put it back together, its all rebuilt, and ive done a few engines, and know its together right, but this is my first 302. and i cant remember which side i took tthe pointer off of. when i set the dist and got it running finally, i lined up the tab with the mark on the damper. it runs fine at idle, with a little miss, whenever i hit the gas quickly it stumbles bad, if i give it gas slowly it does fine. I know the fuel systems fine, its all new. and its getting plenty of gas, and plenty of spark. i upraded the ignition to the ignitor breakerless kit too. Im gonna work on it tomarrow and see if i cant get something done to it. the pointer was on the engine when i got it, it could be the wrong one, my grandfather had a habit of using whats around to fix things, and since hes dead now, i cant ask him about it. thanx guys, and sorry for the lenght of this message.
I think Rage is right, it sounds like your timing is too far retarded. Does it ever backfire? you might not be that far retarded, but slow accelereation sounds like an advance problem. Turn it clockwise until you get maximum idle. I got sick of trying to adjust the stock distributor, so I got an MSD Pro-Billet, it's in the mail. I'm just messing with Rage here, so don't try to buy one and think that's your problem, but we both agree that you symptoms point to retarded ignition timing, and like he says, rotate the distributor body clockwise until you get max idle, then back the speed down on the carb to suit your liking.
'77 F100, 302 (the aftermarket Prodigy), C4
The TorqueKing
All fixed, runs like a champ now. got the pointer right on the pass. side, turns out i forgot that i already got on and put it on the pass side (im such an idiot sometimes). turns out the reason it ran bad, was that i had forgot to tighten one of my intake rockers, and it wasnt even on the valve anymore (like i said im SUCH an IDIOT sometimes). Thing that really sux is that i work on engines all the time, and they alway turn out great, but seem when i work on my own car, i forget everything- go figure. But thanx for all the help guys, I know i can always count on this board for help
Don't feel too dumb, I didn't slam the locknuts down on my roller rockers when I broke the new cam in. I set the lash correctly, and for the same reason you didn't tighten your down, I didn't think that mine would want to shake loose. Well, after about 20 minutes, it sounded like a weasel on an old school typewriter, a rapid "CLACK-CLACK". removed the 'covers, it was a roller rocker trainwreck! three of them had jumped track. Put 'em back together with threadlocker blue, never heard 'em again! Glad to hear you're running strong again.