Ok guys I changed the timing chain and gears. When I did this I put the car at TDC on #6 and pulled the old timing chain off. Put the new on and the dots where at 6 and 12. Put it back together. Put it on TDC do #1 compression stroke. Rotated the timing gear for the distributor to point at #1 manifold bolt. Put the new distributor in rotated the dizzy body until number #1 spark plug wire is lined up with rotor. Turned it CCW about an eight of a turn. I can get the car running but it doesn't want to stay running and is running very rough. I know it's a timing issue. What am I doing wrong. I have turn the dizzy both ways several times. I turned it to the point I might have it firing off by one cylinder so I turned it back to the start. HELP!

Why did you mess with the dist?

Why didnt you just line the dots at 12 o clock on the crank and 6 o clock on the crankgear?


you probally need to advance the timeing via the dist..

bump the starter relay till you feel compression building with your thumb on the #1 cyl with the plug out. Hand turn the crank further clockwise with a 1&1/4" socket/breaker bar till the dampener timing slit is at 10BTDC (mild cam) or 15BTDC (wild (er) cam. Turn the housing till the magnet is dead even with the tooth that places the rotor under or near under the cap terminal with the #1 plug wire on it with the vac adv located in its' correct general location so the dist housing has room to be turned either way. Fire it up.

Originally the car died on me and I checked everything I could. Wasn't sure if the timing slipped. I opened it up and it didn't look like it slipped. I put on a new pre- stretched chain and gears. I had it 12 and 6 (or #6 TDC on the compression stroke) when I put the new chain on. So that wasn't the problem. Replaced the dizzy to see if that had caused the car to die. Not I can't get things right. Don't know if I screwed up the timing chain install. The original only had 1500 miles so it didn't stretch a lot. But I was there so I changed them.

Once I put it on TDC #1 I rotated the distributor timing gear to point at #1 manifold bolt. Was that a mistake? I wouldn't think it mattered as long as the dizzy was set right. I then put the dizzy in lined up #1 plug wire and dizzy cap so I would be at 0 degrees. Rotated it counterclockwise about 1/8 inch and she wouldn't start at all. Turned it clockwise about 3/8 inch and she started, run rough and died. Rotating the dizzy
counterclockwise should advance the engine right?

I have checked the wire layout three times. the 340 should be the same as a 318 or 360. All new wires, new dizzy and new cap.

RapidRobert

I did that as you had told me before in the another thread. Wouldn't start until I turned the dizzy CW. Then it ran really rough. Maybe I installed the time gears/ chain wrong? When I buttoned it up they where at 12 main gear/6 on cam gear with the car TDC on compression stroke of #6. That should be right?

Its a little hard to see but I took a picture (attached) before putting on the timing cover. The dots lines up. I didnt rotate anything, i took the old gears off and slipped on the new. it all lined up perfectly. Did i do the timing chain incorrectly?

Its a little hard to see in the picture. The dots line up. All I did was remove the old and put the new right back on without rotating anything. It should be that simple.

Not sure the dots are lined up you should always roll over three times coming back to lined up it usually becomes very apparent if they are or are not lined up correctly.

This mistake is made quite often only one way to be sure now!

to bad you had to monkey with the dizzy to before trying . nice to do one thing at a time then you know what changed things.

This is a stock cam right? Pull the pass valve cover & hand turn the crank with the socket/breaker bar till both of #6 cyls' rocker arms are moving and are at the same height. (Can bump it over electrically with the starter relay to get close then finish by hand with the bar/socket). At that point move the crank back & forth slightly till they're dead even & if at that point the dampener timing slit is within a degree or two of TDC on the timing tab (assuming no slop in the chain & it is new so should be good) then you are OK with the dot to dot on the tchain/gears that you did & no need to go back inside. Then back the crank up slightly to 20 then come forward to 10 or 15 & line up the magnet/housing as described with the rotor under #1 plug wire cap terminal. EDIT faster yet lets assume we are Ok dot to dot & without pulling the valve cover you might set the marks at 10 BTDC (20 then forward to 10) then if the rotor is close to being under #1 set the magnet dead even with the tooth & if the rotor is close to being under #6 set the magnet dead even with the tooth & see if it will fire. If no go then pull the valve cover & check dot to dot with "rockover"

Hmm that should work I think if he were off one tooth it would be 14 to 15 degree past TDC 0 mark to get into a level overlap on number 6.

If one can get a small level across and get a feel for how they are on 6 compression then you would compare in the overlap at the top of intake stroke.

Probably best done right after a short run (1 minute)to make sure lifters are not pumped down?? (unevenly)

Not a stock cam. Its a fairly large cam. Want to make sure I'm doing this right. It shouldn't be that hard. I get #1 to TDC on compression. Look at the paddle and adjust the dizzy body until it lines up with the closest paddle. Then do I lock the dizzy in place or leave it loose and rotate the crank to 20 then back to 16? Then lock the dizzy in place? I have a large cam thus the setting of 16. I need 34 total and I have 18 on the dizzy.

Dist housing can be loose or snugged. Go to 20. Then forward (CW) to 16. Loosen housing (if tight). Line up the paddle. Snug the dist. As you know, Crank at #1 compression/rotor under #1. EDIT 1 tooth off is 15.6 degrees (360 divided by 23 teeth on crank gear) & I'm sure you got it dot to dot but the gears (one or both dots) could be mismarked but k.i.s.s. one thing at a time.

Cam should be degreed in even if you checked and rechecked the dots by turning over and check and check again the tolerances have always been suspect in cam fazing especially when one takes the stacking affect of all things being off a tad in the same direction.

crank keyway, bottom gear keyway top gear dowel hole and cam dowel placement.

Cam specs???

Gross valve lift Intake .525 Exhaust .525
Duration .006 tapped lift Intake 275 Exhaust 287
Valve timing Open. Closed
INT: 32. BTDC 64 ABDC
EXH: 78. BBDC 30 ATDC

Duration @ .050. Intake. Exhaust
LOBE LIFT. .3510. .3510
LOBE SEP. 110.0.

Comp Cam

Okay I feel real stupid. I took the car to a local mechanic. Within 2 hours determined there was a grounding issue. The grounding strap that is bolted into the head had a loose bolt. So it was a intermittent electrical problem. Also the coil might have been bad so he replaced that as well. Lessened learned, start with the simple things.

Might have to add a second strap.

Thanks for all the input.

You can never have too many grounds!