I finally got to messing around with the Bee a bit. I did what I normally do and opened up the distributor and replaced the stock advance springs with Mopar units. Usually I used someone else's. Anyway, the engine doesn't seem happy. It doesn't run smooth at idle. It pops and backfires way more than it should when I give it gas. Almost as if it were advancing way too fast. I've never had this problem before. I haven't set the timing completely yet, it's close, because I haven't had the help to do it.
Any thoughts?
Stock low deck electronic distributor. New orange box. I'll see if I can remember where I have the timing set.

I think you need to do the timing before anything else. I went w/ the Mr. Gasket set, I think they are even lighter, but I have mine full in at 2200. (37*)

More info please: What's your idle speed? What's your initial? You used both MP light springs? They (when both used) can start advancing at ~600 RPM which is likely not gonna work in your app. 1 of em with the OE light spring might be a better start. For spot on you'd want to set the initial with the vac gauge method then shorten the slots to get 36 total (initial+slots) with vac adv disconnected then sort out the springs & with them you want to be just under the pinging point at WOT up thru the gears on your hottest/driest day & for the springs to start advancing not less than 200 RPM above your hot in gear idle speed which is what the eng will be seeing at the stoplight. I'm assuming the plug wires are correct/no vac lines left off. Holler back

I am pretty sure I set it at 19 initial but I will have to check. I don't know that I've seen the vacuum guage method. I'm thinking advance coming in at 600 is very believable. The idle is right around 900. Hot/dry days may be in short supply for quite some time around here...

You can tell with the timing light.
Make note of the timing at idle, 1000 rpms, 1400, 1600, 1800 all the way to 3000rpms. Write them down and that is your timing curve.

You don't want any mechanical advance until after idle and all of it by say 2200 rpms.

I had to bend the spring mounting tags to get my advance right where I needed it. Springs alone was not going to get it where it needed to be.

If the timing mark on the balancer is dancing around at idle you have too light of spring in there.

You generally keep the loose stocker spring and change the other to a lighter spring to speed up the advance. So your only changing one spring.

Thanks. I will have to put a stock spring back in. The timing mark bounces all over at idle.

Never mind. I saw the thread on it. Good stuff...

I scanned these for you. Mopar instructions.

I tried to flip them with photo bucket as I scanned them upside down. I flipped them but I guess I never saved them on photobucket. Sorry I'll do it right next time.


Mallory instructions.

If you can't run both of the Mopar springs without the advance coming in at idle then do one of two things.

1. forget about them. Toss the governor spring with the loop on one end and run just the light factory spring. If the timing doesn't come in fast enough stretch it a bit.

2. Drill your weights out to lighten them up/find lighter ones.

Find the initial & when it (weights/springs) start advancing the mech timing & what hot idle speed you're at. We gotta get a baseline to get started. On the dancing timing marks at idle either the timing chain is sloppy or the collar is needed or both & that needs to be dealt with pretty much first

Thanks to all three of you. I hope to be back on it tomorrow. I know the timing chain shouldn't be loose. The engine doesn't have very many miles on it. Built by a member here.

setup your dial indicator horizontle on a dist reluctor tooth. Put your dampener timing marks (the TDC slit) on zero coming up to it easy so when you hit zero you have forward (clockwise)tension on the 1&1/4" socket/breaker bar (so the timing chain will be tight) then you carefully move the breaker bar in the opposite direction CCW till a helper tells you the reluctor (dial indicator) (just) moved a thou. Holler with how many dampener degrees of movement you show down below. this'll show you "crank" degrees of chain slop. Twist the rotor back & forth lightly & measure how far of an arc the tip moves (dont get into the springs) measured at the dist housing top perimeter then with some math figure out the degrees of intergear/tang slop & double that number for crank degrees Then add em together for the total slop dimention & post what you get (on each of em). EDIT You said new orange box, did it run OK priorly with that box

mmm... spam for breakfast

Out of curiosity did you check the total after you put the MP spings in ? Myself I use and like the Mr Gasket kit on my sons stock dist. His total is 38 and it is all in by 2000 and idles about 900 in gear with the initial at 20. I set it up that way and works very good on his 400. Course it will depend on the build for how much initial you can run but I agree if it bounceing around at idle and did not before I would change the springs to try and keep it to about no advance at idle and work from there. I have a Mallory dist in my 63 that works very good with the springs that came in it and it has many adjustments to work with. Ron

I got to messing with it last night. Pulled the distributor apart and I found the biggest problem to be the base the pickup coil rides on. It was loose and the pickup floated too much. I replaced the wave spring under the base and the timing is much more stable. Not right, but it's better.

If the hole ain't wallowed out & the pin not excessively worn you might be able to put a real thin washer with an OD just bigger than the triangle leg OD on the pin under the plate before you install the triangle connector to force the legs of the triangle to bend a bit more so it will hold the pin tighter. You dont really want to try to bend the triangle legs in your hand as they are very brittle & will break off. If the pin (magnet assy) or the hole is fubared then replacement ones would be in order