timing problem, probably my fault...
timing problem, probably my fault... i just put in a new crate engine from gm. Bone stock 350. Anyways I went to time the engine and something is off. It idles nice and smooth, but the lowest i can get the timing is like 16 degrees BTDC. I was aiming to set it at 8. If i go any lower it will die. I brought it up to number one compression and turned the rotor back about 2 inches and dropped it in. The rotor and plug tower on the cap lined up perfect when it engaged. The only thing i can think of is i got the wrong timing pointer on it. It came with two and i didnt know which one to use. I have an 8 inch balancer, so i used the "fatter" or bigger pointer. I assumed this one was correct. Ive never paid attention before because i always put the same one back on that i took off. It just a regular old carb;d motor with an hei distributor. any thoughts? i did cap off the vac port on the carb for the advance before i attempted to time it.
Distributor off one tooth? What RPM are you at when checking the timing? Your mech advance could be kicking in allready and making your timing light readout diferent than what it actually is. Try lowering the idle before you check the timing.
But first I'd try going one tooth each way from where it is now and then trying the timing light. I'd probally bet on the dist being one tooth off. The oil pump drive won't lign up when you go move the dist one tooth. I used to slide the dist in far enough to engage the gear. Then unplug the coil wire and have someone tap the key untill it moved enough to engage the oil pump drive into the dist and the dist would drop all the way in place. You could probably line it up with a screwdriver or something to, but my cowl was real crampd so I did it that way though.
Id those 2 aren't it, it'd probably have to be a misaligned timing pointer eh?
But first I'd try going one tooth each way from where it is now and then trying the timing light. I'd probally bet on the dist being one tooth off. The oil pump drive won't lign up when you go move the dist one tooth. I used to slide the dist in far enough to engage the gear. Then unplug the coil wire and have someone tap the key untill it moved enough to engage the oil pump drive into the dist and the dist would drop all the way in place. You could probably line it up with a screwdriver or something to, but my cowl was real crampd so I did it that way though.
Id those 2 aren't it, it'd probably have to be a misaligned timing pointer eh?
i dont know, i lined the oil drive up with a screwdriver. im thinking its the pointer. When i went to line the engine up to tdc, i put my finger over the plug as I bumped it over. It seemed to me that it quit pushing air out a little to quick before I hit the "o" on the pointer.
edit..oh yea, the carb is a brand new street avenger 570. I would "think" it would be set pretty close. They claim the idle is set at the factory. Who knows.
edit..oh yea, the carb is a brand new street avenger 570. I would "think" it would be set pretty close. They claim the idle is set at the factory. Who knows.
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Early SBC's have a different timing location VS later SBC's. This applies to gen 1 blocks. The change occured sometime in the mid 70's IIRC. You might want to check this. It has nothing to do with the engine, rather it has to do with using the right pointer with the correct balancer.
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I "think" i got it right. I messed with it most of the day and determined that the balancer was the problem. I bought a new balancer for it (77-86 truck) since the motor is an internal balanced motor. My 88 engine was an external so i had to get a new balancer. The engine i bought was supposed to be a universal 350 from like 71 to 86 or something. Im guessing for whatever reason the timing mark on the balancer did not coinicide with the crank in the engine. I put a piece of rope in the cylinder and cranked it to tdc on the compression stroke. I even pulled the valve cover to verify. Once it stopped from hitting the rope, i marked the balancer and the pointer at 0. (fyi the mark that is cast on the balancer was about 3 inches counter clockwise from the new mark i made). I fired it up and set the timing to 8 degrees. It seems to be running real good. I drove it around the yard real quick and am waiting on traffic to die down before i attempt a maiden voyage on the road. Ill let you know how it goes.
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i got it running. It actually runs great but im having cooling problems from hell. I do not know what is going on. Ive replaced the thermostat, drilled a hole in the thermostat, tried to burp the system several times, put a new water pump on it, etc etc. The damn thing is circulating water, but its still getting hot as a pistol. The only thing i did different was hook the heater hose up to the driver side port, (the "sending unit port"), instead of the traditional passanger side. Could this be messing up the flow? IT was easier for me to attach my heater hose this way. The heater gets nice and hot, but the damn engine is overheating. I dont know whats going on. 
