Dwell / timing oddness

[Linda]

Go back to basics on everything.
You will notice that you won't get much response to your questions without a reasonably methodical approach and clear posts. No one wants to jump in to the middle of a diagnosis if you haven't verified the basics. If you don't know what the basics are of course, the true experts, not me, can tell you.
I know your style is rather free form, but if you notice no responses then maybe make it clearer to increase your chances of help..After all, that is the goal, right? Maybe write down and edit, then post.
Good luck
Linda

[Lorna c]

Go back to basics on everything.
You will notice that you won't get much response to your questions without a reasonably methodical approach and clear posts. No one wants to jump in to the middle of a diagnosis if you haven't verified the basics. If you don't know what the basics are of course, the true experts, not me, can tell you.
I know your style is rather free form, but if you notice no responses then maybe make it clearer to increase your chances of help..After all, that is the goal, right? Maybe write down and edit, then post.
Good luck
Linda

I thought I was . Ugh . I need something to turn on in my brain because I'm not trying to be " free form " . I'm still a hack sometimes on vocab and methodically moving through things I'm still guessing on the methodical approach. But I understand what your saying . That's my frustrations . Not putting it correctly when I think I have . But I have another set of points to put in that look different than I've been using .. anyway thanks Linda . I know y'all are trying to help me and I know what I mean, but that doesn't help me out... haha .. I'll switch out points and say a prayer . Hopefully God knows what I mean ..hahahaha talk soon .. hopefully with success ! It must be just as frustrating to try to help me as it is for me to try to learn this stuff here not knowing if I'm doing it correctly or not . Only the results tell me .. ok here I go .

[Lorna c]

Well , car did great at idle with 50 dwell , I know should be even smaller up to 64 or so .. and timing is 0° btdc got it to 5° btdc and tighten things up . (All out of room to move distributor + any further and octane selector is also turned all the way up) has a great Idol. Took it out for a spin and it leaves stop extremely sluggish till about 2, 000 RPMs and it almost feels as if it gets pushed and it jumps into action, the way I'm used to it being right from stop when I have it set correctly. Anyway nothing on the freeway either . Barely got to 65 mph not impressed at all . This is with a 50dwell 25×2 from 8cyl and tops at 5°btdc with a timing gun . Plugs at 45 and valves staying closed with same set as before.. hey now wouldn't the valves need to be different if my settings are coming from 5° btdc as a timing ? Like say the 16°isn't that or even 10 isn't that what we're setting the valves to which is the cam then the valves and then the points two spark plugs I'll have to be timed with the cam no? So if I'm throwing the ball sooner or later actually later when it have to go faster meaning the spark referring to football.. but I would think that would have to be made up somewhere now ? No? Anyway again when I put it to 30 or less dewll , it runs quick off the stop under load and highway too . Keeping the timing at about 8-11° btdc . Now why is that ? It just keeps happening to be the only way it's happy .. I really don't understand but I'm listening to it for now cuz I'm still baffled so I let it tell me what it likes and I leave it being completely wrong from what you all say and the manual... So I stand Here stumped..

[Lorna c]

Well tried it again hitting 60dwell . no bueno .. I have to turn the idle so high to even keep it going it sounds labored and chunky , if those are technical terms LOL.. took it down to just under 30 and it held idle and got up and went , even on freeway ..go figure..

[Linda]

I think you didn't recheck the basics.
So which one could it be?
Linda

[Toptech360]

If your distributor is maxed out all the way and still not where you want to be, the distributor is likely not installed correctly. Like Linda said. Basics. You can do it!

[Linda]

Exactly! Toptech bailed you out.
You are working in the middle without saying if you went back thru all the basics.
And if you go back in your thread you stated that distributor came out previously and that you are not sure if you moved the car. If you aren't sure, then I'm not sure, time to go back to basics and recheck.
See the Wiki for how to set up the distributor as if it was a NEW rebuild.
Report back!
Linda

[Lorna c]

I've asked before if you can install the distributor incorrectly and was told no (basically no of what I was understanding anyway) That was a question I've asked a few times and not just here on the forum and basiy this is the first time I've heard that it's possible.. when I did install it , it seemed to me that it almost couldn't be placed incorrect . Except maybe 180° out and was told that's about all that could happen to it and it won't let me seat it all the way down 180° out . So it was my understanding that it couldn't be . ( That was my understanding at the time ) I bring it up now and then because it seemed to fall back to that with no real answer that I understood I guess ... I asked someone random even last night and they said only if it was in gear when moved or something . So I dropped the subject again. .. UNTIL NOW ! OK this makes sense with what I'm experiencing ... Now I'll go and reread it again and hopefully see how to switch things correctly.. oh boy ... We found it . Thanks guys . (Not meaning only men) . I get the part where if I'm not sure you guys aren't sure but I wasn't even sure it could happen that's why I kind of brought it up again but it looks like a was finally recognized or something because now I'm hearing it can be . And not only 180° out ? Right ? And how did I mess it up ? Pushing it while out ? Did the gears have to be in ?
Anyway this is awesome . Now how to fix . whoOhOo .. whoOhOo whoOhOo .. YESSSSSS . This makes sense !
......

[Lorna c]

I'm searching for someone who may know I'm hitting all my contacts now.. for help with distributor and my brake line.. so hopefully by maybe tomorrow night I'll have some exciting news on it being fixed and driving like a champ again..

[Linda]

I would not rely on ASKING, I would rely on READING. Why? Because if the clarity of your question is obscured(free form) then your question gets lost, or ignored. And anyway, at any time you could go back to basics to recheck.
The WIKI has the steps on installation. Do that exactly, being sure you know what each term means.
Linda
Nice if someone helps you, but if you understand the mistake then you might not make it again

[Lorna c]

I will . Then I'll be back . I thought ,someone who's supposed to know this motor would show up today but , as I know this guy , he didn't . So unfortunately or fortunately , I'm on my own again . And that's why I work on this car by myself . I don't think it would be running yet if I'd waited on some of my "friends"to show me or work on it . So being tenacious like I am , I dove in and continue to dive in . haha waters not so bad all the time . Anyway thanks . I'll get it figured out . The more times I read it , the less it sounds Chinese to me .. haha or Japanese I guess . Ok well ,I have a focal point at least now , maybe .. oh what if this isn't it ? What if I reset this and it was correct this entire time and it's something else ? But that's ok . I've got it running good , it's just not right . lol .

[Linda]

You can do it. It's not brain surgery
Just go step by step. Don't add, don't subtract, don't run off and do something else. Just verify the dizzy is installed like what is written. 1,2,3 etc. Boring but effective for amateurs. Report back.
Linda

[Lorna c]

I will thx

[Lorna c]

this spring was laying on the bottom of the distributor and it appears to be different from the one that still attached.

Screenshot_20180806-150814.png

does anybody know what's up with that ?

[Lorna c]

He doesn't know it it's supposed to be different or if it's wrong or leave it off ?? (The spring ?