distributor issues. NEED HELP

[jdubray3 10]

I am surprising my dad with a 1969 Mustang Coupe and I am having issues with the distributor. I am at TDC and I can't get it to time at 6°. It won't even come close. It's a 1973 351w 2v engine out of a Torino. I made sure I was at cylinder #1 on TDC. Rotor is pointing close to my mark for #1. It starts and idles just sounds like it is laboring. The closer I get to my mark on the balancer the worst sounding it gets while trying to set the timing. Do I have timing chain issues?

[danno 128]

Did it formerly work fine, and now it does not? If that is the case, the timing chain is probably ok. Has the distributor been removed or replaced? Do you know that the parts are original, nothing has been swapped, like the distributor?

[jdubray3 10]

Brand new distributor and timing chain. I heard the engine run prior to me buying it. It sounded real good. Was driven before I bought it, but the timing chain need to be changed because it was really baggy.

[skidmarky 50]

Distributor 180 degrees off?

[stuart 13]

Assuming that the timing chain was installed correctly (dot to dot) and you said it starts and idles fine, then the distributor may just be a tooth "off" when it was dropped in the block. If it was 180 degrees off I don't think it would run without a lot of spitting and popping/backfiring. If the timing chain gears weren't aligned correctly, then you may have artificially retarded it, causing it to run sluggish. Make sure you don't have any vacuum leaks either.

[jdubray3 10]

I don't think the distributor is off 180°, the rotor is pointing to #1 toward the driver side seat of the car.

[jdubray3 10]

Timing chain was installed dot to dot

[jdubray3 10]

What happens if the timing chain is installed a little off?

[det0326 179]

What happens if the timing chain is installed a little off?

 

First off you don't have to worry about the timing chain being off 180 if it was it would not even run much less idle. the timing chain being off one tooth has being debated before, some say it would run one tooth off some say it wouldn't. I personally don't think it would run one tooth off and if it did it I don't think it would idle. Or you sure the timing mark bracket or the harmonic balancer is correct to this engine ? By what you say it seems to run OK until you try to set it to the correct marks.

Dave

Edited October 3, 2014 by det0326

[jdubray3 10]

Yes I believe it's the correct balancer and marker because if I ordered new ones they are the same. Yes it tries to die when i try to set the timing. The more i spin the distributor counter clockwise it sounds worse

[Midlife 814]

Is the order of the spark plug wires correct for your engine/cam?

[barnett468 418]

HELLO;

 

Ok, well first of all, tell us what the timing is exactly?

 

is your diistributir vacuum connected to ported or manifold vacuum?

 

disconnect and plug the dist vacuum.

 

start car and turn the distributor until it smooths out and just reaches the highest rpm and tell us what that number is. it should be around 12. in other words, 4 would be unusual and around 18 or more would be unusual. 10 - 12 is very common for stock cams and most street performance engines.

 

 

you can get a piston stop tool and determine tdc with that and check it against your damper marks.

 

 

as mentioned, verify your firing order., i could be one of two.

 

1 5 4 2 6 3 6 8 - std

 

1 3 7 2 6 5 4 8 351 - windsor and 5.0

Edited October 4, 2014 by barnett468

[jdubray3 10]

Took the HEI out and put points back in and it worked perfect

[1969_Mach1 333]

The laboring idle sound can indicate your ignition timing is severely retarded. Turning the distributor counter clockwise as viewed from the top retards the ignition timing. And it sounds like that is what you are doing to try to line up the balancer and pointer timing marks. I too don't think it will not run if the timing chain was off one tooth. I have seen old motors with loose chains jump one tooth and they crank strange and will not start.

 

Since your balancer is new the outer ring probably has not slipped. You can use a positive stop in number one spark plug and through forward and reverse hand rotations of the crank find TDC and mark the balancer. But, I would double check the balancer and pointer combination, it sounds incorrect. Ford had different setups for 351w motors. A neighbor of mine is in that situation and times his motor by ear.

[juit 34]

First off you don't have to worry about the timing chain being off 180 if it was it would not even run much less idle. the timing chain being off one tooth has being debated before, some say it would run one tooth off some say it wouldn't. I personally don't think it would run one tooth off and if it did it I don't think it would idle. Or you sure the timing mark bracket or the harmonic balancer is correct to this engine ? By what you say it seems to run OK until you try to set it to the correct marks.

Dave

 

there was a time Id said that this was correct buuuuutttttttttttt my car came with 1 tooth skipped it was the one from the lower sprocket the engine will idle like a cammed engine, but still had a great punch, I realized this because I wanted to see the cam that it had, the previous owned assembled the engine wrong

Edited October 11, 2014 by juit