Timing issues

[CHL2T]

Howdy all,

I am having some trouble trying to get the Challenger timed.....
When I have the timing severely advanced, the engine sounds and runs good with good acceleration but upun hard acceleration it will pop through the carb along with hard warm starts

With the timing in the correct position, TDC, the enging runs rough and shakes with even minor acceleration. The timing mark is also dancing all around between TDC and 5 Before so It is hard to even get it to the proper position

I also seem to have a misfire condition on a few plug wires that I checked with the timing light,
Would that cause the hard timing and jumpy timing marks?

I personally buit the engine probably twenty years ago and was EXTREMELY carefull in lining up the timing chain and dialing in the cam so I am positive that it has nothing to do with that.

Engine is a 318 bored 60 over with 340 guts if that matters....

Any helpful insights would be greatly appreciated
Thankee 

[ChallengerHK]

What constitutes severely advanced?

[Moparal]

hm 20 yr old build      cam wiped a lobe or lifter, sticking valves in the guides, valves not seated, lifter or 2 went bad. Timing not set around 12-18 initial if big cam, bad carb, bad gas, crossed plug wires, bad igniton pick up, bad dwell on points?  Bad ballast resistor ohm, just a few things to check out.  If your cam wiped a lobe for wrong oil on break in, you got some work to do.  Dot to dot on timing chain doesn't really mean dialed in. Dig you degrre it and check the center line install ?

[MIKEHENDEZ]

I had a similar problem and what I did wrong was I didn't remove the vacuum hose from the distributer to the carb. I may have even had it on the wrong port on the carb. Some people say its the left one, some say the right. But after talking to an expert it should be hooked up to the one that doesn't have vacuum at idle. Hope this helps. My challenger runs like a champ now.  Let me know if you have any questions.


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[footin70rt]

Just a thought here but have you checked the timing marks with #1 at TDC, balancer could have slipped.  After many years of use my 440 had the balancer slip and was off about 15 degrees. 

[CHL2T]

All good questions and responses

By severely advanced, I mean I can't even see the mark

Cam was degreed, and proper break in procedures were observed, keeping in mind this was twenty yrs ago but after break in, I put around 30,000 on the engine without these issues,  all obvious stuff, i.e. plugs, wires, electronic ignition, fuel, carb and such are all in good working order or new. The distributer is from a 74 Challenger so the pickup could definitly be an issue there.

At first I had the vacuum line unplugged from the carb, remembered it was the other way around, did it that way with no change in the bouncy timing.

Now that I am thinking of it The whole reason I quit driving the car back in 02 or so was that the original balancer broke where it wraps the crank taking about a quarter of the woodruff key with it. I replaced it with questionable used one.  I didn't change out the key ( bad idea, I know).   The balancer sorta fell onto the crank and I needed the car for transportation as it was my daily driver so I just used some locktite and called it good till I parked it in the weeds for ten years once I got another ride about a month later.

Good call on the balancer, I'll check that and post back

Thanks for the help

[CHL2T]

Got er all figured out        It was the 40 year old distributer, the shaft has excessive up/ down and side to side movement.

Gonna replace it this weekend with a new spare.

Thanks for the input

[CHL2T]

Dropped in the new distributer and now all above mentioned issues are gone and the car is running perfectly

Soon my daughter will be  enjoying her new ride

[ChallengerHK]

 

[Trevor Y]

If its electronic and a mopar, check the air gap at .008, no more than that.
Please tell me then, did this correct 15 degrees of timing or more that displays wrong.
I can't see how a distributor could fix that part of the story.
Thanks
Nice job!
Trev

[CHL2T]

If its electronic and a mopar, check the air gap at .008, no more than that.
Please tell me then, did this correct 15 degrees of timing or more that displays wrong.
I can't see how a distributor could fix that part of the story.
Thanks
Nice job!
Trev

Yes, it took care of the out of view timing marks.
Since the ancient (74) distributer shaft was flopping around so badly, I had the timing "severely advanced" and running good by ear rather than by timing light. Once the new one was in, I was able to use the light to verify what my ears told me

[Trevor Y]

Sweet!
Where did you get the NEW spare and what make and part number?
Thanks
Trev

[CHL2T]

Honestly.....I yanked it out of my 69 Polara, lol

It is just a cardone remanufactured piece of crap from shucks oreilly. Around forty bucks and sky high from there

link for 74 Challenger http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/search.oap?keyword=distributor&year=1974&make=Dodge&model=Challenger&vi=1078691

[CHL2T]

I see you have a 72 barracuda with a 383, you will have to search around  oreilly by using different vehicles till you find a mopar with a 383 and electronic ignition (most likely a truck)