Young and in Love

[FinallyRearDrive]

Before I get started, I want everyone to know I'm new and very inexperienced so I'm sorry if I'm asking something simple or elementary, but I have noone else to ask. I'm 22 years old and just bought a beautiful '70 cuda 383, and am loving her (except when I can't figure out what's wrong with her, which seems to be every other day). I've been spending the first couple of months fixing simple things like replacing the starter, ignition coil, and rebuilding the carb. Everythings been going fine (the car never ran quite right, but slowly getting better), but I just realized the timing is waaay off. I have searched this forum and others for help, but they all assume I have a scale on my harmonic balancer, a timing light, experience, and a few other things I am actaully lacking. So my question is, is it possible to set reasonable timing without a timing light, tach, or a scale on the h. balancer? or are those things necessary to even get it close? I've been fiddling with it and it seems to start up more easily, but it still idles incredibly high (the idle screw will only let me chose between a painfully high idle and idle so low the car is ready to die), and whenever I am idling at a traffic light, it is a crapshoot whether or not the car will take off when I hit the gas or if it will just stall out. Thanks in advance for the help.

[Chryco Psycho]

Yes you can set timing without using a light . I threw mine out years ago !
 typically I disconnect the vacuum advance & leave it off , run the engine up to 2500-3000 rpm & advance the timing until the RPM quit rising & just turn it back to where it just starts to lose RPM again , as long as the engine doesn`t ping you are good to go .
 Check the advance springs inside the distributoir , if they are too light or are broken they can cause the idle problem you are having with no idle adjustment bettwen low & high RPM

[HP2]

I've been fiddling with it and it seems to start up more easily, but it still idles incredibly high (the idle screw will only let me chose between a painfully high idle and idle so low the car is ready to die),

Yes, you can time them by ear and it sounds like you are heading in the right direction, however... this combined with the statement that you've rebuilt the carb would tell me that you still have some tinkering on the carburator to get the idle situation ironed out. Timing adjustments will alter idle, but not with a drastic high or low issue. I would tend to think there are still carb adjustments to be made in high idle cam, choke mechanism, or a primary/secondary linkage adjustment. It's also worth checking out the distributor springs like CP pointed as well.

[Supercuda]

If you have the original equipment Holley carb, there is also the possibility that the emulsion tubes in the metering block are clogged with "filth" from the last thirty-odd years of bad gas and likely non-use. I had to pitch mine, as the emulsion tubes could not be cleaned, and the replacement block cost as much as a new 0-1850 carb. My symptoms were very similar to yours.

[Road_Runner]

I'll leave the diagnosing to the others who've already chimed in, and just say welcome to the forum and you've got a great car to build on!  That 383 in your 70 Cuda will make a fine running collectable car you should try to hold onto for the rest of your life.  I've got two old Mopars and they're going to my 2 kids when the time comes.  Expect some issues while you iron things out, but trust me it is well worth the effort when she's running fine & cruising around town!

Later, Jim

[FinallyRearDrive]

Thanks everyone. I'll do it tomorrow after school and let you know how it turns out. In the meantime, here's a picture of her in case anybody cares.

[tommyg29]

NICE car
Wish I owned one like that when I was your age.
You have a 2 barrel or 4?

And welcome

[the_engineers]

Nice ride.  Does the smile come off or is it permanent?

[usraptr]

Nice car and welcome!!   Auto or Stick?   I factory ordered a 1970 Cuda with a 383 and 4speed, triple black, back in  Oct of 1969.  Great running car.  Stupidest thing I ever did was sell it. 

[Road_Runner]

Thanks everyone. I'll do it tomorrow after school and let you know how it turns out. In the meantime, here's a picture of her in case anybody cares.

Great looking car, same color as my 70 383 Roadrunner I bought used in 74 when I was in high school.  My RR has the go wing & black vinyl top so definitely close cousins.

Later, Jim

[4Cruizn]

WOW sweet ride!  Welcome to cc.com!  Looks like you will fit right in!   

[JoltinJoe]

 :droolingbounce:permasmile!

[Cooter]

WOW! All i can say is Nice Ride...Keep yer head up, you'll get it...I have confidence you'll get that 'ol 383 running good before long...

[mopar12372]

welcome !!!! setting timming is not rocket science , it can be done but youll never know where its set so when you start getting the need for speed when a mustang or corvette spanks your asp youll learn how to tune your car . i would be scared of someone rearending me stalling at a light  .

jack up car put on jackstands chock rear wheels , look under front of car at harmonic balancer . look at it close youll see lines and a 0 mark , get some chalk run it around the balancer , look up from the bottom you should see the timming tab with # on it . when you find this ill or someone else will tell you how to time .  hope this helps

[The Cuda Guy]

Cool car bro!  Paint looks great, welcome to the site.

Don