This is in hard core because.... I don't really believe it myself, even though I'm the one who has done all of the verifications. I've had a lot of cars - timing is sometimes a pain, but I always get it right and figured out. I've had everything from carb'd cars, boats... up to one off hand built megasquirt EFI vehicles (ok, several of those) running extremely well.... and even one off motorswaps that I did all the wiring for. This shouldn't be my first rodeo....
In fact, it's so odd, and not possible, I'm literally just ignoring it. Curious if anyone can shed some light.
~78 350 SBC
Edelbrock intake
Stock but "rebuilt" 4B Quadrajet
All wiring is 1 off (but does have new everything - and pertaining to this thread, that includes all battery wiring, solenoids, relays, switches)
Has a newer/low mileage MSD distributor (I believe 8632 with a red coil), vacuum advance (with built in, on cap coil)
Has brand new plugs and wires
Couple weeks ago I went to time my SBC (vacuum line pulled and blocked off)- the crank mark was nowhere to be found.
Shut the engine down, thinking it must be some small mark and I would use paint (ok, shiny nail polish from the Fiance) to 'brighten' it up under the light.
Found the mark - bright as day, big cut across the balancer, and marked white.
Run truck - turn dizzy (to the point of dying both directions) and can't find the mark. Set dizzy roughly between the 2 dying points and start searching with the timing light.
The mark is pointing at about 7 o clock (towards the passenger front tire, downwards). I shut the truck down, think about it.... and verify 2 more times that's where the timing mark is and that's exactly what I'm seeing - even rotating the dizzy and watching it move, but no more than say a 30* sweep total.
Ok - so timing must be off 180.....
Research - ok, a 350 won't run with the dizzy 180 out (and I have driven it), or if it does.... it will run just *barely* (and I assume that this isn't waste spark as it isn't DLI... guess I could be wrong there).
So I then assume that the dizzy is accurate to the compression stroke, but somehow the chain was installed 180 out - which really the only issue would be the mark on the crank for timing. I check for TDC and the mark is dead across from the pointer at 180, and also dead on at 0 (I did not have the valve covers pulled).
Not a huge deal - I can make a new mark.
I pull the bib, radiator, and the belts. I get the factory mark pointing dead straight downwards (using straight edges) and use said shiny nail polish to mark both the balancer and the pointer. (In case you need to know... it's OPI and some sort of purply glitter color.... we chose OPI for it's durability... haha).
I drink a bunch of beer and re-assemble the vehicle.... go to time it....
The factory mark shows up under the pointer, and I time it.
I assume that beer was the reason I saw the factory mark... and just pretend that isn't what I saw.
Couple days later, I pull the rig out of the garage.... and go to retime it (no beer).
Sure as s*** - the mark is dead on at about 7* (vacuum line pulled). I timed it right with beer influence (doesn't surprise me, I'm oddly good at working on vehicles with "wrenching fluid").
The vehicle runs better, and temps are decreased. I drive it around the neighborhood and am happy with the results. So I know the timing is right. The carb isn't... but that's another issue.
Now for the 2nd part of this story that's odd - when I went to pull the vehicle out 2nd attempt to time - the first cranking - the starter was shut down to a hard stop.... as if there was a mis-timed backfire (it didn't back fire, just stopped the starter dead cold). When it happened I thought the ground had been loose and I lost power to the truck - nope.
2 turns of the key and it fired right up, no problems.
I would fall for the "balancer slip" idea - except that it would mean it would have to slip 2 times, at exactly 180*
The holder/bolt for the dizzy are tight, I can't turn it by hand. The dizzy isn't moving.
The only 2 things I can possibly think of are:
1) there's a problem with the dizzy.... something internally is misfiring or it's a wastespark system... somehow. Though I doubt it as, although it's about 5 years old, it probably has less than 1,000 miles on it... it was bought for this motor by the engines PO.
2) somehow the dizzy isn't meshed correctly with the crank, and somehow the dizzy has the ability to reset itself 180 out.... but that sounds like lunacy.... because it should only run if it's on the compression stroke.... and yet....
In fact, it's so odd, and not possible, I'm literally just ignoring it. Curious if anyone can shed some light.
~78 350 SBC
Edelbrock intake
Stock but "rebuilt" 4B Quadrajet
All wiring is 1 off (but does have new everything - and pertaining to this thread, that includes all battery wiring, solenoids, relays, switches)
Has a newer/low mileage MSD distributor (I believe 8632 with a red coil), vacuum advance (with built in, on cap coil)
Has brand new plugs and wires
Couple weeks ago I went to time my SBC (vacuum line pulled and blocked off)- the crank mark was nowhere to be found.
Shut the engine down, thinking it must be some small mark and I would use paint (ok, shiny nail polish from the Fiance) to 'brighten' it up under the light.
Found the mark - bright as day, big cut across the balancer, and marked white.
Run truck - turn dizzy (to the point of dying both directions) and can't find the mark. Set dizzy roughly between the 2 dying points and start searching with the timing light.
The mark is pointing at about 7 o clock (towards the passenger front tire, downwards). I shut the truck down, think about it.... and verify 2 more times that's where the timing mark is and that's exactly what I'm seeing - even rotating the dizzy and watching it move, but no more than say a 30* sweep total.
Ok - so timing must be off 180.....
Research - ok, a 350 won't run with the dizzy 180 out (and I have driven it), or if it does.... it will run just *barely* (and I assume that this isn't waste spark as it isn't DLI... guess I could be wrong there).
So I then assume that the dizzy is accurate to the compression stroke, but somehow the chain was installed 180 out - which really the only issue would be the mark on the crank for timing. I check for TDC and the mark is dead across from the pointer at 180, and also dead on at 0 (I did not have the valve covers pulled).
Not a huge deal - I can make a new mark.
I pull the bib, radiator, and the belts. I get the factory mark pointing dead straight downwards (using straight edges) and use said shiny nail polish to mark both the balancer and the pointer. (In case you need to know... it's OPI and some sort of purply glitter color.... we chose OPI for it's durability... haha).
I drink a bunch of beer and re-assemble the vehicle.... go to time it....
The factory mark shows up under the pointer, and I time it.
I assume that beer was the reason I saw the factory mark... and just pretend that isn't what I saw.
Couple days later, I pull the rig out of the garage.... and go to retime it (no beer).
Sure as s*** - the mark is dead on at about 7* (vacuum line pulled). I timed it right with beer influence (doesn't surprise me, I'm oddly good at working on vehicles with "wrenching fluid").
The vehicle runs better, and temps are decreased. I drive it around the neighborhood and am happy with the results. So I know the timing is right. The carb isn't... but that's another issue.
Now for the 2nd part of this story that's odd - when I went to pull the vehicle out 2nd attempt to time - the first cranking - the starter was shut down to a hard stop.... as if there was a mis-timed backfire (it didn't back fire, just stopped the starter dead cold). When it happened I thought the ground had been loose and I lost power to the truck - nope.
2 turns of the key and it fired right up, no problems.
I would fall for the "balancer slip" idea - except that it would mean it would have to slip 2 times, at exactly 180*
The holder/bolt for the dizzy are tight, I can't turn it by hand. The dizzy isn't moving.
The only 2 things I can possibly think of are:
1) there's a problem with the dizzy.... something internally is misfiring or it's a wastespark system... somehow. Though I doubt it as, although it's about 5 years old, it probably has less than 1,000 miles on it... it was bought for this motor by the engines PO.
2) somehow the dizzy isn't meshed correctly with the crank, and somehow the dizzy has the ability to reset itself 180 out.... but that sounds like lunacy.... because it should only run if it's on the compression stroke.... and yet....
