The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop chasin' my tail... timing and tuning 350 sbc

1965 chevy truck stepside lwb

1992 5.7L(350sbc)

4160 holley(600cfm 4 barrel carb) / aluminum intake manifold(edelbrock)

stock headers, true dual exhuast tho' rinky dinky

th350 3 speed auto tranny

power steering.

power drum brakes

okie...

I replaced the head gaskets, one of which was blown out on a cylinder... also the intake manifold gasket which was blown out the back...

got it all back together... but timign was off - even though I marked it, never turned the engine off again... I did something screwy I guess.. rookie issues...

so chased it and chased it and got it back very very close if not there... timin' light and wires set up and what not.

So, here is the thing... it will start fine... idles fine, once it gets going it runs like a scalded dog... but off the line it does not have the pickup it did have... nor for going up hills either... it seems to heisitate a bit when givin' it throttle... you can hear the engien respond to the throttle but it doesn't seem to be GOING it just.. drags... then it wind sup and it goes. It used to zip up hills pretty good... now it winds up...

anyway... any advice? tweak the timign one way or the other soem more? I'm kinda tired with messing with it tonight.

any tips appreciated.

thanks.

-W

If it was me, I would pull #1 spark plug and bump the motor around until #1 piston is at TDC. Then I would pull the distributor cap and see that the rotor is pointing to #1 cylinder wire. If it's off then you need to pick up the distributor and move it until the rotor is pointing directly to #1 wire when the piston is at TDC. Then I would just for the heck of it check the firing order on the wires just in case one is out of firing order.

Have you checked the valves to see their not too tight?

I'm sure you'll have it figured out real soon.

Could be an air leak... losing vacuum.... Just my 2 cents...

Is your vacuum advance hooked up?

- Ryan

End result, the timing was still off - got that straight - and the no.1 spark plug was broke. 'shrug'.

It runs good now. except for that leaky carb...

Thanks for all the tips folks.

-W