Could someone help me out please with a timing issue!!!!!!!!

[evan61977]

I have just gotten a 66 bronco with a 351c and love it. However, i every time i drive the thing i smell like exhaust.......bad. I know the truck is running way to ritch. Problem is that the distributor is alluminum and is stuck. I sprayed some wd-40 down it and will drive it around to se if i can break it free. Any ideas on this? Also i am a novice to working on engines. Other than breaks and stuff i am clueless. Can someone help lay out for me where and how to use a timing light? I know i can just rotate the distributor and listen to try to hear when its running a bit smoother but i would like to make sure with a timing light that it is exactly where it should be?

Thanks to anyone that can and will help me!
Evan

 

[Jeepster]

Timing light is hooked up to the #1 cyl plug. Clip the lead around the #1 plug wire. clean off the harmonic balancer and pointer so you can see the timing marks. white chalk on the marks helps. You'll have to get the dist free so you can rotate. maybe a little heat at the base of the dist/intake will help......careful there.

 

[BG's 68 Bronco]

Is it black smoke coming out of your exhaust?

You might just need to adjust your carb, as long as it's not Fuel injected!

 

[Skuzzlebutt]

A soft faced hammer would be useful for loosening the dist.
A more important project might be figuring out why there's any exhaust at all getting into the cab. "Clean" exhaust isn't so annoying but it'll still cause brain damage.
Don't worry about the carb until everything else is as good as it can get. Most carburetor problems are caused by people who thought they had carburetor problems.

 

[Skuzzlebutt]

....and if you ad your location to your member profile you might find a volunteer or two to help you out.

 

[broncnaz]

Wlecome.
You also need to figure out what type of ignition you have points or electronic? if you have points it may be time to change them out or adjust them. You might try a strap wrench (oil filter type works)on the dist housing to get it loose.

 

[evan61977]

Thanks a mill for all your suggestions. I am gonna give it a try some nite this week. I'll keep you posted.

Skuzzlebutt, The "clean" exhaust comment is right on point. It is super annoying that i drive with the windows down in the middle of winter and a twenty min drive is enough for my clothes and skin to reek of gas/exhaust but when it runs clean i just may not smell the problem. My bronco is def not airtight but there is no big reason i should have a leek like this. I am guessing that along with my truck running way to rich i must have a significant exhaust leak somewhere. Is this something i can just smell around for? Or listen for?

Thanks again for all your help. I am just learning and i appreciate all your input!
Evan

 

[Skiddy]

Another question where does your exhaust exit out at?

 

[evan61977]

Two straight out the back! I know that this could be a slight part of the problem but not the back of the truck is the most sealed up part of the truck. The tips both extend past the bumper as well. The smell in the cabin is sooooooo bad that i don't think it could possibly be caused by that. I plan on getting someone to bend the pipes out to the side behind the tires eventually. Anyone know of a guy that can do that in or around the Philadelphia area?

 

[Skiddy]

Yep I am sure that is part of your problem. You can add turn downs that will help until you get it redone, also use them them when you reroute them. Any muffler shop around your area should be able to do it pretty cheap.

 

[DBrown]

first off don't touch your timing unless you have a light.

the first thing I would do is check the timing, if it is right then get a vacume guage and adjust the carb. if it is a points ign. then you might need to mess with that also.

how long has it been since you did a tune up? before you just go buying things clean the cap and button, check all the plug wires, and pull the plugs one at a time to see what kind of condition they are in. if you are runing rich they will be black if you are running lean they will be white. the color you are looking for is like a pancake color. you can also tune the carb by checking this also...you will probably have a dual plane intake that means one side of the carb runs 4 cyc. and the other plane runs the others. if say one plug is black and one is normal then you can adjust the correct side of the carb to tune it out and make it right. you just have to know which plane the plugs are on in the intake...make sence?

the exhaust leaks can be found by looking and listening and feeling under the truck. listen where you hear them from then run your hand without touching anything next to the pipe. when you feel the warm gas hit your hand you found your leak.

 

[302fix]

Check your wheel wells in back. I had a hole in mine letting the exhaust fumes in there. Patched it up and was good to go.