First-time start checklist UPDATE - POST 19 - IT CRANKED!! calling timing gurus!

[Bonco4Broncos]

If we were any where near I would come and try to help you get her fired up. You'll get there just keep plugging. I have seen mismatched cover marks that did not match the Harmonic bal. marks before and usually just set the timing by ear and fine tuned to get it to perform the way I wanted it to. Some frown on setting timing by ear and consider it kinda witchcraft. I've personally had great luck the shade tree way.

 

[savage]

Hey 77RHINO, you said your running the edlebrock 1826.What fuel pump are you running? mechanical or electric. The edlebrock carbs are very finenigy if the fuel pressure gets to high. They tend to flood easily. Make sure the fuel pressure does not exceed 6.0 psi. You may need to check the floats, to see if they are adjusted correctly,Even if the carb is new.

 

[77RHINO]

Thanks guys, I am running the mechanical Carter M6588, claims max pressure of 5.5 to 6.5 psi. I've never opened up the carb, just sprayed lost of carb cleaner/wd40 in and over it after the backfire. I will look into getting a regulator to see if that will help keep pressure steady. I am hoping to get off early today and see if I can make some good headway with getting it dialed in.

 

[Steve83]

Did you mark the actual 0TDC on the balancer?

 

[77RHINO]

Steve, I did not. I believe the marks that it came with are not quite right, but I need another set of mechanically inclined hands to help verify TDC while I am underneath turning the crank - the holding the finger up there feeling while turning makes it difficult. On a positive note, I went searching through some old threads on spark issues, and found one from years ago that helped me figure out my problem - faulty ignition control module -A BRAND NEW ONE!! I plugged my old one in and grounded the plug and thwack! a GOOD spark! Got it all buttoned up, rolled it outside and it fired up!! I also went out to 2 turns on my mixture screws, lowered my idle a little, and ran it for 10-15 minutes, checking everything. It sputters about 3 times after the key is off, which is much less than it was doing, and backed into the garage under its own power for the first time in two months! I couldn't do any more on it after that, had house projects to work on. I am hoping to get it dialed in this week. I am going to re-read your dist. article for the 5th time and see how it will apply to my situation, and I may have to end up getting timing tape or something rather than use the regular marks on the balancer. The timing light is flashing about a half inch after 0*, which is also about where a buddy said the straw quit rising when I was rotating it, but I'm not sure he fully understood what I was trying to do. Thanks everyone for your help, this has been a battle!

 

[77RHINO]

Hey guys, finally an update on this. Had to build a fence and deck, so I couldn't tinker much. I siphoned out the gas I had (87) and then put 5 gallons of 93 in it, rolled it outside without touching the dist and it fired up. Looks like its hitting 8* at idle, and then rolls up around 20* when some throttle is given. Ran it for a while, trying to get the 87 out of the lines, and then drove it around the block, and noticed more power immediately! I haven't driven it since the build, so I didn't know what to expect. Even being easy on it, it took off in 2nd pretty easily, even tho it still has the 3.50s, but I will be switching to 4.56s soon. I know I still have some adjustments to make, I can tell there is some hesitating, the choke idle/fast idle is wayy too high, but I am extremely happy its done this much! After reading article after article about dieseling/run-on, I was fairly sure my compression ratio was too high for 87. After I drove around for a while, and then got back in the driveway and let it idle for a bit, I shut it off-NO DIESELING!!!! it turned off just like it should, no sputtering or anything!! All I can say is thanks to all ya'll and this forum because I have never built an engine and to drive it was an awesome feeling, even knowing it wasn't fully dialed in yet.

 

[Steve83]

This article & some of the TSBs near the bottom of the caption contain some info you might find relevant: