This is my dilema: I just replaced the intake and carb. Now my car idles like it has a lopey cam in it, I don't think it has one. I can't adjust the timing because my pointer is missing., Anyone have and idea on how to smooth it out..At idle I spray the hoses with carb cleaner to check for vaccuum leaks and all were good I don't know what else to do. When driving it smooths out during excelleration but at any steady speed it gets rough I don't know?? Any help would be appreciated Lance
timing or something
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Probably the idle mixtures need adjustment. You didn't say what kind of carb so:
Holleys have theirs on the metering block on the sides of the carb. They look like little machine screws. Turn them in to lean the mixture and out to richen. Most of the time a Holley on a mild egine will have the idle mixture screws about 1/2-1 turn out from lightly seated.
Edelbrock/Carter carbs have theirs right on the front. They look like two big screws with springs on them. Same operation as Holley.
Motorcrafts have their screws under the float bowl and are kinda a PITA. Again they're tow screws with springs on them.
Basically you turn them in or out depending on which way the engine runs better. Only turn them only so far as you don't notice any significant difference in idle quality. You'll find that the idle speed increases and you have to lower it again occasionally. This will also necessitate going back and tweaking the idle screws again a few times until you get it to where the idle speed is right and as little as a 1/8 turn of the idle mixture screws in either direction will make the engine run a little rough. You'll get the hang of it as you'll be doing it often enough LOL!
If you didn't remove the distributor you shouldn't have any more problems than you did before the swap. If you did remove it then all yyou can do is "tune by ear", trying for a hapy compromise between power, starting, and pinging under accleration. It would be best to get it to where you can have a timing pointer as it makes life a lot easier.
Holleys have theirs on the metering block on the sides of the carb. They look like little machine screws. Turn them in to lean the mixture and out to richen. Most of the time a Holley on a mild egine will have the idle mixture screws about 1/2-1 turn out from lightly seated.
Edelbrock/Carter carbs have theirs right on the front. They look like two big screws with springs on them. Same operation as Holley.
Motorcrafts have their screws under the float bowl and are kinda a PITA. Again they're tow screws with springs on them.
Basically you turn them in or out depending on which way the engine runs better. Only turn them only so far as you don't notice any significant difference in idle quality. You'll find that the idle speed increases and you have to lower it again occasionally. This will also necessitate going back and tweaking the idle screws again a few times until you get it to where the idle speed is right and as little as a 1/8 turn of the idle mixture screws in either direction will make the engine run a little rough. You'll get the hang of it as you'll be doing it often enough LOL!
If you didn't remove the distributor you shouldn't have any more problems than you did before the swap. If you did remove it then all yyou can do is "tune by ear", trying for a hapy compromise between power, starting, and pinging under accleration. It would be best to get it to where you can have a timing pointer as it makes life a lot easier.
The carb is an edelbrock 600cfm manual choke. I timed it by ear but it is not smooth running, it seems like it is idled to high, because when I put the car in gear it jerks really hard. If I idle it down it dies in gear. I don't know. I will just keep trying.....
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As for setting the timing "by Ear" turn the dist where the engine idles the best (with the vacuum advance unhooked and plugged of course) and fastest then retard it about 1/16 to 1/8 of a turn. This should get you close but you need to get a timing pointer and set it the right way. Too much will kill your pistons eventually too little will kill your power...
Scott
Scott
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