Pertronix trouble shooting

I believe Pertroix states in their literature a re-time is strongly recommended. Your starting issues and poor idle could be associated with your timing. Try advancing it 2 degree and see if there are any changes. You can also open the gaps on the plugs a bit but the recommended gapping is escaping me. I think this is also listed in the literature.
 
late timing could cause the engine to retain more heat contributing to a perc. heat riser still in place and opening? nozzle drip occurs when the fuel level in the bowls is a bit high causing raw fuel to drip from the nozzles in the venturis, your rough idle and hard start. yeah, timing first though.
 
I borrowed a timing light. I did advance it a couple degrees. But even before I did that and still now it keeps spitting up out if the carburetor while I have the air cleaner off, want doing that before this. It'll start. I got it to seemingly smooth out on idle but I tried to pull out of my drive way and put it in drive. Started to cough out of the carb again and lost some power. I'm afraid to drive it any further. This is my first time doing timing. Looks like it was around 2 or 3. I took it to about 8. Debating put points back in and it'll probably still be messed up or call a mobile tech cause all my car friends are experts until you Need help
 
I wish you luck. I’m afraid you’ll not get much help here. Somebody that knows what they are doing could determine what’s wrong with your car pretty quick if they were there with it.
You say gas is spitting up out of your carb? You asked the folks here why it won’t run,,,, survey says: timing.
Just a word of caution, the more aftermarket ignition, carb and what not you add to a car, the farther you stray from factory settings and the harder it is for someone to diagnose it over the internet.
 
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Biggredd2069 said:
I borrowed a timing light. I did advance it a couple degrees. But even before I did that and still now it keeps spitting up out if the carburetor while I have the air cleaner off, want doing that before this. It'll start. I got it to seemingly smooth out on idle but I tried to pull out of my drive way and put it in drive. Started to cough out of the carb again and lost some power. I'm afraid to drive it any further. This is my first time doing timing. Looks like it was around 2 or 3. I took it to about 8. Debating put points back in and it'll probably still be messed up or call a mobile tech cause all my car friends are experts until you Need help
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Did you remove the distributor to install the Pertronix? If no, how much did you turn the distributor to time it? It doesn't take much to advance/retard it a couple degrees so if you turned too much, it is most likely way out of time; either too advanced or too retarded depending on which way you turned it. Your timing should be around 10 degrees BELOW TOP DEAD CENTER. On your timing marks you'll see a "0" with marks above and below it. Your timing should be set at the 10 degree mark BELOW the zero. I recommend taking some white model paint and paining a line where the groove is in the balancer so it is easier to see with the timing light. Also, do not completely loosen the distributor clamp down. Loosen it just enough to move it.

Don't be afraid of it. You're not going to break anything. If you'd like a confidence builder, search out some videos on YouTube regarding timing a Chrysler V8. This will allow you to "see" it and provide you a baseline knowledge when you're working on your car. This is a great learning experience and is knowledge any classic car owner should have, IMO. For reference, what type of timing light are you using? Pics?
 
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I did not remove the distributor during install. like I said running good prior. Maybe I'm reading it wrong but when I first fired up the timing light it looked like it was set to 2 or 3 degrees. I moved it to around 8ish for fear of overdoing it.
 
Biggredd2069 said:
Maybe I'm reading it wrong but when I first fired up the timing light it looked like it was set to 2 or 3 degrees. I moved it to around 8ish for fear of overdoing it.
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You can't really over-do it on timing, you'll find that it runs better then like crap as you advance the timing. If your timing was at 2 or 3* and you advanced it to 8*, did you notice that the idle picked up as well as running smoother? Do that again and keep going past 10 or 12 and you'll feel the idle drop some and the idle will start to roll. That's when you know you've gone to far. Your ride should be happy sittin at around 10-12* of timing. Good Luck
 
Just so I don't make a big mistake here is a generic pic I found of timing lines similar to mine. The right side red line is about where it was. The left line is about where I am now. I wanna go past that 10 mark further to the left?

Screenshot_20190508-094514_Google.jpg
 
Based on your picture, you are saying that the timing is currently set AFTER top dead center (TDC) and if it is now further to the left, your timing change was in the wrong direction.

Top dead center (TDC) is where the ZERO mark is with the hole through it. You want the timing to be set 10 to 12 degrees BEFORE TDC. See the line marked "10 before"? It should be over near that mark.
 
I'm replying from my desk at work now. I'll look this evening to make sure I'm stating this properly. But if I can move it all the way to 10 I will
 
383 with Pertronix factory distributor the engine will run and be happy at 11 12 degrees BTDC.
Hope this helps.
 
Biggredd2069 said:
I'm replying from my desk at work now. I'll look this evening to make sure I'm stating this properly. But if I can move it all the way to 10 I will
Click to expand...
Why would you not be able to rotate the distributor to 10* before TDC? Does part of the distributor hit something or does the engine idle speed get too high?

You should find that the idle speed increases as you advance the timing. That is normal. You'll need to turn the idle speed screw on the carb to bring the idle back down after the timing adjustment.

If the vacuum advance canister on the side of the distributor contacts something, that is correctable too, but would take some explaining. Basically you'd walk the plug wires around the cap in one direction and then turn the distributor 45* in the opposite direction. I'm sure there's a thread describing the fix posted on this board already if needed.
 
Just seems weird I would be so out of whack on timing that far. The picture I grabbed above was just an internet pic. If anyone is familiar with the timing lines I went further left. If that's the wrong way I'll check tonight and follow the advice above and report back, along with the voltage testing the company gave me
 
Well the angle of that picture was taken as if you were standing beside the passenger tire, bending over to look at the front of the engine from behind it. If you are standing in front of the car, the 10 BEFORE mark will be on your left, and the 10 AFTER mark will be on your right. So if you were looking at the timing marks from in front of the car, going more to the left would have been in the correct direction.
 
If your timing light can preload the advance, you need to set it to 10-12 degrees BTC and then set the timing so the line on the balancer reads at zero when the light is flashed on it. What timing light are you using?
 
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