Hi Bill, Thanks for trying to call.. hmmm, didn't get a missed call from you.. feel free to try again if you're still up.Alex,
Tried giving you a call, I am one hour behind you on the coast. Will try again in the morning.
Bill
Still awake. Tried again but went right to voicemail. Here is my number, 773-580-8292.Hi Bill, Thanks for trying to call.. hmmm, Didnt get a missed call from you.. feel free to try again if you're still up.
Sorry Alex... we make a bad "on demand" tech line... get your timing back to right, then you play with the throttle stop. If you have things way out... you will likely go back and forth a little. You are taking a big bite when you try to adjust the distributor and the carb/choke at the same time. Once she seems to be running good, it will be small adjustments as a rule.I just checked timing at idle and it was at 12.8 degrees with ... i just messed up my timing and can't figure it out now.. it was perfect i think until i loosened the distributor clamp down bolt to play around with rpms.. get them up a bit as John suggested... it stalled out and i can't get a reading.. suddenly it went from perfection to really bad.. i should have listened to my first instinct and left the distributor alone and went to the carb to adjust rpm with idle screw first.. now i have no idea where to go with it. I thought I had a grasp on this timing thing before starting but I am compltely lost on it right now.. I turned the car off, it keeps stalling. I thought I had a handle on this timing adjustment concept but I am in the dark right now..
No worries! You guys are all great to help the way you do. It just all seemed to go so abstract on me.. The options given by you and John, GJS and Bill are appreciated, and I'll sleep on which way to go next-- tomorrow when I return. Thanks for coming through. And thanks to GJS/Gavin and Bill who called me up tonight to help troubleshoot.. very kind of them both. To all, please forgive the urgent tones of my crisis. And btw, the fluid under the car I spoke of which coincided with timing adjustment turned out to be an old hose clamp connection knocked loose near the distributor.. no big deal.Sorry Alex... we make a bad "on demand" tech line... get your timing back to right, then you play with the throttle stop. If you have things way out... you will likely go back and forth a little. You are taking a big bite when you try to adjust the distributor and the carb/choke at the same time. Once she seems to be running good, it will be small adjustments as a rule.
Thanks John, I may try this to see what happens.. Also spoke with Bill on the phone, at length, where he suggested a static timing adjustment, by where I turn the crankshaft by hand to factory timing spec(my FSM says 12.5 degrees for 383 4bbl), then remove distributor cap, loosen distributor clamp down bolt and turn distributor by hand CCW until the point gap just barely starts to open.. replace cap.. then start engine and bring up to temp. While keeping rpms aat 650, I should look to still have degrees steady at 12.5... only when timing is rock solid do I move over to carburetor with vacuum gauge on and mixture screw adjustments, etc.Sorry, can't call right now.
Sounds like you've moved the timing too much.
There's a couple ways to address it... Either keep moving it a little at a time and trying it
or
bump the starter until you get the timing mark back close to zero. Pop the cap off and the rotor needs to be pointed at #1 or #6. That should get you close.
Thanks John, I may try this to see what happens.. Also spoke with Bill on the phone, at length, where he suggested a static timing adjustment, by where I turn the crankshaft by hand to factory timing spec(my FSM says 12.5 degrees for 383 4bbl), then remove distributor cap, loosen distributor clamp down bolt and turn distributor CCW until the point gap just starts open.. replace cap.. then start engine and bring up to temp. While keeping rpms at 650, I should look to still have degrees steady at 12.5... only when timing is rock solid do I move over to carburetor with vacuum gauge on and mixture screw adjustments, etc.
Antifreeze. Coming from a loose hose connection.. all buttoned up now.Yes, same idea, just more refined and accurate.
What was the fluid? Antifreeze or gas?
Things always seem to go the most wrong and be the biggest mysteries when you're tired and pushing for a deadline. The best thing you can do is try to have a little Zen moment before you do more harm than good while panicking or getting angry.Antifreeze. Coming from a loose hose connection.. all buttoned up now.
Everyone who has every spent a little time working through diagnostic problems has had a "break through moment" while taking a morning crap with a clear mind... sometimes the brain just needs a break.
You guys have never said it better. You have know idea how many times I was stumped and my head spinning with a problem and walked away for 10 minutes only the find the problem as soon as I returned.No truer words were ever spoken....
Unless you hold it in for too long. But the relief is worth it.A good poop never hurts.
Hell if it wasn't over 800 miles for me, I would go there and teach him how to do it correctly. We had a great conversation last night and ended up talking for four hours. Nice guy who is just trying to learn something new, something most of us have gone through already.frustrating reading through all this. makes me wanna just drive over there and fix it myself. probably take all of what, 15 minutes, half hour? beautiful car worthy of professional help. owner's worthy also for his efforts.