[1970Chevy]

My total timing when I am in park is 36 degrees. When I put it into first gear my total timing goes to about twenty two. When I am in first gear and I press the throttle the engine stalls. Any suggestions???

[1970Chevy]

Okay I just did some reading and I dont know what "total timing" is. When I am in park my timing gun reads 36. when I put her in first gear my timing gun says 22. When I touch the throttle the engine dies.

[Blazin72]

Ideally your timing at idle with no vacuum advance should be in the range of 8-12 deg BTDC. Your total timing without vacuum advance (initial and mechanical) should be in the ballpark of 32-38 degrees BTDC. Newer cylinder heads with modern chambers can get away with less while older style chambers typically require a little higher. Your total timing is usually all in by about 2500 (?) RPM and you should not see that much at idle unless you've got the advance locked out like in a race application.

[DoubleVision]

Check the mechanical advance in the distributor, I`m guessing it`s likely stuck in the open position or it`s been modified for a race application. Under the rotor button is where the mechanical advance is, see if it will move just by moving the rotor button, if it doesn`t move then it`s froze and you`ll have to free it up and likely disassemble it, polish and lightly lube the assembly to get it to work correctly.
With the vacuum advance unplugged and vac line capped, set the initial timing to 12 degrees before top dead center, then reconnect the vac line to a full time or manifold vacuum source, then recheck the timing, it should be in the area of 24-26 degrees. Then bring the RPM up slowly and watch the timing mark with your timing light, 36-38 degrees should be all in total by 3000 RPM. After assuring it`s set correctly and it has rattle or detonation, disconnect the vac advance and retard the timing 2 degrees, reconnect vac advance and test drive, repeat until rattle isn`t present.

[tdkkart]

You've either got a broken spring or very weak advance springs in the dizzy.
When it's showing 36* at idle the mechanical is all in or very close to it, when you pull it into gear the rpm drops and the advance goes away.

Inspect the distributor, replace the springs and reset the timing for 10-12ish at idle with no vacuum and 34ish at anything above 2500rpm. See what it does, if it still stalls look at the carb, stalling off idle is typically too lean.

[1970Chevy]

Thanks guys! Im about to go work on my elky and I have an idea of where to start to get her running again. What you guys are saying makes perfect sense. I also read the forum "timing 101", its a great article and it ties in perfectly with what you guys are saying about mechanical advance. Im sure its gotta be the distributor now because I remember messing around with it to see how it works. I must have somehow locked up the springs or detached them in some way. Thanks again.
-Matthew

[1970Chevy]

Okay well I checked the distrubutor. The springs are fine, I cleaned all the rust and lubricated the mechanical advance mechanism, I set the timing, and everything seemed to be perfect.......until I put it in drive....glug glug stall. and there is a massive oil leak from the front seel, smoke is coming from the drivers side valve cover, the crank pully bolt is stripped and the crank key is missing, ITS TIME FOR A REBUILD. Okay ive put it off long enough and I am far enough along on the body, wiring and interior to pull the motor out.

School starts monday I have Work everyday and I need a car but my bicycle will have to do for a few more months.

When I advanced the total timing to 56 degrees the car would actually move when shes in drive......imagine that.

Oh and another BIG thing. When I put my rotor back on the distributor I could not get it to go on the right way (by the way its HEI). I was trying to get it to face towards the number one cylinder terminal but it would not go on that way. I finally realized that it will only go on the other way facing the passangers side and slightly toward the headlights (at about the number five cylinder distributor terminal).

I thought to myself that maybe my distributor was so far spun around that the rotor was facing the wrong way. But I quickly realized that it couldnt be because my vacuum advance canaster was facing the right direction toward the passanger side.

Usually when things are this far off and screwed up its usually just because IM usually way off and messed up. Hopefully this is just another one of those times. But I at least know Ive still gotta save my pennys for a new 350 and maybe even a new Transmission and cooling system. I guess I wont be in my El camino as soon I thought I would have four and a half months ago. I only know that I know nothing and Im Living for the sake of learning.

[Blazin72]

Originally Posted by 1970Chevy

When I advanced the total timing to 56 degrees the car would actually move when shes in drive......imagine that.

That sounds like one of three things... Either the outer ring has slipped on the hub, the timing tab is incorrect for the balancer. Or, based on your comment about the crank key missing, the balancer has actually spun on the crank snout. That's exactly what the crank key is there to prevent.

With your current situation you really have no idea what your actual timing is.

[Holder350]

I would get another balancer, and while you'v got the old one off, put the $3 seal in to stop the leak, and heli coil the crank. then find your true TDC and set your timeing from there. Even if your motor has quite a bit of blowby it should stil run fairly decently.

[1970Chevy]

Thats what Ill do while I finish up the rest of the car. I'll change the balancer, replace with a new timing cover and crank seal, but how hard is it helicoil a crank? Im hoping that it is the bolt that just needs to be replaced because it seems, and ive been told, that its a pain in the ***** to helicoil a crankshaft. I am almost certain that this should get my elky running for a little while until I can afford a new engine for her. It seems that my timing is slipping because of th keyless pully and stripped bolt/crank. Thanks

[Blazin72]

Installing a heli-coil in the crank isn't too bad. Just make sure you've got the drill straight. I had to heli coil a crank earlier this year.

[1970Chevy]

what was it that caused your crank to strip? I think that mine could either be the crank or the bolt, maybe both. With this problem as well as having the key missing, I think that this is what My problem could be and why my timing keeps retarding itself.

[Blazin72]

The crank bolt stripped because I was trying to turn an almost 10:1 engine over with the spark plugs still in using a crank bolt that was too short. I ended up removing the pulleys, balancer and radiator then I bought a Heli-Coil set and drilled the crank out with the correct drill bit, tapped it with the supplied tap and threaded in a new 7/16-20 Heli-Coil. I used a longer crank bolt and have had no problems since.

If you have to do that to your crank at some point in time make sure you get a good Heli-Coil set. The first set I bought from NAPA was cheap and the tap just chipped to pieces, even with ample lube. I went to an industrial supply store and bought a set that cost almost twice as much and had no problems.