[PiperDavid14]

I have a year old Rochester Q-jet stage 2 http://www.jetchip.com/Shop/shopdisplayproducts.asp?sppp=10&catID=36 it was running fine. I took the distributor out set the engine to TDC and reset the distributor. (Car ran fine) I tightened all the vacuum hoses and put new hoses in for **** and giggles. I started it and the engine warmed up and started hunting and had a annoying shake to it. I recently pulled all the plugs out. Its kind a hard to put them in well and tight because of the headers so i have to use a wrench. Could plugs or wires cause this? I also found what seems to be a vacuum leak at the secondary throttle plate shaft. Im not sure if the was there before but when i strayed carb cleaner on it the engine smoothed out. I don't understand how all of the sudden this leak i found made the engine run so shaky and not a steady idle out of no where. I can wiggle the shaft up and down very slightly as well. If this leak normal? I called Jet and they said they never put seals in that shaft. there is only like a half a tooth pick of space available at most. Any one have any ideas how to fix my problem? Could oil in the distributor cap cause this? or dirty plugs, not the right side gap? Please help.

 

[PiperDavid14]

would this cause the engine to hunt tho?

 

[sqzbox]

Did you do the distributor, plugs, and hoses at the same time? It's a good idea to do 1 thing at a time, that way, when you start it, you know to fix what you just did if it's not right. Easier than trying to figure out which of the 3 things you did is wrong.
The best tool I've found to deal with SBC headers, is an offset, 16mm, box end wrench. It stay's on the plug good and goes right around the tubes anywhere a socket won't go.
I would re-check the distributor installation and check the plugs and hoses first. That would cost the least if you find something wrong. As far as the carb goes, it's funny that it would start messing up so suddenly, not saying that it's not something that needs to be dealt with in the future but, Quads usually go bad at the throttle rod over a period of time, not all of a sudden.
Hope this help ya! SQZBOX

 

[PiperDavid14]

the timing on the balancer is way off the mark when use the timing light is near the center of the water pump. My dad says it could be a warped balancer with happens over time. I read it could be a tooth off? If so im not sure how to adjust it a tooth since the oil pump has a slot for the distributor at the bottom then the gear is above that. So it can only go in one way for the most part.

 

[PiperDavid14]

It certainly does not help.
Check the distributor advance curve. A floppy light tension mechanical advance spring will tend to allow the spark advance to flair up and down at idle.

where is the mechanical advance spring?

 

[PiperDavid14]

as well as if im re timing my distributor do i want it out or in when i manually turn the engine to tdc?

 

[sqzbox]

First you need to verify that #1 is top dead center on the compression stroke.
You have two TDC, one on exhaust, one on compression. To do that, remove the valve cover on drivers side, turn crank buy hand (clockwise) with socket wrench, and watch the second from the front rocker arm (intake valve) till it starts to come up, and then turn the crank till the timing mark comes around to TDC on the timing tab. That should put #1 at TDC compression stroke.
As far as the oil pump drive lining up, an old trick is after you get the dist. in as far as it will go, turn crank with socket wrench clockwise while you get someone to put some pressure on the top of the dist. and it will drop down on the pump slot when they line up.
The only way you can be a tooth off is if the timing chain has jumped. You can put the dist. anywhere and compensate by turning the dist. or repositioning the spark plug cables as long as the rotor is pointing to #1 at TDC. The recommended install posistion for the dist. is for positioning of the vacuum control unit so there will room for adjustment without hitting the firewall or carburetor. Hope this helps! SQZBOX Another way to find TDC is pull #1 plug and hold you thumb over the hole while someone turns the carnk for you. When you feel pressure build #1 is coming up on the compression stroke.

 

[PiperDavid14]

when i do this i want the distributor in or out?

 

[sqzbox]

Do it with dist. in first time. After you get the crank up to TDC, pull dist. cap and note where the rotor is pointing. Should be #1 spark tower.

 

[PiperDavid14]

so have it pointing at #1 on the cap even tho i can turn the cap like if i was going to advance it or what not.

 

[PiperDavid14]

what if i do all of this and have it pointing at #1 at tdc and i sty to start my car and it wont start?

 

[sqzbox]

Yeah, If it's close, initial timing adj. would be all you need.

 

[PiperDavid14]

i also read to have the vacuum advance on the dist. off or plugged? and is there a adjustment for the vacuum advance?

 

[sqzbox]

I don't see why it wouldn't. It does now, right?

 

[PiperDavid14]

i believe i did all of that and had it pointing at number one and i had to advance it a **** tone for it to start

 

[sqzbox]

pluging the vacuum adv. hose is for initial timing. Most factory vacuum adv. controls aren't adj. but you can get one from a speed shop. I would try to find the rough idle problem first, before you start messing with it.

 

[PiperDavid14]

when i did this i used a sparkplug fitting with a hose at the end and pu *** in oil as i cranked it. it spat out bubbles then started sucking oil into the tube once it did that i knew #1 was at tdc right? could it of been on the wrong tdc?

 

[PiperDavid14]

also with the vac advance on the distributor that goes to the carb, when i start the car should there be vacuum to that vac advance, or should it only have vacuum from the carb when i rev it up high?

 

[PiperDavid14]

thank you very much for your time, i was going crazy trying to figure this out.

 

[sqzbox]

You should only have vacuum to the adv. module when you open the throttle
if you have the hose on ported vacuum.