Timing help, some clarification

Alright, she's been a while. After a bit of a hiatus, I finally got back to working on the my 28'.
I swapped out to a smaller water pump that flows slower and am running a 25 percent glycol/water with some water wetter. My overheating seems to be pretty well nipped in the bud.
I did find something odd though. My timing, although I would use a test light to setup TDC, I found that almost all my points did not have the same distances from rubbing block to the centre of the point. I spent some money on some new Blue Streak points/condensor/coils and bobs your uncle.
Now the new problem. After driving it for a few weeks and a few fuel fillups, I found it started spitting and sputtering for a few miles, I would punch it or fiddle with the choke and it would clear up and would run great again. I looked in the sediment bowl and found some shart floating around, so I ordered a napa filter to install in the bowl. I installed it, I pulled the fuel line to flush it, pulled the screen from the carb, then pulled off the lower bowl to clean it. I didn't touch a thing jet wise. Just bowl off, a spray with carb clean to clean some sediment out and a reinstall with a new filter. Now it sounds like crap. Spitting and sputtering, some fuel coming out of the carb, hard to start. I pulled the filter back out and seems a little better. Would purr like a kitten for a bit and out of bo where, run like crap. I hit the throttle and she would want to stall, any little adjustment to the choke, idle valve, stall.
I pulled the carb off, pulled the bowl off and ensured the valve seats and the Jets are all clear.
Any ideas?
 
Check to see that the point gap has not slipped. If it is too close your coil will not have tome to do it's thing internally.

Be sure and let us know what you did to solve your issue when it is all cleared up
 
I agree with MARKA's comment about your rotor hitting the condenser. The rub mark on the case indicates this is happening. Reposition the condenser if you can or bevel the bottom edge of the plastic on the rotor.
 
Points gap is good. Swapped out the condensor. Changed the carb to a spare. Still spitting and sputtering. Anytime I put throttle on it, it sounds like it's being choked out.
I took a video, but can't find a way to upload
 
Next things to check

1) The wire under the point plate, bare, or tuching? If you use something to mark your position, you will not haver to retime the thing..

2) if the cable going into the distributor is in too far, that tang will touch when the engine heats up a little. If this is the case back it out a little.

3) if it has a pencil filter in the tank, it may be restricting the flow, even if it is new. Only way to check this is a float level tube on the carb, and slowly advance the throttle a bit. If it starts dropping more than about 3/16" you found your problem.

Something is sucking the life out of the thing. The chances of 2 bad carbs is low.
 
28Danby said:
Points gap is good. Swapped out the condensor. Changed the carb to a spare. Still spitting and sputtering. Anytime I put throttle on it, it sounds like it's being choked out.
I took a video, but can't find a way to upload
Click to expand...

That suggests a vacuum leak. Are your manifold gaskets good and the studs tight?
 
Gene F said:
Next things to check

1) The wire under the point plate, bare, or tuching? If you use something to mark your position, you will not haver to retime the thing..

2) if the cable going into the distributor is in too far, that tang will touch when the engine heats up a little. If this is the case back it out a little.

3) if it has a pencil filter in the tank, it may be restricting the flow, even if it is new. Only way to check this is a float level tube on the carb, and slowly advance the throttle a bit. If it starts dropping more than about 3/16" you found your problem.

Something is sucking the life out of the thing. The chances of 2 bad carbs is low.
Click to expand...

The lower plate (modern) is fine. I double checked the connections and made sure they weren't shorting out.
The ignition cable into the distributor base seems to be OK.
No pencil filter in the tank. I'm seem to be getting lots of fuel thru the line to the carb. Next step will be pulling the lower jet plug and checking flow through the carb, but suspect it will be fine.
I'm going to pop the manifolds off and look for leakage, as well as flatness. I just ordered up some copper gaskets in case. Maybe I should order a tank filter as well.
 
So I finally got my parts. I machined the manifolds together as well as the backside of the ears where the belveled washers sit. Whole manifold is within 0.004" thru the length of it. It was bang on but painted it with ceramic header paint and baked it afterwards. New copper gaskets installed with a thin coat of high temp RV on the engine side. Studs cleaned and torqued. New manifold/muffler gasket with RTV. Clamp nice and snug. Installed carb, got fuel, got spark and still runs like shite. Carb still sounds like it's choking itself out when I hit the throttle and absolutelyrunning rich.. Timings good. New condensor. I checked for intake leaks with some propane. It alls checks out good. This thing is frustrating the hell out of me and rapidly loosing interest lol.
 
Either ignition or carburation. Beg, borrow, or steal a good carburetor to try. If that does not work, beg, borrow, or steal a good distributor and make sure it is timed correctly.
 
It is not timed correctly.

I can’t fly up to Ontario to look over your shoulder as you set the timing, but I can watch you do it over FaceTime (or equivalent) over the phone. PM me or email me your phone number and we can talk.
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It is not timed correctly.

I can’t fly up to Ontario to look over your shoulder as you set the timing, but I can watch you do it over FaceTime (or equivalent) over the phone. PM me or email me your phone number and we can talk.
.
 
It is not timed correctly.

I can’t fly up to Ontario to look over your shoulder as you set the timing, but I can watch you do it over FaceTime (or equivalent) over the phone. PM me or email me your phone number and we can talk.

Sorry about the multiple replies. I did it on my phone and it just freaked out.
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I agree with Jim/GA "the timing off"
Just went through this with my brother on a new to him 30 roadster. Ran with the same symptoms as yours, all of the same checks and new parts. only thing different was that his is not the modern points like yours. Turns out that the new Nu-Rex wrench when set at the #4 distributer post left the points a long way from opening. We ended up using the wench to hold and turn the cam (works good for that) and set the cam location with a test light to just turn on with the spark lever all of the way up. This setting left the wrench not at the #4 post but about 3/4" away from it, so the timing would have been very retarded.
Now the car runs like an A should, or at least a lot better.
Set the cam or points opening to a light and see how close it is to the wrench on the #4 post
 
I always use a test light as well. I used to use just the nu-rex wrench to time it, but found it too inconsistent. AlsoI mentioned to Jim above that I have found a bunch of points that have different lenth arms (rubbing block to centre of contact point). I tried a few different condensors, points, coils etc.
I'm going to check all the wiring to make sure I don't have a short anywhere.
 
Make sure the timing pin is not bent, I find this is very common. People pry on that side of the engine and hit the pin.
Also Check the ball on the spark advance rod, if it's egg shaped it will mess up your adjustment.
* Took me some time to find that one *
Make sure steering column is not broken and steering box is tighten to the frame.
Just a few tips that are not in any of the books.
 
nkaminar said:
Jim, Good idea helping him over the phone. Facetime?
Click to expand...

FaceTime is a video calling app that is built into the iPhone. You can aim the phone's camera at the distributor while you set the timing and I can watch and guide "over your shoulder". Most people who have an iPhone know how to use it. It is only on the iPhone, though.

Google also has a similar app called Google Meet. It will run on both Android and Apple phones, so does not care what kind of phone you have.
.
 
Jim/GA said:
FaceTime is a video calling app that is built into the iPhone. You can aim the phone's camera at the distributor while you set the timing and I can watch and guide "over your shoulder". Most people who have an iPhone know how to use it. It is only on the iPhone, though.

Google also has a similar app called Google Meet. It will run on both Android and Apple phones, so does not care what kind of phone you have.
.
Click to expand...


I don't have FaceTime, Snapwhatever or the TikyTocky

Anyways Jim. I have my car at TDC, lever up, point at 0.020, rotor gap at 0.025, plugs at 0.035 and my rotor lines up here as per the pics. I attached a short clip of the car running. It looks like there are intermittent sparks from the rotor to housing, but it's just the video. There is spark on every revolution from rotor to cap points.
I redid the whole timing sequence, it is running better, its not choking itself out everytime I rev it, although I did change the housing as I found it was a tad sloppy on the distributor and would allow for a smidgen of rotation. Still running rich.

Edit, sorry, video wont upload
 

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