Re: [ihc] Re; Yes, Me Again! Carb Question

["Joseph Shaw, II" <josephshaw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Allan-

Yes, a common concern, although I have never known an engine to work at all
when completely "out of phase" as you describe.  What I did to try and
insure I was on the right phase is to simply not turn it over multiple times
with the dist cap off.  I knew it had run well as it was, so I took the cap
off, turned to "the" TDC nearest to where the rotor was to #8 plug wire (I
know there is only one TDC, but mean by going a little forward or a little
back, thus maintaining on the same stroke), and then set the dizzy to that
position for #8.  Thus, I think it is right, I don't think it would run if
it was 180 out, and I did reset it and somehow did something right, so that
now, as I said in the last of my countless posts yesterday, it does seem to
run best at about 7 degrees BTDC, with the vacuum advance connected.  This
was set as about 3 degress without vacuum.  However, as I said, when the
idle falls as low as I expect from an IH (by ear only), is when it starts to
run quite rough, starts popping and spitting, and eventually dies out.  I
would like to get it running well enough that I could attempt to set the
idle circuit screws in synch as well, and then retime it maybe.  But no one
has mentioned the shooting UP of the fuel-is this how this model of Holley
is designed to spray the fuel-seems I saw it shooting normally down in the
barrels at one p[oint in time, so still wondering what this is all about!

Thanks for your help!

Michael

> Michael,
>   When you did the static timing setting, are you sure that you lined
> the dist with #8 when it was on the _COMPRESSION_ stroke?
> As in, intake valve closed, exhaust valve closed, piston at the top?
> If set right, you should be able to rotate the engine from TDC
> and the exhaust should start opening just as the piston gets to the
> bottom of the stroke.  The intake should stay closed.  Remember
> it takes two turns of the engine to run an individual cylinder through
> all 4 phases (Intake, compression, power, exhaust, IIRC).
>
>   It sounds like it is firing back through the carb, like if you are
> firing the spark when the intake valves are open.  Perhaps
> the distributor is "180 degrees out".  Though I can't hardly
> believe it runs at all if it is.  This means the spark is happening
> between the exhaust and intake stroke and it would make sense
> why retarding it (making it later) would make it run better--in
> so doing you move it closer to where it should be happening,
> between the compression and power cycle.
>
> Good Luck,
> Allan W.