Timing / Idle Mixture / Vacuum question

[Fairlane514]

Clockwise and inch or two will really retard the timing......counterclockwise will advance. Also an inch or two is a lot of adjustment, I would use smaller increments. Using a timing light would also be advised. 

Does it run hot?  That can also be an indication of retarded timing.

As someone mentioned earlier, using the timing light on each spark plug wire will indicate if its getting juice.

[Irish_Alley]

fair your right about counter-clockwise im not going to give any excuses why i thought clock wise lol. but if his timing is so off that its popping or running rough than a inch or two should put it right back where it should be my main thing was dont be afraid to turn the distributor 

[74 C-10 Shorty]

An inch or two and it won't run, LOL, put a timing light on it...

[Irish_Alley]

it will work if the timing is off. if your timming is dead on an 1" will mess it up and 2" will prob kill it.

[74 C-10 Shorty]

If it's off that much now it won't run to begin with, LOL..

[Irish_Alley]

wow if your 1/2" off adding 1" will only put you 1/2 over it will run. just like if your 1" off 1" will put you = 2" will put you 1" over

[74 C-10 Shorty]

Timing is in degrees not inches, LOL....

[Irish_Alley]

theres more than one way to skin a cat, you just have to think outside the box. i know i have a timing light (maybe he doesnt) and sometimes its not with me when i work or try to diagnose a problem sometimes you have to do things by ear to get it close. and when you dont have a timing light on hand its kind of hard to adjust by degrees. just like when you have a miss you can A put a timing light on each plug and see where its at B use a laser thermometer to see what exhaust manifold pipe is cooler or when the engine is cold and you dont have none of the above you can touch each exhaust manifold tube and see which one is cooler.

[Fairlane514]

When the engine is cold..............wouldn't all the exhaust pipes be the same temperature?   Cold?

[bswilson80]

Well, I threw a new HEI (old had corroded terminals inside cap), plugs and wires on and it started and running better, not great, but nothing a little time spent fine tuning won't fix hopefully.

All of the wires sent signal to the timing light, and I felt the exhaust manifold right after starting the truck from cold, and they all seemed to get hot at the same rate, after about 30 seconds they were too hot to touch, does that seem right?

My only real beef is that I'm still getting a lot of popping at idle, in gear. Popcorning stops in Neutral and park, but will continue as long as my foot is off the gas. I tried leaning out the carb as well as richening, but neither seem to have any effect. I guess my next step if replacing the exhaust manifold and flange gaskets?

[74 C-10 Shorty]

If the cylinders are firing you have heat 30seconds is about right. Where is it popping through the carb or the exhaust??, does it pop under load?, do you have an exhaust leak??..

[bswilson80]

Where is it popping through the carb or the exhaust??, does it pop under load?, do you have an exhaust leak??..

Popping comes from exhaust, it is barely audible from in front of the truck. The truck runs great under load, no popping, only at a near/dead stop while in gear. I cannot see any holes in the exhaust, how else could i find a leak?

[74 C-10 Shorty]

You might not see it but you can hear it if you listen close, does it pop at any temp??.

[bswilson80]

You might not see it but you can hear it if you listen close, does it pop at any temp??.

Not for the first few minutes of a cold engine, but it pops from then on.

[74 C-10 Shorty]

You might not see it but you can hear it if you listen close, does it pop at any temp??.

Not for the first few minutes of a cold engine, but it pops from then on.

If it is an exhaust leak check all your joints and the manifold to block you should be able to hear it.