New 350 runs TERRIBLE!

[327power]

I pulled the distributor and put it back in and all of a sudden...it runs better! Not perfect, but better. Pretty strange. I also noticed that when I hook up a timing light to the #1 plug wire, the timing mark on the balancer shows up at the 12 o' clock position. So thats why my timing marks never lined up. Interesting.

[eventhorizon66]

305s were timed with the mark near 12 o'clock.  Is there a timing tab at 12 o'clock as well (attached to the timing chain cover)?  You need to know for certain where your mark should be at TDC.

[327power]

No, there's no tab on the timing cover. I guess O'Reilly's sold me the wrong balancer.(not surprised) This afternoon, just for kicks I installed one of those curve kits for the distributor. I only installed the strongest springs, which were the gold ones and it actually gave the engine some kick that I could feel! Pretty cool. It revs higher now and seems to pull stronger. I only used the springs from the kit because the weights looked kinda cheap compared to the existing ones. Still shakes at idle though, just not as bad... Or maybe I'm just used to it.

[Irish_Alley]

my 350 was running bad after a trip to the mud pit shaking stalling and all once I could take off it wanted to pop and be all sluggish thought it was a cylinder going bad or something turns out I got something in the carb causing it to not have enough fuel swapped out carbs and now she runs strong just some tuning to do with the carb since it was used