79 Silverado all kinds of issues

[RE4PER]

Ok so one day I was driving and my truck shut off. Wouldn't start back up come to find out no spark. Did alot to fix and nothing. Stabbed a new distributer in and spark. After that she wouldn't Idol let alone drive. She's timed 8 degrees after TDC fuel pump works fine so I figured carb. Stock Rochester rebuilt it still nada. Messed with it I'll today now I'm waiting on a new carb. I'm just worried the new carb won't fix her. This is my daily driver and I'm military so any advice is awesome.

[fitz]

Can you turn the distributor and get it to run smooth?
You can't always go by the timing marks on the harmonic balancer.  Sometimes the outer ring on the balancer slips and throws off the timing mark.
  Just a shot in the dark, but its free & easy to check.
  If the truck was running good before the no start issue, I wouldn't think that the dist & carb went bad at the exact same time.  If a new dist got the truck to run, I'm thinking its a timing or firing order issue.

[Irish_Alley]

with fitz on this. if the distributor fixed the problem its not a timing, misfire or firing order issue

[bd]

with fitz on this. if the distributor fixed the problem its not a timing, misfire or firing order issue

X3

[Irish_Alley]

thanks bd lol

[ehjorten]

I am guessing the 8° ATDC is a flub-up and you really meant to say 8° BTDC!  It sounds like you got it running again with a new distributor, but that it isn't running correctly.  That would lead me to believe that something is off with the timing.

[RE4PER]

Ok thanks for the responses. Timing is kinda hard to do unless the truck runs. You crank her she turns over but after about a few seconds to few minutes she shuts down. I've played with the carb adjustments to no success.

[RE4PER]

My truck is a 79 c10 Silverado with a 5.7 350 hei distributer if that helps at all.

[Irish_Alley]

you dont need it running to get it in time. if you want to tune it good you need it running. #1 plug wire is normally in the 5 °'clock plug on the cap then you run the order from there 18436572

[RE4PER]

All the wires are in the correct spot on the cap. But she wouldn't stay running unless I was on the gas. Regardless of what I adjusted.

[fitz]

  Let's start at the beginning.
The truck was running good and it just died driving down the road?   You determined it wasn't getting a spark so you installed a new distributor.  At this point the truck starts, but barely runs, correct?
  You mentioned that the carb was rebuilt. Was it rebuilt before or after the truck died? 
  Like I mentioned earlier, Its high  unlikely that both the distributor and the carb stopped working at the same time.  I think we should concentrate on the ignition system.
You said you put in a new distributor.  What brand is it?. There is a chance that its bad. Stranger things have happened then a new part being faulty.

  I know its no fun when your daily driver don't run.
  What would I do in thiis situation?  (I've been through this before).
  Remove the #1 spark plug ( you may want to check all of your plugs) and unplug the power to your coil.
Ask a friend or neighbor to help you for 30 seconds.  Place your finger over the #1 plug hole as your helper taps the key in short burst to bump the motor over. When your finger is pushed off the hole, the #1 piston is at top dead center on the compression stroke. Pull the dist cap. Is the rotor pointing to the #1 plug wire?
  Now check your timing marks on the harmonic balancer.  It should be set at zero, or close to it.  Like I said in my first post, you can't always trust the timing marks, that's why I'd pull the dist cap to verify everything lines up.
  Many times when removing/replacing  the dist I have to use a long screwdriver to line up the oil pump shaft So everything lines up. If you just drop the dist into place, it usually is off a little ( ever see a dist where the aluminum vacume port is aimed at the firewall?)
  As Ehjorton mentioned, you said your timings set at ATDC, was that just a typo?  As he said, it should be set at BTDC.
  The HEI is a great distributor, but like everything else, if its not working right, it will drive you crazy.

   Keep us posted on your progress.

[RE4PER]

Ok so yes it was a typo when I installed the accel distributer the #1 was at TDC as well as the mark on the Ballenger was very close to 0. Got it to timed to 8 degrees after this. The truck fires but it idols ok then you can hear the rim drop then pick back up (without touching anything) then drop again until it shuts off. At one point I got her running drove and if I got off the gas she died. If I tryed to go over 25 died. Pulled over to see what I could do and I couldn't get her to stay running at Idol again. The carb was rebuilt after the distributor was installed. And with what research I did was pointing to carb. Pump is giving fuel with no problems plugs n wires are 3 months old distributer brand new. So tweaking with the carb my helper lost a spring from inside and snapped one of the choke rods hence y I'm getting a new one. But before this I could keep her running if I physically closed the butterfly just a hair.

[fitz]

How did it run when you closed the choke a little?
What are you buying for a new carb?

[Irish_Alley]

sounds like a major vacuum leak. could be at the carb or could be a intake or hose leak

[blazer74]

What is the carb? If you bent , broke a choke rod ?

You mean inside or outside of the carb?

If inside its not going to run right no matter what you do. Bent broken primary rods will cause all sorts of issues on carbs
This is a common mistake made on quadrajet rebuilds. Assuming you have a quadrajet.   


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