[booklearner]

Hi GTAA,

It sounds to me like several things are wrong here. Typically you want the distributor vacuum advance connected to the ported (not "constant" or manifold) vacuum source. Also, typically, the choke pull off is connected to the manifold vacuum source, not the weaker ported source.

So, I think there are three things wrong here.

1. The choke pull off needs to be plumbed into the manifold source at the back of the carb.

2. The dist. vacuum advance needs to be connected to the ported source (front left?) of the carb (NOT the constant vacuum source).

3. The static timing on the distributor needs to be advanced (the distributor moved) becuse the vacuum advance was incorrectly connected to the manifold vacuum (causing the timing to be "right" in a wrong way.) The strong manifold vacuum applied to the vac. advance was causing the timing to be right, but it isn't the correct way to have it set up. It suspect it wasn't like this from the factory.

Once you get all this done, set the "static" timing (with the vac advance disconnected and plugged) to be around 10 degrees (give or take). Then when you connect the vac. advance back up (to the PORTED source), the timing shouldn't change much. Now, as you speed up the RPMs of the motor, the ported vacuum will come up and add more timing with the vacuum advance. As you approach full throttle the ported source will fall off. Remember that fuel burns at a fixed rate, so you only need (or want) so much timing at idle.

The motor would definitly die at idle the way it was setup with the vac. advance connected to the constant (manifold) vacuum. If fact, it makes perfect sense.

I hope this helps and doesn't confuse too much.
-BL