Help,
I just got my 302 running and am trying to tune it. It will start fine but when I bring the timing to 10BTC it wants to die and will sputter and spit when I give it a little gas. The 10BTC is done with the vacumn advance disconnected. When I hook vacumn to it it gets no better.
I tryed adjusting the distributor by sound and smoothness and the thing will run and sound fine but the timing mark is no where near the pointer. I am running a HEI.
Any suggestions or ideas?
Thanks for all that respond.

are you 100% sure that 0 on the balancer/timing tab is TDC on the piston? there could be a discrepancy there and that would really confuse the issue. try just timing it by ear, and if it runs/drives good, then check the timing w/ a lite, if it's way off the mark, i'd guess the timing tab was off. you could get a piston stop to make sure. hope that helps, good luck.

Remember, there are some 3 different 8" balancers for the 350. All have different timing marks. Found that one out the hard way.

------------------
Matt Jones
1969 Base Camaro
Vortec 355, Perf. RPM, Demon Carb., TH-400
All sheetmetal is NOS GM
See my UPDATED webpage at: http://www.geocities.com/compuboy007/ (Updated: 1/13/03)

rn, (Name ????)
You mentioned that the idle does not change when you attach the vacuum advance ??? That does not sound right. Try hooking the vacuum advance to a direct manifold vacuum source, it sound like you might have it on a "ported" vacuum fitting. I have found that most performance engines run much better with the vacuum can attached to straight manifold vacuum. It should probably pull the advance up to at least 20-22 degrees when you plug the vacuum in.
Hope this helps,

------------------
Bill Koustenis
Owner
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md
1971 Chevelle "Heavy Chevy" original owner

Why not just increase idle speed enough to keep it running? Then just set your TOTAL timing to 36* (should all be in by 3000 RPM) with vac advance disconected and let the base timing fall where it may. Total timing is what matters most.

If you are running your distributor to a ported vac source there shouldn't be any vac advance at idle or at WOT --- only when at part throttle. I don't like running manifold vacuum source (provides vac advance at idle) because it causes surging sometimes and and unstable idle when getting out of the throttle (like when you hit the brakes when stopping quick).

Just my opinion.

In the future please only post your question in one forum. http://www.camaros.net/forum/Forum5/HTML/002534.html It helps save others from replying with the same answers others have already given or even replying when a resolve has been reached.