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318 poly is sad and sick

Neal Zimmerman

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Jun 20, 2021
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Hi all.
Two questions)
A) What does it generally mean if you cant start an engine unless you way advance the distributor?
B) What does it generally mean if you set the timing dead on specs and it retards itself by two degrees. I set it right on at 10BTDC, looked back in 20-30 seconds and its about 7BTDC.
I have my hunches about these things but I want to see what the pros say.
Finally getting around to working on this 65 Coronet 500 I bought a year ago, and I don't know much about it. A nice solid straight car but it has some gremlins I am afraid.
Thanks
Neal Zimmerman
 
Sounds like the timing chain is stretched. After about 100,000 miles they need to be replaced.
 
Yep, what they said…:lol:
 
Before you dig in too deep check your distributors mechanical advance for sticking. I have seen them stuck advanced and then the timing is set. As the car runs the advance slowly creeps back retarding the timing. It is just a couple minute check. I would verify that and also make sure the accelerator pump is working. If your fuel squirt is bad or weak advancing the timing can help it fire off.It could be a chain but in my experience the car runs poorly and within a short time wont run at all.
 
I considered the chain, but I think first I will try to verify the balancer has not slipped by finding No.1 TDC (compression) and seeing if the balancer mark is straight at TDC on the timing tab.
But yes, the timing resetting itself (retarding itself) seems to me it could be chain wear as the sloppiness would make the cam spin slightly behind the crank (retarded).
I found a Cloyes chain set here in town I am going to go pick up just in case. Its just the cheapy chain set, but I am planning on a big block swap soon so it will be fine for the short run.
Neal
Neal
 
I considered the chain, but I think first I will try to verify the balancer has not slipped by finding No.1 TDC (compression) and seeing if the balancer mark is straight at TDC on the timing tab.
But yes, the timing resetting itself (retarding itself) seems to me it could be chain wear as the sloppiness would make the cam spin slightly behind the crank (retarded).
I found a Cloyes chain set here in town I am going to go pick up just in case. Its just the cheapy chain set, but I am planning on a big block swap soon so it will be fine for the short run.
Neal
Neal
 
Hmm. Thanks Panora. I never thought of that. When I had it running today , with the vacuum canister disconnected and plugged , I revved it up with the timing light on it and I saw the mark advance, so , since the vacuum advance was disconnected I figured I was getting that movement from the mechanical advance .
Neal
 
Hmm. Thanks Panora. I never thought of that. When I had it running today , with the vacuum canister disconnected and plugged , I revved it up with the timing light on it and I saw the mark advance, so , since the vacuum advance was disconnected I figured I was getting that movement from the mechanical advance .
Neal
Ok it did advance when reved. Did it return to the original mark right away when you let off the gas and went to idle. What is the idle rpm?
 
A way to check the chain is remove the spark plugs, turn the engine over by the crank balancer bolt until it goes to the 10 degree advanced position. You want to turn the engine backwards. With the distributor cap off, if you can turn the engine forward more than 10 degrees before the rotor on the distributor moves, your timing chain is stretched beyond spec.
 
Oh yeah, thanks 440phixx, I forgot about that method of assessing the chain. I will do that. I am also going to check the intermediate shaft slot alignment, when I find No1 TDC. I think the distributor intermediate shaft was just dropped in willy nilly, Vacuum cans almost banging the firewall.
 
You could have sticking weights/stretched springs inside the dist.
 
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