Thread: timing problem

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i have a 1985 pontiac parisienne with a chevy 350 i just got done doing a head gasket, valve seals, lifters, push rods, and rocker arms. ok when i was all done i went to start the car and it started right up. but when i hooked a timing light up to it the timing mark was way off the scale, and if you try to turn the distributor it will just kill the motor. also if you try to put it into drive it will drop rpm's really bad and you have to give it gas to keep it running.at work people were saying that either the distributor was off a tooth or that the timing chain stretched or skipped a tooth.i have headers, weiand intake, holley 650 carb, mallory distributor with vaccuum advance. any advice will help. i need the car for a car show next sunday.

The timing marks being off mean the dist. is not in so that no. 1 cylinder is in the proper place. This will not cause the difficulties you mention, though. Sounds like a vacuum leak to me, assuming you got the timing chain in right. Check the firing order for crossed wires.

i just took off all the wires off at the distributor and put them back on. and it runs the same. i also forgot that it seems also that the brake boost isnt working cause the brake pedal is really stiff. but as for saying a vaccuum leak the only vaccuum lines coming off the carb are brake boost and pcv. the only thing that is left from the original car is the block and the tranny. are there any vaccuum lines that i should check? are there any from the tranny?

i think the only thing that runs on the computer at all is maybe the alternator and the tranny. i did the headers and intake before all this. i got it out of storage for the summer and it ran fine. but it had a low compression on 1st and 3rd cylinders. so i did the head gasket and valve seals and since doing that its been running like this. my friend said that once i get the carb and new distributor which i did that i could take out the computer. is that actually true?

well the holleys that weird 4011 spread bore carb that only has one big tube in the front. the guy who i bought it off of had it on a 78 malibu with a 350 and he just ran a vaccuum t off the the big tube in the front and ran brake boost and pcv off of it. also before swapping carbs i had a quadrajet on there and it did the same thing thats why i bought the holley. and that was the same with the distributor everyone told me that my distributor might be junk so i bought a new one. if you look at my pictures on here theres 2 of the motor you can see what i mean with the front big tube

Just a thought...you didn't change the head gasket without removing the intake completely, did you? I've seen guys try this and end up with all kinds of troubles from misplaced gaskets.

yeah i did take the intake off. i bought a gasket set from borchardts speed shop which is right down the road from my house. i used the head gaskets from that. but i used rtv sealer for the intake manifold

ill have to try that

By the way i see you live in illinois. you going to that illinois railway museum automobile extravagansa? im gonna hopefully have my car down there. im a member of the west allis auto club. so we'll have a bunch of cars down there.

Ok i put all new gaskets on the intake. and it still is acting up. you dont think that the head job would do anything with that. i brought the heads into school cause im going for automotive and the teacher helped me out. all we did was new valve seals. i dont think that would cause it but im not sure. you have any other ideas. also with the brakes you think that possibly somthing is wrong with the check valve.

we check the margin on the valves and the seat and they were all clean and within specs.

Originally posted by attmchappo
well the holleys that weird 4011 spread bore carb that only has one big tube in the front. the guy who i bought it off of had it on a 78 malibu with a 350 and he just ran a vaccuum t off the the big tube in the front and ran brake boost and pcv off of it. also before swapping carbs i had a quadrajet on there and it did the same thing thats why i bought the holley. and that was the same with the distributor everyone told me that my distributor might be junk so i bought a new one. if you look at my pictures on here theres 2 of the motor you can see what i mean with the front big tube

are you running the pcv valve and the brake booster off of the same vac. hose? if you are you need to change that.

how would i tho cause i think it only has one out put for that. and the guy who had it before me drove his like that. i was talkin to some more people and they said that the timing chain may have jumped a tooth or stretched out. is that a possibility?

Just a reminder when you line up your timming marks and #1 cylinder is up you are firing on #six. Most of you small time engine builders do not use the front or back intake gasket. Once you can fire it spray com sarting fluid on and around the intake if the motor runs diffrent then you have a sealling problem with your intake or carb. one othe thing check to make sure your timing marks are right with #1 piston tdc.

yes and no if you have a new chain unlikely old on maybe
but If you do get another one cuase any time you jump a tooth
both of the gears or maybe just one is craked but I would not want to guess