350 4bolt timing help+Carbholley

Hello everyone, I am new and glad Ifinally found a site that can help me! I have an 86 chev3504bolt main, Zero decked, with a timing problem. My friend built the engine for me and he said the damper is the right damper but the timing mark points toward the #1 piston when it is TDC instead of streight up. So i have to time it manually. The engine desiels when i shut it off, and has a hard time idling when i initially start it up. 50% of the time when i try to accelerate, it tries to die/stall. I manually timed it but, it is about the same. the cam is a 215/224. Carb holly 600cfm singlepump. I almost want to shoot the darn thing, ive been messing with it for a month now. Any help would be appreciated.

if you know for sure you are on TDC then make that o degrees. where is the timing tab on the front cover?

When he built it, he asked me if it was the right damper because it didn't show tdc with the mark pointing up. It showed it pointing at the #1 piston. i cannot see the mark on the damper when it is tdc because the powersteering pump blocks the view. (otherwise i would ahve used a light) I am not sure if the mark is on the block or not. Could my fuel mixture be too rich/lean. I have 63 jets in it. The plugs look good when i take them out.

I have already done the manual method of timing by removing the spark plug, and feeling the piston read tdc and adjusting the cap accordingly. Is there a better/easier way to do this. Hopefully i will be selling this thing soon :)

As you can see by this chart from Damper Doctor, 350 dampers were offered in 12:00 O'Clock, 2:00 O'Clock and 2:30 O'Clock configurations. You must use the correct front cover to match or change the timing tab on your cover if you definitely know you have found TDC. If you haven't found absolute TDC, let us know and we'll outline the procedure.
http://www.damperdoctor.com/Merchant...egory_Code=CHE

when you say its pointing to the #1 piston mean its at 1:00 o'clock on the HB? if you know what your true TDC is and had a adv. timing light then all you would have to do is find the true TDC put a mark on the pully and cover anywhere you wanted to and then use the light to set your base timing, that would save you from changing the cover or HB. do you have a timing tab on the cover and if you do where is it at.

Thanks so much guys for the feedback so far. I am pretty sure i found tdc. i dont know if it is absolute tdc. i brought the piston up and had my little brother, with a ratchet, turn the engine over untill i felt it start to come down. then i marked on the damper and market on the block. It may be a TINIE tiny bit past tdc. because i felt it stop going up then i marked it. I would say its pretty close. Is there a better waY?

Buy or borrow a piston stop. The cheapest I've found is the $7.88 unit, part # PRO-66792 at www.summitracing.com .

Remove all the spark plugs to make the motor easier to turn over by hand. Screw the spark plug adapter into #1 cylinder. Turn the motor over in the direction of rotation (clockwise as you face the front of the motor) until you have the notch on the damper at about 12 noon. Screw the inner rod down into the adapter until it bottoms against the top of the piston. Make a mark on the damper where the timing tab is pointing. Turn the crank counter-clockwise until the piston comes up against the inner rod again. Make another mark on the damper where the timing tab is pointing. Halfway between these marks on the damper is TDC. Use your 6" dial caliper to locate it exactly, then mark the damper with a centerpunch and put a dab of orange paint in the centerpunched cavity.

If the damper is 6.75" diameter, each crank degree will be 0.058902", so for instance if you wanted to mark the damper for 6 degrees and 12 degrees timing advance, you'd make punch marks at 0.353" and 0.707" TO THE RIGHT of your TDC mark.

If the damper is an 8" diameter unit, each crank degree will be 0.069811", so your 6 and 12 degree marks would be at 0.419" and 0.838" TO THE RIGHT of your TDC mark.

Use a dot of white paint in each of the advance punch marks and you're good to go.

I really appreciate your time, and the help you have given me.
I have a question, will that thing scar my piston? Will it flake anything off? Looking at the product it looks like my piston will contact the stop at an angle. Is this a problem. Or am i proving my newbieness?

Will not hurt the piston.
Will not flake anything off.
Piston will contact stop at an angle, not a problem.
Yes, but it's ok. :)

having the same problem - but I have the newre vortec heads - anyone help?

With the engine idling, turn the dist. opposite to the way it turns, until the engine slows a bit. Retard it a bit, and test drive it. If it pings,or "kicks back" on the starter, retard it a bit more.