First off, parts on the motor that aren't stock. -Hedman headers -edelbrock performer intake manifold -holley 750 carb (not a double pumper) -MSD 6al box -12% over stock cam (this is where Im getting stuck, p.o. had no part number or specs on the cam, 12% over is all he knew. Since I got the car it has had a lazy initial throttle and stumble. 1) unplugged vac. Advance from carb and capped port on carb 2) started the car up and checked initial timing to be at 35-40 degrees BTD! 3) started to move dizzy to set timing by ear and it starts to stumble hard once you get anywhere near about 25 BTD Looking for input so I can get the timing dead on so I can finalize the tune on the carb
Some things to check.... Is the cam installed right? If the timing is off one tooth, you'll never get it right. Are the timing marks in the right place? Ford did move the marks around, if the damper/timing pointer don't match you'll have to find TDC and remark the damper.
Initial timing at over 30* WTF!!! At idle speed somewhere between 8 & 12 with vac disconnected is what you want. Something around 34-36 at 3000rpm would be a good place to start. And yes incorect cam install can cause all sort of issues.
Said it before on here someplace but I'll say it again, check for a worn timing chain. Pull a battery cable and the distributor cap, bar the eng back and forth with a breaker bar or big rachet and socket on the crank bolt in front, watch for a delay in rotor movement in relation to crank movement. Mine drove me 1/2 nuts before I figured it out back in the day, PO had put a bunch of time and bucks into the motor but reused the old chain. Ed
The guys above have given some great advice on things to check for the timing. However, you are probably quite over carbed. When I built my 352, I brought both a 600 cfm Holley and a 750 to the dyno session. We fiddled around quite a bit with the 750, and it was always giving up at least 20 hp to the 600. Some of the throttle response issues may be simply having too big of a carb on the motor. Good Luck.
pull #1 plug. Get it at to dead center ans see if mark lines up with pointer. Yo may have a bad balancer.
Often, an engine with those changes cant be timed with a light. Use a vacuum gauge, then if it starts and doesnt ping, use the light to see where it is. A smaller carb will give throttele response down low where the motor runs, in a heavy car to big a carb will never run slow.
As for this I just picked up a 600 but am looking for a place to hot tank it before I rebuild it. Once its together its going right onto the car
Just curious if you are familiar with Ford engines very much. Unlike a Chevy, number 1 cylinder is the first cylinder on the passenger side, rather than the drivers side. My first Ford FE project was a 66 Fairlane GTA, and it was not as fast as I thought it should have been until I started checking the timing on the correct plug wire! If thats not the problem, I`d do a compression test, if the numbers are low, under 150psi, I`d be looking at the cam timing, as others have suggested.
are you running a point distributor? If so, the plate that the points mount on is ussally worn at the pivot point on older Ford distributors. the worn pivot point also messes with timing. 750 is not too big with a better cam, this is NOT a 350 Chevy!! Ford FE engine have much better flow of air than Chevys, so a bigger carb is want they eant. Your problem is ignition, not fuel. Do you testing in orde, start with a vacuum test to make sure there is no leaks, you already tested the chain and said it is good. Dampner could have slipped like was mentioned. If you can by-pass the MSD, do that before you go too far, it can cause problems also. Just my 2 cents, probably not worth that!!
You don't mention what year of 352 you are dealing with, they were used from 58 to sometime in the mid/late sixties with a lot of different cams and compression ratios. Mild stock cams could have more than .400 lift and 200 degrees of duration that loosey goosey 12% over could mean you have .450 lift and 225 degrees of duration and a stock PI or T-Bird cam from the era could be .440 lift so your 12% over would be around .525 thats a lot of cam in any street engine. Manifold vacuum could be an issue.
For this parts combo with stock "choked" heads 750 is far too big. Not running points on this car. Vacuum test holds steady at 17 and to really check the dampner I have to pull it off and make sure the timing marks are lined up inside the timing cover first with the cam install from the P.O. to be positive that isn't any part of my issue too.
I did this a while ago, but still have the same drivability issues and then can't confirm where I'm really running for timing on the motor
I rebuilt a 390 with a mild cam, petronics dist. and Edelbrock 650, timed at 15 degrees btdc and runs great. sounds like you have a lot of advance to me.
You might check cam timing try pulling the valve cover on number 1 turn it to tdc exhaust. The exhaust valve should be almost closed and the intake just opening at TDC. One tooth off is about 15 degrees.
Stuck here now since I can't find my puller. Ordered a new one today instead of renting one so will find out the cam and timing for sure in a few days when it arrives. Thanks for all help and tips so far guys
If I have a TDC mark I can trust its pretty easy to "degree" the cam just pulling the valve cover. I'd hate to pull the timing cover just to look at the marks on the timing set. Plus, more than once the marks on the timing set were wrong, and a few times just misunderstood. The 1959 Ford Edsel factory manual has a procedure for checking cam lobe lift and cam timing with the engine assembled, in the vehicle.
True, but I don't have anything to identify the cam, no brand, I.d., nothing so that is the other reason the cover needs to be pulled.
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