So, my dad and I have been at it all day. We can't get the car to idle evenly, there is a horrible rich smell coming from the exhaust, and it runs worse when I put it in drive. The circumstances are as such:

I replaced everything that could stand to be replaced or upgraded, including:
-Cap and rotor
-Spark plug wires
-Spark plugs
-Electronic ignition (upgraded to HEI, also added a power relay)
-The carburetor is a Weber 32/36
-The alternator is one I bought a decade ago, but just recently installed
Spark has been verified at all six plugs
I'm certain we're on the correct distributor tooth

Now, you'll see in the first video that I start off with the advance adjustment in the middle of the adjustment range. After I start the car, I proceed to rotate the distributor housing counter-clockwise (advancing? retarding?) - and the engine then runs better. Again, my logic would indicate this would put the placement of the distributor at fault, but I've tried the notches above and below where it sits now, and everything is even worse. I re-emphasize this in the second video - each time I rotate the housing clockwise, thereby bringing my homemade timing mark on the balancer wheel (the white line) closer to the corresponding mark on the timing cover (you can't quite see it, but it's toward the top), the engine runs worse.

If, by some chance, I got the wrong model alternator, what impact might that have?

Let me know what follow up questions you have or if I should have included anything else in the video. I can post another one. Here are the two videos...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q93LYe66 ... e=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwvAsVIB ... e=youtu.be

Thanks, gentlemen.[/i]

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J.R.
Tucson, AZ
'68 Dart 270 with a '76-'80 engine

The alternator is not making your problem, and your ignition system is probably okeh (though you might want to try swapping the two wires from the distributor to the ignition module to see if it runs better or worse.
From the look/sound of things you've got a timing problem, vacuum leaks, or both.

Why using homemade timing marks? And did you verify TDC before making them? You don't give us enough info in your question, or in your videos, to help you with your ignition timing. We need to know what the actual timing setting is in actual degrees, not just "more" or "less". Rotating the distributor counterclockwise advances the timing.

Also not quite sure what you mean by "tried the notches above and below where it sits now" -- do you mean you have tried rotating the distributor one tooth forward and one tooth back?

There is a second bolt that holds the distributor hold-down plate to the underside of the distributor body -- if you cannot achieve the right basic ignition timing within the length of the slotted hole where the hold-down plate sits on the block, you loosen the 2nd bolt on the underside of the distributor and rotate the plate relative to the distributor body to get the adjustment range you need.

Is your distributor vacuum advance hooked up to a port that has vacuum at idle, or none?

What is the fitting at the top front corner of the carburetor that has a rubber cap on it?

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Thanks, Dan. I try to be thorough, but usually find myself convoluting my explanations with too many details. I was anxious to let the video do the talking. But let me see if I can make myself more clear...
That's what I've suspected, but I haven't been able to track any down. I've sprayed carb cleaner around the base of the carb and around the intake mounts, but haven't found anything. I have noticed, though, that the air/fuel mixture screw has a lot of play in it, and I'm not sure if it's supposed to be like that.
I recall having read that before, and I may have tried it before. I'll try it again.
I'm using my homemade timing mark because I'm missing my timing tab. And that's why I haven't been able to speak in terms of degrees.
Yes, I did. More than once.
Yes, that's what I meant.
Okay. This is new information. I'll have to check this out in the morning.
I'm pretty certain the port it's connected to has vacuum. I'll verify this tomorrow as well.
I don't rightly know. I assumed it was just a accessory vacuum port, and it didn't correspond with any hoses from my 1bbl.

Thanks for your reply, Dan. Sorry to hear we lost you to those darn canucks.

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J.R.
Tucson, AZ
'68 Dart 270 with a '76-'80 engine

Could also be an internal problem with the carburetor.
No -- find and fix the cause
Get a timing tab as priority #1. You cannot get the engine timed properly until you do.
Distributor needs to be hooked up to a port that has no vacuum at idle, and has vacuum above idle.
Don't assume. Get into a book about that kind of carburetor and find out what that port is -- it may be important; it may want uncapping or hooking up to something.
You didn't. It's complicated (and expensive).

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Weber carbs direct's troubleshooting guide might be of help.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

in the first video, at time of 1:37. it shows your #6 intake runner, which looks like it has a feed off. is that blocked or opened? if opened, that could be a vacuum leak and make #6 run funky.

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70 Plymouth Valiant 4dr

Good eyeball!!!! That could be your problem right there.
Dan- if he's running the 32/36 DGV that capped port is just that and does nothing. What's weird is I have the same carb and I don't even have a port there, mine's just a hole. Interesting??????
jrdoj- I really hate seeing a rubber fuel line like that, as well as many others here. Do yourself a safety favor and get a real/hard line and use as little rubber as possible. I'll let Dan control this conversation. Good Luck

Nope -- not only does it have a rubber cap on it (I can see it clearly when I expand the movie to full screen) but what we're dealing with is not a single-cylinder misfire.
I know you have a thing about rubber fuel line under the hood, but not many people here share it. That doesn't necessarily mean you're wrong, but neither are you right. Properly-selected and properly-installed rubber fuel line is fine. More at Fuel line mod discussion.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Do you or someone you know have a known good condition BBD or 2280 you could temporarily install to determine if the problem lies with the carb or somewhere else?

Also, I did a quick web search for "weber 32 36 vacuum ports" and found this diagram:



I believe the capped port on your carb is a charcoal canister port.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

If that diagram Reed provides is correct and it's a vapor vent -- which it probably is and probably is -- get the cap off it. If your car is a '71 or newer model ('70 or newer in California), duct it properly. Otherwise leave it open. Capped-off is wrong.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Ho, man, you guys are good. Yeah, I had happened upon that same diagram. The kit this carb came with is technically for Jeeps. Perhaps that accounts for the presence of the brass fitting for the vapor vent? I went ahead and uncapped it.
No, but I still had my 1 bbl and an adapter lying around, so I fitted that for giggles. Performed pretty much the same. I noticed the air/fuel mixture screw on the 1 bbl, without the spring on it, had a lot of play in it as well. I guess that's standard for the purpose of that screw????
Dan's right - it's capped. I wish it were that simple. Thanks for being on the lookout, though.
I am trying to locate one.

We're at the end of the another day of fiddling with it and there has been a little progress. The distributor may have been off a tooth (we moved it back forth so many times, it's hard to say for sure), and we've gotten it to the point that engine runs best (relatively speaking) with the distributor hold-down bolt in the middle of the adjustment range. So the timing seems optimal, ear-wise. However, we have to turn the idle screw in pretty far just to keep it running (far beyond the 1.5 turns max Weber specifies), so the indication of a vacuum leak is still there - we just can't seem to find it.

Here's another video, if you care to watch it. Not much to see, but you'll notice it sounds a little better. Oh, and the fuel line mod, as well as several other parts you'll see (Remflex gasket, the aftermarket thermostat housing, etc.) were installed based on the advice of I've gotten from this site. I've been pretty happy with all of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_DNMnnk ... e=youtu.be

Thanks for you time and input gentlemen. I'm still brainstorming, but I'm beginning to think we may need to take it to local professional (as much as it pains me). Speaking of which - anyone know of a good mechanic/shop in Tucson with a strong knowledge of old Mopars?

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J.R.
Tucson, AZ
'68 Dart 270 with a '76-'80 engine

There's supposed to be a spring, and no, the answer is still that there's not supposed to be much of any play in the mixture screw.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Have you verified that you aren't putting the rotor in 180 degrees off?

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

Would hooking up a vacuum gauge and seeing some numbers help us determine if in fact this is a vacuum related issue and eliminate one of the causes?

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70 Plymouth Valiant 4dr

Yes. A vacuum gauge is a very helpful diagnostic tool. The fact that the motor exhibits the same symptoms with different carbs suggests the problem is with something other than the carb.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.