Hey all,

i am new here and have a question.. i just bought a 65 Dodge Dart with a 225 slant six, had some trouble getting it running.. has many issues. but the main one is little to no power. i rebuilt the carb today i thought maybe it was a clogged main jet because it idols great after i adjusted the timing just have no power think maybe its a timing issue or vacuum issue. but i can rev it fine just when i drive it around i can barely make it up a hill.. any advice?

There are a lot of things that can play into your situation.

You've done a tune up? Points, condenser, plug wires, plugs, plug gap, valve lash, fuel filter and air filter? The choke is operating correctly?

Have you checked for vacuum leaks? Replaced any cracked or visibly damaged hoses?

How about the fuel pump?

There are a lot of things to verify. Every item requires hands on the car. Finding the problem will require some work. Unfortunately auto repair is still not a virtual experience.

What manual do you have? The factory service manuals are by far the best. The Chiltons and Haynes manuals are slightly more useful than wet kindling.

CJ

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

i dont have manual, i ordered on from amazon but has not arrived yet.. i replaced the fuel filter, pulled the mechanical fuel pump seems to be working fine. checked vacuum hoses replaced the plug that was ripped. noticed the vacuum advance to the distributor was loose so fixed that. plug gap is good pulled all the plugs to make sure none was wet. and set gap then.

the choke might be iffy it has the thermostatic choke and i am not sure if its working correctly..

i will check the valve lash tomorrow. i was reading up on it seem like you do it with the engine running? i work on diesels and always do lash with it shut down and just bar over the engine.

The purists will have you set it running. Set it cold, add a thousandth, and you'll be close. If you hear a miss, something is tight. Loosen the offending valve a nudge and see if it clears up.
Setting valve lash running is pretty easy when you get used to it. Just make sure the engine is fully to operating temperature. There is a description of how to go about it somewhere on this site. Might be in the FAQ, but a search should net the operation.

Make sure the vacuum advance is functional, and the diaphragm isn't blown. Test for vacuum leaks. Do a compression test. Wet and Dry.

What did you set your timing advance too?

Go through the FAQ. There is a lot of information there. Verify your carburetor settings, and view the applicable carburetor info. (There are manuals and videos in the FAQ)

Replacement parts are not all created equal. Many remanufactured parts, like carburetors, are very poor. Do not order a remanufactured part and expect it to work correctly. More often than not, it will be worse than the part you are replacing. Be very careful about turning in your old parts as cores. Once they are gone, they are gone. Do a search on caps and rotors. There are part numbers and so forth listed around. There are also various mods that can be done to update your ignition to something more robust, with better ignition performance. HEI is very popular.

You're a mechanic, so roll your sleeves up and get into it. Hopefully you ordered an FSM, and not something lesser.

Welcome here!

CJ

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

At this point, I would do a compression test, along with the valve adjustment, before doing anything else. Valve lash will effect compresson. Make sure the basic engine is sound.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

Everything said above and:

Verify that the timing mark has not slipped
Verify that the vacuum and mechanical advance mechanisms in the distributor are functioning properly
Verify the base timing is correct

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

Yes on checking valve lash and compression first to be sure the engine does not have major issue(s).

After that... vote #2 on checking the distributor's advance curve. (it sounds like a "no advance" situation)
DD