I need some help unravelling this one.

Rebuilt '66 225 block
HEI conversion with a '74 dodge pick-up dist.
Freshly rebuilt Holley 1920

With the timing at TDC without the vacuum advance, the engine will not run. At 10 degrees retarded, it will. The advance pulls about 25 degrees ahead with 20" of manifold vacuum. without the advance, the engine barely chugs at 400 RPM, and with the advance I can't get it to drop below 1100 at idle without killing it. Even at 1200 RPM, if I put it in gear, it dies as soon as it engages. It's gotta be either the timing or the carb, but I don't know what to do to get it really working.

_________________
Washington, Jefferson, Twain, Luther, King, Peewee Herman.

where in norcal are you located?

I have a totally stock 225 slant with the carter single barrel, i run 8* BTDC and i then adjusted the idle screw on my carb to get the idle rpms i wanted.

Sounds like you may need to adjust the carb(throttle idle screw, and fuel idle screw), i know when i put my truck into gear the rpms drop from 850rpms to 600 at first but it comes back to about 650-700 and idles fine.

Jason

_________________
1967 Dodge D100 2 wheel drive short bed sweptline, 727 3spd auto 225 leaning tower of power

Are you sure your timing mark is correct? Something sounds a bit off.

You want to set the carb and idle speed first, then the timing, then engine rpm. Are you psitive your seeing 20" of vacuum at idle? If you were that would say everything is beyond perfect because most of all of us can't pull much more than 18" on a perfect running and tuned engine...

Try setting the carb the best you can, set your base timing at 8*-10* and DON'T use the vac advance, OR set the timing low so you see 8*-10* with vacuum connected.

It is completely normal for RPM to drop about 100rpm from idle to in gear, but it shouldn't lug or struggle to idle. I dont personally know much about the Holleys but I have been through hell and back with carb issues and timing issues on mine so Ill help the best I can over all. Good luck!

-Mario

_________________
"if it aint broke, fix it till it is"
78 Plymouth Volare Super Six wagon
89 Volkswagen Golf GTI 16v
92 Chevrolet K1500 5.7
98 Ford Escort ZX2 zetech