Problem

[JIPJOBXX]

Problem?

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Ever since I got my Dodge the Distributor adjustment cam only will let me adjust the timing to a certain point. By that I mean that the plate that is under the distributor is adjusted all the way out and then the faster slot for the distributor is set all the way out also and I would think that there would be some more play for the distributor to be adjusted. I know this sounds kind of like I'm kind of out in left field but I just cannot figure out how to get anymore adjustment for the timing. Right now the car will idle just fine and when I give it the gas it will rev up just fine but when I hold it at a certain RPM it will misfire. I do not have any idea of what is causing this problem.

Ok this is what it is doing.

1. Starts right up and ideals just perfect

2. Rev up engine and it will run just perfect.

3. Hold gas pedal down to say 600 RPM's and it will

misfire and only misfire at cruising speeds.

4. Could this be a carburetor problem? Or Maybe a wire

harness problem? Or maybe my plugs need to be

replaced? Or the spring on the points needs to be

replaced? I need some help! Everything is new and

I still have this problem. Oh yes the plugs looks

carboned up also. I check the car last night in the dark

and could not see any grounding sparks that might

have shown that the wires were not making a good

contact with the spark plug.

5. All parts are fairly new probably only 3,000 miles on

everything. I hate to just go out and buy new stuff

but maybe this will be the solution. Thanks

[JIPJOBXX]

Oh yes my vacuum gage shows that the engine is running just perfect but when it misfires of course the gage will jump back for a nano second.

I did fine out that my vacuum advance bellow was shot but I replaced that yesterday with a spare and so it will advance per manufactures specs.

If the replacement vacumm advance bellow is leaking can this cause the car to mis fire because it will allow the distributor to drop back into the range for starting up? Like I said befor I can trump on the gas and it will just run like a horse but if I hold it at a certain speed than it will misfire. Jon

[JIPJOBXX]

I will be borrowing a timming light this morning to check out the timming and also check to see that the distributor is advancing also.

[claybill]

very interesting...i have a same experience. car idles well...and is strong on the acceleration , but then when rolling at low constant speed there is a miss.

then it smoothes out under acceleration..???

my thinking...a miss under acceleration is electrical...a miss while running is carb...sound right to you gurus?

bill......................anxious for replies too.!

[greg g]

There is an additional sloted adjustment on the screw that holds the bracket to the bottom of the dist. It can only be accessed with the dist out of the engine. It should give you some more adjustability, I would make some alignment marks on it before I moved it just incase you need to return it to its original position.

A missfire can be tracd down by removing spark plug wires (with an insulated tool) one at a time. Each time you remove one the engine should missfire more, whe you pull the one from the missfireing cylinder, in theory the engine will still have its original missfire. then you can asses what is causing the miss fire o that cylinder.

Remember 90% of carburetor problems are electrical in nature. So it sounds like you might have a bad or loose plug wire. Make sure they are all seated properly in the dist cap. Or you might have a crack or carbon track iside the dist. cap.

A bad carb will cause a condition efffecting all cylinders, as it's feedng all of them from the same source.

[Phil Martin]

Try closing choke 1/4 way

Mine did that but was alright with choke closed a little. Guys on here said I had a vacumn leak but I could never find it. Don't have that truck anymore but now am reading about slot in gasket under carb. Wonder if mine didn't have it.

[Rodney Bullock]

What kind of plug are you running? Is it a long end or is it reccessed? When I was building my car I had that problem. It ran great until it got some run time then I git a miss. I was using the long tip plugs. My car can not use them. Must be short tip. I also had this problem (miss) at part thottle because my wires where crossing or laying on each other. The metal spark plug wire guide that sits on the motor created a nic in one of the wires and it would arch the wire when the car was under load. if your wires have carbon eventually one will miss and it may not be the same one. Just for a test clean all your plugs real good. Then start the motor and see if you have that miss. Test right away don't let the car run for a while and recarbon the plugs.

[Rodney Bullock]

Oh Jon, I almost forgot. Once I had a miss like yours in my car and found that it was a floating miss . It would happen between two ajoining cly. I let the car get up to operating temp and retorqued the head, the miss disappeared. If your car idles good and it only happens when under load it's not timing. I know you have checked for vacum leaks however check one more time. Please look at the plugs. I had your problem. I thought I had the right plugs however sometimes you just can't use the long tip. I was replacing them every 3 or 4 weeks or I was cleaning them.