please help me w/ timing

[nitrous nut]

sbc cant get it to time right. to make it run has to be at 45deg. advanced. now i brought #1 up and the marks are on the money so the balancer did not spin. the dis. is pointing at #1. iv had this problem since i bought it at the bone yard so i tryed a new cam and timing chain thinking this would fix it but its the same.
any help would be great. iv asked some car guys around me and there stumped

oh ya it does run good at 45deg but very hard to start like timing is out
thanks for any help

 

[hotrod preacher]

maight not be the timing-sometimes bad bat. connections, or cheap, small bat. cables can make one sound like fast timing when trying to start it.... also curious if it labor-pings when going up the road at low rpm acceleration (if pipes will allow you to hear it)a sign of fast timing
.if possible also try another distributor from a "good" rig for a test --my old truck had same problem and it was the whole advance system on mine-the vac. diaphram was busted, and the mechanical weights were red-rusted to the point it was "draggy"a rebuilt dist. cured it
....just a thought or two...

 

[nitrous nut]

the light reads 45deg adv

 

[42chevy]

does it have a points distributor, I ran into a similar issue a long time ago. It was the point plate in the distributor having too much flex in it and I had to replace the distributor. Hope this helps

 

[HotRodCadillac]

Sounds like you might have a mismatched balancer/timing tab. Stick a screwdriver or a piece of wire in #1 plug hole and turn it over by hand to find TDC. Then mark your balancer. Chevy liked to move thier timing tab around so you could see it accordind to the accessories installed on the engine. Seen it a number of times.

 

[Foster]

what kind of distributor? Any after market ignition boxes attached? I have seen this same scenario with my blown alky BBC due to having the pro billet distributor wired backwards. it will run but give it serious timing issues.

 

[nitrous nut]

HEI dis

 

[Foster]

well crap that can't be it then. advance springs ok? is it locked out? Maybe trash or metal shavings on or near the pickup?

 

[nitrous nut]

HotRodCadillac Sounds like you might have a mismatched balancer/timing tab. Stick a screwdriver or a piece of wire in #1 plug hole and turn it over by hand to find TDC. Then mark your balancer. Chevy liked to move thier timing tab around so you could see it accordind to the accessories installed on the engine. Seen it a number of times.

the mark is right when the piston is up

 

[adam]

Try a different timing light-a standard, not a dial type

 

[nitrous nut]

Try a different timing light-a standard, not a dial type

done it and its the same

 

[hotrod preacher]

have you checked the starting system yet? see my previous post...

 

[nitrous nut]

sorry yes went over it. its all new wires and batt. the only thing left is the dist.

 

[bob w]

I have seen camshafts very retarded when a 3 position timing gear set is used and installed wrong. Usually the engine runs poorly even with a lot of timing advance though.
Do you have 45 degrees total with the engine at idle? or at 3,000RPM?

 

[nitrous nut]

timing is 45deg. at idle