About to set my car on fire
05-04-2009, 04:11 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2009
Location: VA
Posts: 2
About to set my car on fire
I got a 68 mustang and I can't get it to run right. Right now it idles fine, but give it any gas, and the whole damn thing shakes like hell, and backfires. I put a new holley carb, new points and condenser, new vacuume lines, and I've done the timing, even moved the distributor every which way but loose. I'm losing my mind on this thing. Any ideas???
05-04-2009, 04:28 PM
#2
Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Hills of California
Posts: 5,208
1) firing order
2) timing light
I have a suspicious feeling that after a its shut down some of the exhaust headers are nearly dead cold (less than 200 deg) run it for a bit and splash water on each header tube I gussing the water wont boil off of some of them.
That would be firing order issue
that is probably compounded by timing.
Get a timing light and shoot for about 10 deg advanced at idle.
-Gun
2) timing light
I have a suspicious feeling that after a its shut down some of the exhaust headers are nearly dead cold (less than 200 deg) run it for a bit and splash water on each header tube I gussing the water wont boil off of some of them.
That would be firing order issue
that is probably compounded by timing.
Get a timing light and shoot for about 10 deg advanced at idle.
-Gun
05-04-2009, 06:56 PM
#5
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location:
Posts: 815
The guys can give better details but sounds like your out maybe even 180 deg out.
Bring #1 up pull ALL your wires off set the rotor so it falls in place on the #1 on the cap.
Then 1 at a time put your wires back on and use a book or a diagram on firing order.
The simplest things can get us all sometimes. Im not alone in this but once in a while I forget that my 302 has a cam that makes it a 351 w wiring.
Bring #1 up pull ALL your wires off set the rotor so it falls in place on the #1 on the cap.
Then 1 at a time put your wires back on and use a book or a diagram on firing order.
The simplest things can get us all sometimes. Im not alone in this but once in a while I forget that my 302 has a cam that makes it a 351 w wiring.
05-04-2009, 07:18 PM
#6
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: AR
Posts: 5,469
How many miles/years on the engine?
To me it sounds like MAYBE you might have slipped a tooth on the camshaft timing.
IMO this is really only possible if the engine still has one of the factory type nylon coated timing sets...
If the engine was rebuilt not real long ago, you might have some flat cam lobes.
Might want to pull the valve covers and observe the rocker arm action and maybe use a dial caliper to see if the valves are opening enough and at roughly the right time.
But if you still have an original engine or a rebuilt engine built before about 1980, the chance of this being your issue is pretty fair.
I don't really like to jump right to the "hard stuff" when trying to help someone, but it looks like you have covered a lot of the more common stuff.
Don't be intimidated by a cam issue, even if this is the problem it can be easily overcome. If you have slipped timing, someone will tell you that your engine needs to be rebuilt. Slipping timing does not necessarily mean your engine is worn out especially if we are talking about the nylon coated gears.
If it is slipped timing and you have the nylon gears it is advisable to drop the oil pan and remove the bits of nylon from the oil pump pick up though.
OH YEA, CHANGE YOUR COIL before you dig any deeper into the engine...
To me it sounds like MAYBE you might have slipped a tooth on the camshaft timing.
IMO this is really only possible if the engine still has one of the factory type nylon coated timing sets...
If the engine was rebuilt not real long ago, you might have some flat cam lobes.
Might want to pull the valve covers and observe the rocker arm action and maybe use a dial caliper to see if the valves are opening enough and at roughly the right time.
But if you still have an original engine or a rebuilt engine built before about 1980, the chance of this being your issue is pretty fair.
I don't really like to jump right to the "hard stuff" when trying to help someone, but it looks like you have covered a lot of the more common stuff.
Don't be intimidated by a cam issue, even if this is the problem it can be easily overcome. If you have slipped timing, someone will tell you that your engine needs to be rebuilt. Slipping timing does not necessarily mean your engine is worn out especially if we are talking about the nylon coated gears.
If it is slipped timing and you have the nylon gears it is advisable to drop the oil pan and remove the bits of nylon from the oil pump pick up though.
OH YEA, CHANGE YOUR COIL before you dig any deeper into the engine...
Last edited by JMD; 05-04-2009 at 07:20 PM. Reason: COIL
05-04-2009, 09:50 PM
#10
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Colorado
Posts: 3,946
I agee it sounds like timing/firing order. When I first started working on cars 100 years ago I found it best to do one thing at a time and make sure the car runs good when you are done, then move on to the next thing. That way you know what is messing you up. sorry it doesn't help in this situation.