"Billet-T" Pops and Bangs

[AZCOWBO]

I am certainly frustrated with my motor. How can it start-up and run perfect and go downhill from there. For three weeks my mechanic and I have been struggling to get it to perform like it did when we first fired it up and it ran perfect. We reset the dual point Mallory again yesterday morning, tuned it in, and it ran great. I started it up for a drive late yesterday evening and it backfired out of one cylinder, ran terrivble, overheated and torched my headers again. Should I pull the Mallory and go to an Excel or MSD distributor, In my limited knowledge, I am thinking it is an electrical problem. Jesse is an excellent mechanic and is equally as frustrated as I am.

Ron H. (There are to many Rons on here. I keep thinking I am talking to myself, ha!)

 

[dovehunter79]

I just have an HEI distributor but I have been told that I am not getting the fire that I need and should add an MSD ignition.... Mine runs pretty well with just the HEI

 

[RPM]

Get rid of the points. Get the MSD system, and problems will probably go away.

 

[rooster57]

BYE BYE Malory its been fun. Hello MSD

 

[one finger john]

Ron, everybody will hate me, but, the points should be fine for the application. If you have gone thru the distributer, made sure the advance weights are free and working properly, the springs are hooked up and are not broken, the cap is clean with no carbon arcing, the rotor is new, the timing is spot on, and the vibration dampner hasn't slipped out of phase, well then, you just might be a red neck.
Kidding. Borrow a KNOWN GOOD DISTRIBUTER, put it in and see what happens. If that fixes the problem, there you go. If not.
Is this a fresh motor? Hydraulics, solids or roller (of either persuasion), check your valve adjustment. You may have a cam going flat or a valve too tight. It sounded real racy, who's cam is it? ( I know it's your cam, who ground it). Fresh gas? Valve springs gone soft? How long did it sit?
How much initial timing do you have in it? 10 to 14 degrees is standard. All the boots pushed on completely on the spark plugs? Idle circut set too lean? That can happen. Adjusting the idle, car gets really hot, idle is perfect, start it the next day, too lean. Pop, Bang. Do you have chokes that operate? What kind of carbs?

I'm all thunk out, some else take over, John

P.S. Were the points set as per the manufacturers recommended procedure? Were the points set with a dwell meter, individually? The car should run on the primary set of points alone. To set the initial timing without a timing light. Turn ignition off. Remove distributer cap. Rotate balancer in normal operating direction until 14 degree mark on balancer is opposite timing pointer, paying attention to make sure that the rotor is pointing to no. 1 ignition lead, that the cylinder is in the firing position ( both rockers are equally loose) and that the primary set of points are just beginning to open. Now loosen the distributer and rotate it approx. 45 degrees ADVANCED and stop. Turn on the ignition and start to turn the distributer the OPPOSITE direction, retarding the ignition. Slowly continue until the primary set of points arcs. STOP.Turn off the ignition. Lock the distributer down. The timing has now been set at 14 degrees before top dead center. Reassemble distributer. Check for starting operation. That is how you set the timing the "dead stick" method.

 

[Rick]

Ron, everybody will hate me, but, the points should be fine for the application. If you have gone thru the distributer, made sure the advance weights are free and working properly, the springs are hooked up and are not broken, the cap is clean with no carbon arcing, the rotor is new, the timing is spot on, and the vibration dampner hasn't slipped out of phase, well then, you just might be a red neck.
Kidding. Borrow a KNOWN GOOD DISTRIBUTER, put it in and see what happens. If that fixes the problem, there you go. If not.
Is this a fresh motor? Hydraulics, solids or roller (of either persuasion), check your valve adjustment. You may have a cam going flat or a valve too tight. It sounded real racy, who's cam is it? ( I know it's your cam, who ground it). Fresh gas? Valve springs gone soft? How long did it sit?
How much initial timing do you have in it? 10 to 14 degrees is standard. All the boots pushed on completely on the spark plugs? Idle circut set too lean? That can happen. Adjusting the idle, car gets really hot, idle is perfect, start it the next day, too lean. Pop, Bang. Do you have chokes that operate? What kind of carbs?

I'm all thunk out, some else take over, John

P.S. Were the points set as per the manufacturers recommended procedure? Were the points set with a dwell meter, individually? The car should run on the primary set of points alone. To set the initial timing without a timing light. Turn ignition off. Remove distributer cap. Rotate balancer in normal operating direction until 14 degree mark on balancer is opposite timing pointer, paying attention to make sure that the rotor is pointing to no. 1 ignition lead, that the cylinder is in the firing position ( both rockers are equally loose) and that the primary set of points are just beginning to open. Now loosen the distributer and rotate it approx. 45 degrees ADVANCED and stop. Turn on the ignition and start to turn the distributer the OPPOSITE direction, retarding the ignition. Slowly continue until the primary set of points arcs. STOP.Turn off the ignition. Lock the distributer down. The timing has now been set at 14 degrees before top dead center. Reassemble distributer. Check for starting operation. That is how you set the timing the "dead stick" method.

John i know your trying to help and your knowledge is helpfull BUT!!! a MSD will solve his probs. if in fact the distributor is the culprit.The MSD is fool proof i dont know why people tend to go to the point crap.

 

[GMbowtye@aol.com]

have you got a ballast resistor in the circuit. point type distributors have a bypass to have 12 volts on starting and then drop to 6-8 volts while running so as not to fry the points

 

[one finger john]

Rick, points have been around for a long time and can provide long term service if adjusted properly. If Ron H. has to run a Mallory because of the tunnel ram (space comsiderations), then yeah, he will have to run the smaller dist and deal with points. If not, then run the MSD. That's why I also recommended installing a borrowed, known good unit to see if the dist was the problem. There has been a rash of ignition problems here in the guise of other other problems. From Rooster and his pinging to the gentleman who was told to replace the torque converter to solve an off idle hesitation. All ignition problems, easily cured, if you take the time to understand how things work.
GMbowtye - good call. I believe Ron said the car was rewired.

John

P.S. The dead stick timing deal is an accepted way of setting timing and works for all engines and ignitions. Be careful w/hi energy ignitions, they will bite you.

 

[Hotrod46]

it backfired out of one cylinder, ran terrivble, overheated and torched my headers again.

The overheated headers would point to it being seriously retarded. I agree with the others. Swap in a known good distributor. The one you have may be moving somehow internally.

Go back to basics as One Finger said. Use a piston stop to double check true TDC.

Also, if you have a ballist resistor, make sure it matches the coil you're using.

One other thing. Although it may sound far-fetched, check your system voltage with the engine running. If it's too high (bad voltage regulator), it can cause symptoms like yours.

 

[RPM]

Points went out in production cars some 30 years ago with good reason. They don't stay tuned up long. The rubbing blocks wear, dwell changes, coil saturation time is screwed up and timing changes. If the HEI won't fit in there then get the MSD set up. The small cap version will fit behind a blower or a tunnel ram.

 

[AZCOWBO]

Thanks for all the advice, guys. The timing is set at 16 degrees. This morning I pulled the carbs, intake, and valve covers, and discovered I do have a bad intake gasket (s). I ordered an HEI with small dist. cap, that will fit behind the tunnel ram snugley. It will be here Tuesday. We checked the cam and it is okay. The backfire from one cylinder cleared up when it is warmed up, but still runs rough. New plugs and plug wires were checked. I spent the rest of the day anxiety polishing with Hot Flash. The carbs don't carb and the intake doesn't intake, but they sure are pretty. I will keep you posted next week. Thanks again for your help.

Ron H.

 

[rooster57]

If your like me i think i have resolved more problems in my mind ,when i am polishing. Next week is another page in the story.

 

[kyle]

Just finished building my mates car with a small block 302 windsor ,never ran right always backfired through carb no matter what we did.Fine at stand still free reving but under load it was just a dog.Instead of changing distributor we replaced points with a bolt in electronic pick up kit,has run perfect ever since.

 

[one finger john]

What is a tunnel ram snugly? Does it keep it warm at night?

 

[AZCOWBO]

I have no ballast resistor, the alternator is a one-wire, the backfire doesn.t backup through the carb. It just pows through the passengers side pipe. I have a closed intake and the scorching on the the pipes is on both center pipes on each side. Hopefully, the cam isn't flattened. If it is can you still mike a cam lob or do you have to replace it?

 

[Nas T]

I would have to agree with all the guys here on the dist. If money is tight wait no sense in taring up a motor because of a bad dist. you don't need a box just by a dist. from summit or jegs there very reasonable. Points are good if you like working on your car every other day. you could have a bad bearing in the dist. and when you hit it hard you could be kicking the points out of adjustment and causing it to backfire or the points closing up on you. Don't waste time on it sell it on ebay (Great dist.for your ol classic).

 

[one finger john]

Ron, if the manifold is still off, you could use a dial indicater to check lifter height. The distributer's points appear to have been burned because there was no resister. Yes you have to replace the camshaft if a lobe is flattened.
NasT, the old dist sounds to be good, just replace the points and run a resister.
Ron, all is not lost on the cam. Look at the offending lifter and peer thru the lifter bore to see the cam lobe. If neither show signs of wear, readjust the valve (heck, run em all) and see what happens. You might have dodged a bullit.
If you don't want that old, points plaqued Mallory, give it to me, I'll pay shipping.

John

P.S. What color is your tunnel ram snuggly. Is it form fitting or loose?

 

[Ted Brown]

I guess I have been lucky, been running points for over 20 years, never a problem, but if you ever have a problem on the road, points are a very easy fix, not anything else, replacement is all you now do... But they ( elict) do work pretty good at keeping the smog people happy...and the spark plugs if you have a dirty running cyl... I did have one cyl. that I changed plugs in (in the BBC) any time it miss-fired, (big blocks kill plugs one at a time) kept a box just for that cyl. hehe probably should have gone late model dist. years ago, but it keeps on tickin... till then...