Ignition timing - odd behavior

garykocis wrote: Never mind.... I'm twisted up on valve being open/close. I need to look at it fresh tomorrow and check the rotor position as well....

Sounds like a plan

I think your over thinking this....
What you could do pull all your wires off the cap. then where your rotor is pointing to is where the number one sparkplug wires goes to. Then follow your firing order and connect up the rest of the wires. Or the possibly more difficult way would be to pull the distributor out turn the rotor shaft to where you want it and drop it back in. Then again where the rotor points to is where number one cylinder plugwire connects Problem here for the inexperienced is sometimes the oil pump drive shaft,which seats into the bottom of the distributor shaft,does not line up easily and fights you as you try to seat the distributor into place.

No your right just assumed 😳 and you know how that goes.

garykocis wrote: Both of the #1 valves are not stiff (I can wiggle the rocker arm). I believe that both of #1 valves should be closed at TDC - right?

No cam/lifter pressure on pushrod means valves are closed.

Sounds like you just need to reset you plug wires & you should be good to go.

I think it is a miracle it ran at all, with plug wires 180 off!

ok, so I was also having difficulty believing I was 180 out. I repeated the exercise with an assistant (yes, my wife) and I pulled all the plugs to make life easier. I think I was confusing a suction with a positive air pressure. So, with a helper we definitively found the compression cycle. once I had that, continued to 0-degree mark and I'm confident this is the correct TDC position. Checked rotor... it is pointing to distr cap contact for #1 plug.

So, after a bunch of diagnostic work - I am back to exactly where I was at the start. I haven't changed the distributor position at all. I'm convinced that I had correct initial timing position from the beginning. Don't have time to try it tonight, but I have no reason to believe anything is different from what I had initial posting a few days back. ???

I wanted to check the firing rotation which plugs were out. So, starting from TDC (where piston #1 is at TDC), I rotated the crank shaft 1/4 turn (8 times) and checked to see which piston was at TDC. I got the following:
0/4: 1 and 6
1/4 : 2 and 8
2/4: 4 and 7
3/4: 3 and 5

So, I conclude that this is aligned with the engine firing order, by working top to bottom and alternating left and right:
1 - 8 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 2 - 7 - 3

Eliminates the possibility of having the wrong cam shaft (I think)....

That is a wise and logical idea. The one guy I could find to rebuild the engine would only work with the long block. I tore it down to that point, and got it to his shop. He said he only does the machinist work. And, I regret having this guy work on it at all (difficult to work with, communication, etc.). I have attempted to get some info from him, but unsuccessful. I'm open to have a trainer pro help, but it won't be that person.

MechGaT wrote: The engine will run at the correct timing, but it won’t start there. It will start with more advance and idles fast. Maybe you said and I missed it, but what’s the condition of your carburetor? When was it last rebuilt? We have been pretty far down the timing route, maybe it is like Ken frequently says “when you think it is ignition, look at the fuel.”

Funny that you mention that.   

I had a conversation with Gary and that's something that came up, it was rebuilt a couple years ago, but that doesn't mean much, a lot can happen in a couple years of sitting or use..

He gonna look at the rest of the ignition system first like the coil and also bypass his ballast resistor since it's got electronic. ignition

It does seem that he's done a very good job of verifying things as far as the timing.

One of those little voices keeps saying   vacuum leak vacuum leak (like a carburetor base gasket) and the higher rpm,s from the advanced timing let it start and run

He'll know his engine pretty well when this is over

Well, too early to crack open the champagne... but - pulled my carb to take a look and found some fuel in places it should be! so, if gas is leaking out I'm sure there was air getting in. going to try a gasket tomorrow, depends on what I can get locally (or I'll order from natique parts and be patient for a few days...