Whisper

Pulley can go on 4 different ways. It wasn't until S4 that Mazda offset one of the pulley bolts. The spark plug hole method is not very accurate, since TDC isn't half-way between the two holes, but it's close enough to get you in the right quadrant.

Is the 20* reading with vacuum lines disconnected from the disty? Could be that you're reading trailing ignition instead of leading. Make sure you're on the right spark wire and you're not touching any other wires. In fact make sure spark wires aren't touching each other, either. Is the timing light lining up with the trailing mark on the pulley? I'm assuming you've hooked up the trailing coil by now. It's the forward one of the two, and leading is the one towards the rear. Blue blade connector goes onto the trailing coil, white blade connector goes onto leading coil. Then trailing goes onto T center on the disty cap, and leading goes to the L center on the disty cap (make sure cap isn't on backwards, L should be towards the rear of the car on the cap). From there T1 wire goes to front rotor top plug, and T2 goes to rear rotor top plug; L1 goes to front rotor bottom plug, L2 goes to rear rotor bottom plug. Double check all that. If you have no vacuum applied to your disty, no spark wires touching, and you aren't misreading off the wrong wire with your timing light (you should be reading off the wire that goes to the front bottom plug), then it sounds like your leading is firing as your trailing, meaning the wires from your ignitors are going to the wrong coils.

Is your tach working?

It's actually easier if you work backwards. Start at the spark plug, trace it to the disty cap, then from there to the ignition coil, then to the ignitor, then to the disty rotor. If the path is correct, plug will fire when rotor tooth passes over the correct pickup. It's really simple.

Also double check your plugs. Make sure they're not actually fouled.

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

i'm trying to figure out how you have vacuum retard.... they never had something like that here. you should be able to get it running quite well without them but still

i wonder if the pickup wires are backwards, or something. if you disconnect the vacuum advance from the distributor. and set the timing a to just where it should be on the L, and rev it it should advance a little with the mechanical.

senator

Well ive finally gotten some progress!!

I thought I might have had crossed pickup wires too but, no. With Whispers suggestions I checked the cap, indeed backwards. But didnt make a huge difference, still a problem though. I checked the pulley for correct installation using the spark plug hole idea and i had the pulley 90* off! I feel like a dumbass, oh well. Lack of or incorrect info always kicks you in the *** especially when working with unfamilliar trickery with no pistons and stuff.

So it starts good, set timing at idle, advance is working correctly, holding revs doesnt sound like its on a rev limiter anymore, but still havea bit of a problem with the idle though. Im sure its in the carb at this point since the ignition is finally correct. I still cant get the idle below 1800 or so and I have to bring the idle air screws out quite a bit, maby 5-6 turns, or else it dies after revving when coming to an idle. With the screws out so far adjusting the idle any lower doesnt effect it.

Dont know how it drives yet. I was thinkin the neighbors were probably gettin tired of the open header, so I put on a muffler finally, but it was late anyway.

Theese holley two barrels dont seem very popular here but any thoughts on the idle issue?

Thanks very much for everyones time and input.

senator

Still no trailing setup also. Soon.