First off, I wanna say hey, I'm new here, and I got a few probs
Ok, This weekend I went and got new timing marks for my timing cover, the car never had them when I got it. I also picked up a new linkage assembly for the throttle cable, as the one on it has no hookup for the kickdown cable for the trans. And a new distributor hold down clamp. The car has a 350 sbc in it, with a turbo 350 trans. Holley Street Dominator high rise intake, and Holley carb, I think it's a 650. Here's the problems.

1st. off, the distributor has always been loose, so I got a new hold down clamp to fix it, that didn't fix it. I ended up putting the old one back on, because that one gets at least a little bite on the dist. The threads in the intake are fine, the bolt snugs down and holds, it just doesn't get enough bite on the dist. itself to clamp it down.

2nd. The timing marks are on, but I can't get the car timed right seems. Maybe it has a cam in it I don't know for sure, it does act like it. It runs strong and fast, I just can't find the right timing. Sometimes it turns over hard, like the timing is off, that I can fix by adjusting the timing again, but until I get the dist. deal fixed it will always be a problem.

3rd. The linkage assy. for the throttle and kickdown cable. I can't get the kickdown cable hooked up, with this universal adjustable linkage clamp assy I have, the kickdown cable isn't long enough to reach the carb from the linkage assy. So I put the old one back on for now.

Anyone have any suggestions? comments? I'd appreciate any help or advice, I can't get any help around here when it comes to my vehicles, everyone's too busy for me all the time and I can't afford to keep taking it to mechanics, especially if I can do the work myself. I'll be getting manuels and doing all the research I can asap so I can learn to do as much as I can myself to this car. Thanks for listening to my long rant/post/queries

 

1) that's weird. You mean even when you tighten the bolt, the distributor still comes loose? and spins, losing your timing setting? strange... might want to pull the distributor, and take a look at the gear, and the overall unit. See if anything is amiss.

2) did you buy a universal timing pointer? bolts on to the two bolt holes in your cover? Apparently those won't work, as they're in the wrong spot. Something about 12:30 position or 2:30 position..... Maybe someone else can verify this fact.

3) auto trans question, I have no idea about that.

Well, welcome to the site, and i'm sure someone with more worldly knowledge will chime in soon enough.

 

1) Possibly have the clamp piece on upside down?

2)Could be the wrong tab/balancer combo or it could be that the timing mark is off on the balancer. The outer metal ring of the balancer is known to spin around when the rubber ring starts to deteriorate.

3) Couldnt get my 'universal' bracket to work within the period of time it took me to get pissed off so i am using my stock bracket also.

 

Yea, the dist. will still rotate and lose timing even with the bolt snug, I pulled the distributor and replaced the gasket underneath, everything looked fine there.

The timing pointer is universal, looks like I wasted some money on a few "universal" things
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I tried putting it on the other way just in case, no go.
I never thought about the mark being off on the balancer, I'll check into that as well.
I know the feeling on that universal bracket, waste of money imo.