ok so my car is running like crap. it stumbles on its face under load but revs ok in park.

i belive my problem is timeing at this point. i think my computar is throwing the timeing all over the place and thats making it run so bad but i need some info do try to figure out whats happening.

the car is an 84 TA CCC lg4, it has the hei style distributor.

to set the timing and check it and such, the manual says to disconnect the EST wire from the dizzy.

the book lead me to belive that the giant 4 wire plug connector that goes from the dizzy to the wireing harness its the EST. is that correct?

it also lead me to belive that the EST is what the computar uses to advance/retard the timing of the motor, is that right?

i do know that there is somthing wrong with that wire, because with everything hooked up i cant start up the motor and let it idle, the timing will stay put, but if i jiggle that 4-plug wire the timing swings out off the marker.

so i figure this is a problem since it isnt supposed to be swinging out like that.

so i thought ok well if i unplug that wire then it will no longer advance the timeing.

so i unplugged the wire and the timing just sat still. it idled fine.
but when reved it still advanced the timing but it would come right back down with the rpms. is that normal?

i'm so confused as to what i should do with this thing, all my stupid chiltons manual says is to check the spark plug wires (and there fine) and to look at the cap and rotor (they dont look broken to me) so i'm at the point that the only option i see is to get a cap and rotor and see if that fixes the problem.

 

Your timing should be stuck at base timing when you rev it, with the EST disconnected. AFAIK at least.
Does this distributor have a metal vacuum can on it ? Does it have mechanical advance??
Can you get a picture of the distributor, and you holding the EST? Just to be sure...