First off, sorry this post is going to be long but I just want to explain the problem as clear as possible, thanks. I just finished my HSR install and when I went to start it up it wouldn't start. I could here that the timing was way off. So I went through the method of a finger in the #1 spark plug hole and bumping the engine until I felt the air come out. My timing mark on the balancer was no where near zero. So I manually turned the motor with a wrench on the crank pulley. I took the distributer cap off and the rotor was way off. So I rotated the distributor until the rotor wa pointing at #1. Then the car started right up but you could here the timing was still off because it was backfiring through the intake when you gave it a good amount of gas. So a buddy of mine set the timing with his light to 6* with the wire disconnected and it still backfired through the intake. So he just moved the distributor until it stoped and then put the light on it and it read 20* advanced. I took it for a ride and the car was idling high and surging and it was also kinda stumbling when I was just cruising at about 2000 RPM. My buddy said it had too much timing, so I backed the timing down a little and it helped some but it still isn't right. My buddy said that it could be reading off with the light because my dampener may have slipped. But not too long ago I put a new distributor in and set the timing to 6* and everything was fine. Does anyone know if it sounds like my dampener slipped or is there a reason for the backfiring through the intake when I set it to 6*. Sorry for such a long post any help is much appreciated. Thanks.

 

I am kinda in the same boat but a little better then you are. First thing you need to do is make sure there is NO vaccum leaks at all. Then ensure that you are dong the timing correct. If it worked before the HSR install then it must work after as well. It the HSR the only mod you did?