My manual was thrown out on me so I'm sorta in the dark.

I've got 2 extra secondary springs...could someone look up what each colors application is for me. I'm having bogging trouble and I'm hoping a spring change might help me.

Does the manual give info on what jets/pump nozzle are on the carb?

 

http://www.holley.com/HiOctn/ProdLine/CarbList.pdf

Generally, the darker the spring, the stiffer it is. But you can compare what's in there to whatever else you have. You probably need a stiffer spring than what's there now if it has a dead spot when the secondaries start to open. If it bogs on promaries alone, then the spring selection can't cause that. Remove the vacuum diaphragm's link to find out.

 

P/N 0-80670 is the part number the holley website lists for my carb, but that number isn't in that PDF.

The problem is that if I am at a dead stop, and I mash the gas the car just shuts off. Doesn't even try to rev, just dies, like you cut the ignition.

If I am just rolling at 15MPH without my foot on the gas, then I mash it, it bogs for like 3 full seconds then starts to rev normally.

If I stall the car to 1500 and launch like I would at the track, the engine screams, and will break the tires loose w/o a problem. If I roll the gas it accelerates fine.

 

I don't know how much knowledge and experience you have so don't get offended but that could be several things not even completely related to the carb.

Are you running a stock cam or if not, what kind of specs?

What intake and engine displacement? Compression ratio?

What is your timing set at?

Type of tranny setup, stall speed, rear end gear ratio, and tire size? ( size please, I've been out of it too long to remember roll out )

Not trying to be a smart a$$ or a know it all, it's just hard to make any assessment without knowing the basics. I'm new here so maybe these guys already know your setup and I'm just in the dark but I'm interested in knowing.

Axe

 

Look in my sig.

For reference:

http://web.camaross.com/forums/showt...hreadid=235859

 

Thanks, I looked it over briefly but I'll re-read that all in a few. I'm at work and have to run an errand first.

Back on later tonight.

Sorry I didn't notice the signature... my bad. Axe

 

If you have a bog from the start, forget about touching the secondary spring.
What are you running for a distributor? Is it a vacuum advance? Connected to the correct port?

 

Full manifold vacuumn, Accel Probillet 71000 Series Distributor.

 

At a part throttle hit, the timing is actually retarding rather than advancing. A little counterproductive.

 

This problem is not caused by the secondaries.
You need more initial advance at idle. and more pump shot.

Recurve the distributor advance mechanism to get more initial advance at idle. like 14-18 degrees @ idle. With 32-36deg total mechanical advance at 3000/3200 rpm.
Do not use full manifold vacuum port for vacuum advance. Vacuum falls as you open the throttle, so does the timing.
Use ported vacuum for a vacuum advance, source.
Along with more initial timing.
remove the 1 " spacer and use the Edelbrock #2732 1/16" steel adapter plate to mount the holley directly to the edelbrock performer intake.
Increase the accelerator pump shooter size to .031"
and experiment with different accelerator pump cams.
Check the accelerator pump linkage to ensure you're getting a full shot of fuel and that the fuel shot starts as soon as the throttle starts to move.
The linkage shoe that rides on the plastic cam can easily get bent.
I've found that the performer manifold gets too much
plenum heat thru the exhaust raiser passage.
The manifold plenum gets too hot.
Recomend blocking one side at the manifold gasket and restricting the hole on the other side.
Check the condition of all the secondary side of the ignition. Spark plugs ,cap rotor wires etc.
a common cause of poor throttle response.

 

The 1" spacer is needed for my throttle linkage to fit.

If I run ported vacuum and I run 16* intial, my engine will ping, 16*+24* mechanical = 40* under WOT, I'll have problems under part throttle as well. Can you explain how I can run high advance at idle, but not affect my advance under load. This is why I went to full manifold, because I would run 6* initial, plug vacuum in, advance would go up to like 16*. So I got my high idle advance, w/o compromising my total timing under part and full throttle. Could you explain how I could do what you suggested?

Yes, when the engine warms up, the intake is insanely hot. How do I go about blocking off those passages? Any pictures or more detail on that? Is the exhaust riser passage emissions related?


Back to the vacuum falling away. Does that mean whenever I am accelerating the engine would be very retarded? The only time I am getting good advance is under steady state? Is that why I can only get 9.7MPG? Since under any type of acceleration the engine is retarding? I'm doing 90% city driving...so thats probably what I'm doing so bad on gas milage right?


Thanks,
Dave

 

Whenever you accellerate, the vacuum advance goes away and you're relying solely on the mechanical when connected to manifold.

 

What percentage of acceleration? Like, when I'm going from a dead stop then using lets say, 20% throttle to get up to 25MPH. The ENTIRE time I'm accelerating to 25MPH I lose vacuum, and then once I hit 25MPH and I maintain speed, only then I regain vacuum?

Normally you might run 10-12* initial timing, and so when you accelerate you just have your initial timing. But I only have 6* initial, so when I accelerate I have less timing then most people since I'm running full manifold vacuum. I'm guessing that would affect gas milage and the lack of timing under hard acceleration is causing my bog when vacuum completely drops out and mechanical hasn't come in yet.

So what do I have to do? Get springs that put out less total vacuum advance so I can run more initial without pinging? I would assume I'd also have to reconfigure my centrifugal weights.

 

I'm not real familiar with the 71000 series accel distributor.
Or wether the advance mechanism is adjustable or not.
Some performance distributors are.
Essentually you have to limit the travel of the advance mechanism. adding a bushing to the pin that rides in a slot below the advacne weights is one method. Or welding up the slot and regrinding it out to allow less travel. requires dissassembly of the distributor.
Just playing with the weights and springs is not enough.
A larger than stock cam like the XE268-10 requires more initial advance at idle.
Running less than optimum initial advance at idle is contributing to you "hot manifold"
Once you get the timing curve corrected and block off the exhaust plenum heat things will settle down.
You have to remove the intake manifold and block off the exhaust passages with pieces of sheet metal.
I'd also check the harmonic balancer and timing tab.for true TDC. You can do this with a "piston stop."

If you must run a carb spacer on your performer intake get either a divided spacer or a 4 hole spacer.
A spacer made of wood is the best. Keeps the carb cool.
You can make your own with a drill and a hole saw.

 

You want to end up with a timing curve like this.

14-18 degrees initial timing at idle advanceing to 32-36degrees at high rpm (3000-3200)
mechanical advance.

Then 10-15degrees of vacuum advance at high vacuum cruise using ported vacuum source on the carb.
so you need to limit the distributor advance travel from 24 to 18 degrees.

then adjust the vacuum advance canister for 10-15 degrees at high speed cruise.

You may want to get a little cooler spark plug.
than stock and run some better gas 92-94 octane.
If the compression ratio is a true 10.7:1 it's too high for the real world and pump gas.
Does this motor have a domed piston?

 

Pretty close to the curve I run on my AM with the 292 Crower with the exception that I don't use the vacuum.

 

Ok, so let me make sure I read correctly.

I want about 16* initial timing.

I want about 16-18* mechanical timing. This means I must change my weights. Currently the distributor has 24* mechanical advance. I must drop that advance down so my total timing at WOT is around 32*.

Now I get confused with the vacuum advance. The vacuum advance canister that came on the distributor says 10* advance @ 10" vacuum. I have been told this could be distributor degrees, which equates to 20* vacuum advance. According to my manual I can insert an allen key into the vacuum hose port, and adjust the vacuum advance more or less.



I don't understand. So I want to adjust my vacuum advance to 15*. What do you mean limit the distributor advance travel from 24 to 18, are you talking about mechanical?

What do you mean adjust the vacuum advance canister to 10-15 degrees, you just said to use 10-15 degrees on ported, why did you mention it again?

Sorry if I'm being stupid, but before I start tearing the distributor down I want to be 100% sure I understand correctly.

So my final result should be:

16* Initial
16-18* Mechanical
10-15* Vacuum Advance at high vacuum.

That means under WOT I would have about 32*.

And under curise I would have 16*+15*+whatever mechanical is coming in.

I guess the only way to check my vacuum advance canister is to turn the vacuum down, then run the engine and hit my timing tape with a light until I see around 15*? How much mechanical timing should I have under cruise condition? Should there be a little bit?

I REALLY appreciate your help.

Dave

PS: I used a piston stop a couple weeks ago to find exact TDC and put timing tape on.

 

I don't know where you guys are coming from with this "full manifold vacuum advance" stuff.

"Ported vacuum" is nothing more than a "port" that is blocked from vacuum when the throttle is at idle. After the throttle opens, it is the same vacuum as "full manifold" (with perhaps some variance based on small flow disturbances around the throttle plate and/or passage size). Ported vacuum is not venturi vacuum! (Secondary opening is accomplished by venturi vacuum, however.)

When you "floor it", with either full manifold or ported vacuum, the vacuum advance should go to zero.

Total mechanical advance is king. You adjust everything else around that. And you adjust total mechanical with vacuum completely disconnected.

If you get starter kick-back when the total is set properly, you need more mechanical advance "in the distributor" - i.e., so you can lower the initial advance while maintaining the total mechanical.

If you get pinging at cruise with the total and initial advance properly adjusted, turn back the vacuum advance, or limit the amount of vacuum advance that will come in.

That probably has nothing to do with this bog, however. If you don't have enough advance for the particular RPMs you're at when you nail it, you can bog. Typically, that shows up in part-throttle response, not bog. Most likely, though, you've got some carb tuning issues to work out.

FWIW, for secondary opening tuning, the Quick Fuel Adjustable Secondary Housing is highly superior to changing diaphragm springs, in my opinion. Jegs has it.

I've come to love DPs, though.

 

So what do I do?

Initial to 16*, Mechanical to 16*, Vacuum Advance Canister to 15*.

That it? So I reconfigure my mechanical weights. Then I just keep adjusting my vacuum advance canister on the distributer?

I'm just completely clueless at this point, ported or not use ported.

15* vaccum advance? So basically, you want the same amount of vacuum advance as you want mechanical advance.

How much mechanical advance comes in during steady state cruise?

 

Modify the mechanical advance to lmit its travel so that you get 18 degrees of advance movement instead of 24.
I don;t think changing the weights will do it for ya.
But hay I've been wrong before.
Now select a spring pair that result in full mechanical advance coming in at 3000 to 3200 rpm.
Usually the medium ones or one lighter one and one medium.
So now you can set the timing at 16 degrees at idle ( 600 rpm) and then rev it to 3000-3200 and you should get 34 degrees. it should not advance further with more rpm.



Forget what it says on the canister. Fill up wth the best gas you can get. 93-94 octane 100 is better for your 10.7:1 cr.
Unplug the vacuum advance.
Set your total timing at say 34 degrees total mechanical at high rpm 3000-4000-5000 rpm ,,what ever rpm it takes to achieve full advance on the distributor.
make sure it's maxed out. leave the vacuum advance unplugged. Go for a ride. As long as it does not ping or knock at WOT you're ok.
If it knocks reduce the timing 2 degrees till it does not knock on acceleration.

Hook up a vacuum guage to ported vacuum on the carb and go for a ride. At your normal highway cruiseing speed, read the vacuum guage. Lets say for grins it reads 17" vacuum on the guage at hiway cruise speed .
Go back home and adjust the vacuum canister till you get 10degrees of additional advance (beyond what you get with just mechanical advance) when you rev the motor up in neutral and watch the vacuum guage ( not the tach) to get the same vacuum reading (17") (not rpm) you got while cruising at speed. Alternate pluged in and unplugged vacuum advance to make sure its advanceing 10degrees more vacuum advance.
Use this as a starting point. plug in the vacuum advance to ported vacuum. Go for another ride and try it.
then readjust for 12degrees at that same vacuum point
(17") and go for a ride. Shouldn't take more than 15degrees. If all it wants is 10degrees vacuum advance at cruise, so be it.
Your car is going to want conservative advance because the cr is too high. Unless you use high octane gas.
Cooler non-projected tip plugs will help.
I would do all the testing and set up with the trans in drive, not overdrive.
get it right , then try overdrive. should be ok too.

your gas mileage should be better too. (as long as you keep your foot out of it.)

 

Alright, I'll definately do that, sounds like that should be what I need. Hopefully I can get the weights redone this weekend and I can tune during the week.

As for the compression, when you say "true" 10.7:1 do you mean static as opposed to dynamic? I was under the impression that when you buy pistons that are rated @ compression with a certain cc, that you normally end up 1/4 to 1/2 point lower then advertised, that you lose compression. And that having overlap (like the XE268 has) will also help lower dynamic compression. The pistons I got were sealed power 10.7:1 with a .125 dome. I figured I would end up with around 10.2:1, or just slighting about 10:1.

I feel pretty good about what you explained....as long as I can get the weights to limit down to 18* I should be in pretty good shape. Again, thanks for all the help, I don't know where I would be without forums like these.

Dave

 

No, when you use those speed pro pistons in a .030 over 350 that has not been decked with 64cc heads and a felpro gasket, the rated cr is pretty accurate. They're typically .025" in the hole at TDC and rated that way.

Your cam is not that big, as cams go.
Reguardless of what the dynamic compression is or should be, there are definate limits as to how high the cr can be before the motor will ping or knock on a particular grade of fuel. (reguardless of the cam timing) you're motor is always going to be knock sensitive on pump gas.
The effect of the cam only decreases the tendency to knock at low rpm (below peak torque rpm) Once the motor is at speed (rpm) the cylinder pressure is high and the egr (residual exhaust gas) is gone.

Should have built it with flat tops pistons and decked the block a little.
If you find that the motor will only tolerate 29-30-31 degrees total timing, you'll have to live with it.
Unless you can run high octane gas or use a water injection system to supress detonation.
Adding toluene ( paint supply store) to your fuel will help. You can go as far as 30% or so. Shouldn't take that much thou. Toluene is very hi octane and used in some unleaded racing fuels. Or even try adding 10% of 110 octane racing fuel in with the best pump ghas you can get.

But increasing the initial timing by recurving the distributor and fine tuning the vacuum advance
should really help your throttle response.

What spark plugs are you useing? what heat range?

 

Here are three sources where you can buy Sunoco GT-100. its 100 octane street pump gas. Should be good for 11:1++ cr.
I'd recommend you get some for your tuning.
Using it will allow full advance and power with your cr.

A-1 Racing Specialities
(800) 783-2262

Prospect Point Sunoco
224 Route 35 North
Pt. Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742
(732) 295-3377

Sunoco Ultra Service Center
Tre 46 & Howard Blvd
Ledgewood, NJ 07852
(973) 584-5114

You'll see what you're missing...

 

I'm currently running R42LTS, the coldest plug for the Vortec head. I'm going to put new plugs in for the upcoming tuning session, and was thinking of going R43LTS. The 42's looked perfect except for some slight blackness on a few(running rich?), but I'm guessing getting 8-9MPG will do that.


Spiking with Tolene would only be something I would consider if I could buy a 20+ gallon drum of it and keep it in my garage. I don't want to deal with driving ridiculous distances to get the stuff, or if you need special license to buy it. Is it expensive?

I'm running Mobil 93, I havn't used Sunoco ULtra 94 yet even though it's right by my house. Not even a money issue, since the Ultra is cheaper then the Mobil.

 

I wouldn't go hotter on the plugs.
Don't go by the color. Idling and low speed driving
will color the plugs much more than a power run.
As long as they don't foul you're ok.

I've used Champion RS12YC which worked well.
this is equal to your R42LTS. My vortec motor was 10.0:1. (my motor had tight quench clearance and never showed a tendency to knock even on 92)
I also ran RS10YC and they did run darker but ran fine.
I would try these or Champion RS9YC.
There is a RS7YC (coldest in this series).
The cooler plug will help avoid knock.

Do try the Sunoco Ultra 94. Up here it's the perfered
pump gas as far as real world octane goes.

Tell me about the Accel distributor you have.
is the advance fully adjustable like a MSD billet?

When I wrote that bit about blocking off the manifold heat exhaust raisers I din;t notice that you have vortec heads. They don't have these passages.
But with normal cylinder heads that do have this passage, I've found that restricting the exhaust heat that gets up under the plenum helps the conventional Performer manifold. Especially in the summer.

Why didn't you get the RPM manifold for Vortecs?

 

http://mrgasket.com/pdf/71000Dist.pdf

I should have gone MSD. Someone told me that the adjustment controls how fast the advance comes in, not the total advance.

My plugs are gapped .040 right now, should I got back to .035 with the new set?


I was told MONTHs ago by my local performance shop that I needed to limit the travel of the mechanical weights and run 16* initial.

The parts were selected based on advice from the guy who helped me build the engine and do the swap. I was told the performer would give me some more low end, that he used to run 10.7:1 back in the day all the time on the street. I could go on forever, like how he wanted to run a points distributor and the engine would not run for more then 5 minutes, we went through 3 of them before my buddy came over and lent me his Accel unit and the engine fired right up and worked fine. I was not expecting to be alone 6 months later trying to tune the car, but thats how it is. I wouldn't have done the swap if I knew I was going to end up like this, I would have spend my money on a nice paintjob and saved myself all this heartache.

 

Back in the day we all ran high compression ratios.
Cause the gas to support it was readily available at the pump. used to run Sunoco 260. I believe it was 104 octane. Some stations had Sunoco 280 (race gas) good for 13:1 compression.
The 60's are over. We live in a different day. And the reality is, that a motor that is detonating won't make good power or last long. Todays pump gas will only support a motor with so much compression. 10.7:1 is too much (cast iron heads) for 92/93. Try the 94 and tell me how ya make out.

Do you have "the enclosed instruction sheet" that tells you how to modify the mechanical advance?

 

The points distributor would have worked fine with the proper coil and ballast resistor. (new cars don;t have one) but the days of the points igniton are over.
.035"-.040" spark plug gap should be fine.

I like to trim the the ground electrode so it looks like the
the one on the left.
I've had both the performer and the performer rpm.
the rpm manifold is just a better manifold. No lacking of bottom end or throttle response.

 

The funny thing is the guy who helped me is in his early 30's. I dunno....I appreciate all the help the guy gave me...but I'm sorta stuck at the end right now kinda feeling bad since he did help me out alot....but I also got left kinda hanging.

Here is the instruction sheet on mechanical advance, I scanned it. The file is kinda big, and the quality isn't that great.




It "looks" fairly straightforward. All I have to do is loosen both adjustment screws and move both tabs so the weights cannont come out as much....just keep adjusting, running the engine w/o vacuum advance until I get the 18* mechanical?

Did you look at that PSD file with the manual for my distributor....does it appear that my vacuum advance is indeed 100% adjustable?

Thanks,
Dave

 

The vacuum advance seems to be adjustable for rate.

 

I switched to ported vacuum today and set my initial to 16*.

If I unplug vacuum advance (VA) and then rev my engine to 1500RPM and hold it. Can I take the timing reading then subtract the initial from that number to find out how much mechanical I have at 1500RPM. With the engine still reving 1500RPM can I then plug VA in, and look at the new timing reading. Subtract the initial and mechanical numbers I took before to get the current VA my canister is set at?

I am going to wait until saturday to pull the distributor and set the mechanical weights, the electronic module sits above what is shown in the manual, so I think I have to disassble the unit to adjust it. I never did get your opinion on that manual, is it as simple as loosening two adjustment screws and sliding the tabs closer to the weights so they can't come out as much?

Lets assume I can run 15* VA. So that means 15* VA + 16* initial = 31* at steady state cruise, plus a minor amount of mechanical advance (any idea how much?)

Does that mean under steady state cruise you normally run the same amount of timing as you would at WOT (around 30*)?

I can't rev the motor right now, since my initial is 16* and mechanical is still 24*....but hopefully I can at least get the VA part fixed.

Is the fact that my compression is limiting how much timing I will be able to run at part throttle going to significantly hurt gas milage? If I could get 12MPG in the city I would be happy. Every setup I've tried previously I couldn't even get 10MPG....my compression won't make it impossible to get 12MPG on 94 octane will it? If I have to, I'll pull the Vortecs and get some 68cc heads or something to drop the compression.

 

You're confusing and complicating the tuning method
by thinking rpm instead of ported vacuum guage reading at higway speed (in drive) as the reference to start adjusting the vacuum advance.

You should be at or near 3000rpm +- at hiway speed in Drive (60-70-75 MPH) what ever it takes.
This is going to be your test speed for setting up the vacuum advance.
At this road speed (3000+rpm) you mechanical advance will be maxed out. (32-36) and the vacuum advance will add another 10-15degrees for total of (16+18=34)+(say eg:12 deg vac adv) =46degrees BTDC at hiway speed.
This is typical.
What speed do you run on the hiway? (MPH)
What is your rear gear ratio and rear tire diameter?

Once you get this basic hi-perf distributor advance curve dialed in your mileage and throttle response will be much much better.
especially on the hiway.
After that you cantweek the carb jetting to really dial it in.
Yes the excessive cr will probabily cause you to compromise the tune a little ( slightly retarded timing from optimum, but it shouldin't be too bad.
You'll have to fill up with the Sunoco 94 gas and try it.
Won't know till then. Cross that bridge when you come to it.
PS: you can open up the combustion chambers with a die grinder on your present 64cc vortec heads to adjust the cr no problem. No need to get new heads. {But thats another thread}
Again cross that bridge when you get to it.
Do the advance curve set up.
do the mechanical modification first before you start messing with the vacuum advance.
You risk damaging the motor with over advanced timing.
Make sure you have 100% sunoco gas in the tank. Don;t mix it. You're going to need all that octane to avoid detonation.

I'd really rather you did your tuning and testing on 100 octane gas to get an optimized tune with out risk of damageing the motor. and then just knock back the timing a few degrees, if nessessary for street pump gas.

 

Yes, but it would be a way for me to figure out how much vacuum advance I am getting.

If I disconnect the VA and set the engine to 1500RPM and hit it with the light lets say I get 19*. That means I have 16* initial and 3* of mechanical at 1500RPM. Then I plug vacuum advance in and hit it with the light again still at 1500RPM and I get 33*. That means 33*-19* = 14* vacuum advance. Then I know where my vacuum advance is. That would work right? Is there a flaw to doing it that way since the engine is not under load? Shouldn't the timing be consistent since it will all be done at the same RPM?

Full timing comes in at 3000RPM, that is the distributors mechanical setting from the factory. 24* @ 3000RPM. By simply limiting how far the weights throw out, to say 16*, I may have to change the springs since 16* may come before 3000RPM. You haven't said anything about the image I posted. It seems your not familiar with the distributor I'm running so I understand. Accel technical support is absolutely worthless. I've sent them 2 e-mails with full descriptions of what I'm trying to do and I get 5 word responses with grammar that looks like a 12 year old wrote the reply.

As far as tuning with 100octane would it make a difference if I fill pour a bottle of octane booster in? Someone told me it really doesn't raise octane that much, at least the stuff Pep boys sells. I'm going to run my tank to almost empty this week (it's not hard, I get 8-9MPG) and then fill up with Suoono 94 so that on saturday when I start tuning I'll have a full tank of 94.

Again, thanks for the continued input....

 

"As far as tuning with 100octane would it make a difference if I fill pour a bottle of octane booster in?"

Give your head a shake . You don't really think a little can of what ever will do any thing to a tank of gas?
Lets stick to the real world.

No I'm not familiar with that distributor, but it looks pretty straight forward. Can't be that hard. I'm sure you'll figure it out. You will have to reestablish the Air-gap setting on the magnetic pickup though. You can buy the right non-metalic feeler guage to do this at most auto parts stores.

Re read my post about using a vacuum guage at cruising speed to get a vacuum reading. Then to set the vacuum canister: Rev the motor up in neutral till you achieve the same reading on the guage and then adjust the vac canister to add 10 degrees when you plug in the vacuum hose to the carb. Go for a ride on the hyway. and try it.
Don;t care what or how much vacuum advance your getting at 1500rpm. Not relevent. You want to dial in the advance at hiway speed. every thing else will fall into place once this is done. Your final adjustment will be +or - a few degrees from this.

When testing on the hiway you're looking for a increase in the vacuum guage reading at cruise speed, a decrease in throttle pressure., a decrease in water guage temp all tell you your headed in the right direction as compared to running without vacuum advance.
if the car surges at cruise speed with vacuum advance that means too much advance. (or not enough octane) If the engine pings or rattles as you roll into the throttle from cruise= too much advance (or not enough octane)
or both. You want just enough advance to make the motor run efficiently and NO MORE!!! More is not better.

 

Oh ok....now I got ya....I only need to worry about the vacuum I get at cruise, not anywhere else.

Hopefully next week I'll have some good results.

Thanks again,
Dave

 

Just a little tidbit...the engine seems to LOVE initial advance. I have it up to 18* initial and the car feels more responsive/stronger from stops and at the low end.

I fiddled with the idle mixture screws after setting the timing to 18* to see if I could get more vacuum and it just didn't seem to do much. They were set at 2 1/2 turns on both sides. I leaned the car down to 2 1/4 on each side and got no change in idle quality or vacuum. From there, I gave one side a 1/2 turn rich and lost 1" so I set it back and leaned it out 1/2, leaning it out had no effect on vacuum, however when I leaned the side out another 1/2 turn the engine started to run slightly rougher, so I turned it back to 2 1/4 where the engine pulls 16" vacuum @ 900RPM idle in park.

Then I taped the vacuum gauge to my window (i have to go buy a longer piece, it BARELY reaches my winsheild with the hood open. I put the car in gear and vacuum dropped from 16" to 12" @ 700RPM in gear not moving. When I put the car in gear, the vacuum would change from 11-13", but it was a fairly steady.

Now when I dropped my idle to 750 in park, and put the car in gear @ 600RPM my engine vacuum read 11". I thought 11" was pretty good vacuum for 600RPM in gear. I have a 6.5" power valve so I guess I'm good.

I don't know what the vacuum numbers mean, but in case they are of any interest. Right now the engine is set @ 18* INITIAL, with 16" at 900RPM idle, and around 12" @ 700RPM in gear. It feels very responsive and alot better down low. Until I can get the mechanical advance backed down I am going to keep the engine under 2000-2200RPM.

Oh yea, I've had no pinging either. I'm sure around 2000RPM my mechanical advance is going to start really coming in...so I'll just keep my foot out of it.