I have installed some new stabilizer bushings, flushed the radiator, changed the oil, installed cone intake, and a pertronix coil and ign. kit. Car stats: daily driver, 1988, high compression lead free head 998 engine, 96k miles, 59d distributor, hs4 carb (I think)

1. The question I have is what should my timing be? I have the manual and it states that it is supposed to be 10 btdc +0-2 @ 1500 rpm no vac line attached. In order to set it at that point, I had to turn my dist about 90 degrees from where it was. Is that normal?

2. Also, I seem to have a flat spot in my carb. There is a point between 50-70% throttle where the car actually runs better/faster with less throttle. What is the problem here? Is it out of adjustment or need a rebuild or what? The car seems to accelerate fine and then falls on its face. If I am traveling down hill or on a flat and can squeeze past the dead point, it runs fine afterwards. Almost seems better if I play with the choke slightly. Could it be timing?
Thanks

 

Sounds like your piston is not rising at the correct rate with your spring and needle. Check the dash pot oil level.

Jeremy

 

that sounded like a foreign language to me. Looks like I'll be doing a little searching.

 

The Pertronix requires a change in the ign orientation. It does not simply drop in and be timed properly where the points were. So, if you followed the instructions correctly, you should be OK.

The cone filter (K&N type) will cause a lean situation. As stated, make sure your dashpot is full of oil (30W). You may need to: richen the mixture, change the needle and/or change the dashpot spring. You may also have a 1 1/2" SU carb with a CAPSTAT (or Waxstat) jet tube. It can go bad and also contribute to a lean situation. There is a replacement kit available from www.joecurto.com Joe is an expert and good source of information.

To richen the mixture, turn the spring-loaded jet nut counterclockwise (down)

 

wow thanks guys, I had no idea how in the dark I was on these carbs. I will be doing some heavy research this weekend and making some adjustments. I was thinking of going to a dyno (freindly discount) to test for a/f. I read somewhere to adjust the timing for good a/f and power and forget about the light/timing marks. Is this a good idea?

 

I'd say get the ignition timing spot on and then mess around with the mixture setting. You may need a degree or two of less total advance with the Pertronix ignition. Good luck!

Jeremy

 

so I filled the dashpot (which was almost empty) and adjusted the high and low idle speeds. It is like a different car now. I still need to play with it some more, but I may just wait till the header, intake, and jet kit go in. Thanks for the help guys.