Carb'd 360 Magnum Distributor question

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B-Slinger

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360 Magnum
Hey guys, new to this forum. I'm on here every day searching so figured it's time to sign up.

Here's a little lowdown on my build. I have a 1988 W-100 with Dana 60's swapped into it, along with a 2001 360 Magnum. My friend and I started restoring the truck about 7 years ago and became busy with life and it has been sitting for 5 years so I took it over, replaced the fuel lines, changed the fluids and it fired right up about a month ago.

Okay now for the problem. It has a fuel injection pump in it and a regulator for the Edelbrock 650 carb on it along with an M1 intake. The truck runs and drives but when the throttle is punched, it loads up, backfires, clears up a little but never runs right. It idles fine. It has the distributor out of a 1985 5.9 in it and after timing it, tuning the carb, I'm starting to think my distributor is the culprit.

I pulled the dizzy cap off and noticed the pick-up jiggles around so that's a problem, but I have also read that in order to run right, part of the internals on the distributor have to be swapped up for timing in the higher Rpms, however I can't find any real details on what I need to do..

ANYTHING WOULD HELP AT THIS POINT. I'm very mechanically inclined.. I went to SAM RACING for school but this is the first time doing a swap with a Mopar.

Sorry for the long paragraph but maybe some of the extra details can help someone help me. Thanks in advance!
 

crazzywolfie

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the pickup shouldn't wiggle or move much unless the screw holding it down is loose or something is broken. what fuel pressure is the regulator set at? some carbs are a bit pickier than others and with the consistent fuel pressure from the electric fuel pump you might be better to be running about 5psi fuel pressure
 
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B-Slinger

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First off, thanks for replying.. I've noticed on here that you seem to really know your 1st gens. The screw that allows you to adjust the gap on the pickup is there, but I had just noticed before posting the thread, that the plate the screw tightens into and goes under the reluctor moves and in return, throws the gap off.. So tomorrow I'm going to pull the reluctor and make sure nothing under that plate is broken. Maybe there's a clip or spring that popped off. Fuel pressure is set at 5 psi like you had mentioned. One big question I have, is that on a different forum I read about someone who has kind of the same setup, and they say to replace the stop bushings in the distributor in order to get the total timing to 32-34 degrees, however from what I'm piecing together from everyone else, the distributor I'm using should be close to a " drop in and go" distributor.
 

crazzywolfie

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i am not sure about any bushings in the distributor. i think most of the time people usually talk about the bushing in the engine under the oil pump gear which the distributor drops down onto. it is possible the distributor could be defective. any carbed small block distributor should work if you know someone that has a spare. also don't try pulling the reluctor off to get at the stuff under it. i think it is easier to just push the pin out of the plastic piece at the bottom of the distributor and taking the whole shaft out of the distributor
 
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B-Slinger

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Sorry for the delay. I was out of town for a few days. So here's the update. I installed my other fuel pressure regulator and pressure gauge, along with a New distributor and it seemed to have idled better when the pressure is only at 2 lbs. I'm still having a driveability problem or even if I crack the throttle from the carb while in park it'll pop or blow a flame. I've played with the timing and moved it from 5-18 degrees and it changes the idle of course but still does the same thing. Im starting to wonder if maybe the carb is too large for it. It's an Edelbrock 650. I have the fuel screws on the carb turned out 1 1/2 turns.
 

crazzywolfie

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if it runs better with the fuel pressure set at 2psi it wouldn't hurt to try running it like that. 650 is not too overly large for a 360. definitely on the big side but should still at least run. i can't really give you much advise on tuning the carb since i all i got is holley carbs.
 

Rustycowl69

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no way 650cfm is too big. the thermo quads that came on 360''s are 750cfm. And I had an 800cfm thermo on my 79 300, and it ran great. Are you running a computer on this truck, or have you retro'd it to pre'engine controller conditions? do you have a vacuum advance on this dist.?
 

Rustycowl69

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of course it's a different carb. cfm is cfm. the engine doesn't know or care what kind of carb it has.They are more similar than dissimilar. For one thing, they are both Carters. I ran a 500 carter on a slant 6 4spd, and it worked great. A 650 on a 360 is perfectly acceptable. I am positive his problem has nothing to do with the carb size. But it may have something to do with the carb''s needle and seat, and/or floats. What kind of condition is it in.
Where did this carb come from? Did it come fresh off a running engine, or has it been kicking around in somebody's trunk for a few years?
 

RonJon '06

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Another suggestion would be that the vacuum advance to the distributor isn't hooked up properly.
 

Rustycowl69

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Another suggestion would be that the vacuum advance to the distributor isn't hooked up properly.

the port on the carb for the vacuum advance hose connects to the fitting which connects to the drilled vacuum port that opens into the primary throttle blade. If I remember correctly, it's on the right front side of the Carter carbs.
 
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