My engine is not working properly it is a 455 from 73. It has no energy and will not run properly and misfires. It suddenly came late, it has become worse. Anyone know what the ignition should be on and dwell angle, it can be capacitor that is broken? Carburetor? Hope to help Jerry

 

not enough info, more details please, what's been done etc.

 

+1.

Sudden changes are often electrical (such as the condenser / capacitor, rotor, distributor cap, spark plug wires), but can also be other things, including fuel (clogged filter, crud in a jet, clogged line, bad fuel pump)

- Eric

 

Dwell 30 deg, timing @12-14 deg btdc, plugs gapped .035. If points and condenser have not been changed in awhile, its probably time for a tuneup.

 

Hi distributor cap and rotor and capasitor looks ok. I havent changed plugs and sparkplugwires . When I pull the spark plug cap one of the time its makes no difference its same ,I have poured gasoline in the carburator but it does not going any better . Feels like it gets to much gasoline but I are not sure , I only drived about 500 meters and after engine getting worse and have it no power but the engine starts as long I dont gives too much gas . Hope you understand my problem .can the condenser do this?I you has more questions I will try to anwer you Jerry

 

Thank you for this Jerry

 

Hi distributor cap and rotor and capasitor looks ok. I havent changed plugs and sparkplugwires . When I pull the spark plug cap one of the time its makes no difference its same ,I have poured gasoline in the carburator but it does not going any better . Feels like it gets to much gasoline but I are not sure , I only drived about 500 meters and after engine getting worse and have it no power but the engine starts as long I dont gives too much gas . I have look at the filter in the carburator but it was ok no **** in it .Hope you understand my problem .can the condenser do this? The work I did om my car yesterday was to lift my engine up a little bit because I needed to take down the oil pan to take out a broken dipstick and loosen oilpump and clean it but the engine was bad before I did that, but not so bad as now. I you had more questions I will try to anwer you Jerry

 

Does it have points? You can't look at a capacitor and tell if its bad! Yes, your condensor can do this, unless its an Hei distributor. If you lifted the engine, possibly you disturbed the ground strap?? I'd start with the basics, check dwell, timing (make sure its a steady reading), pull the plugs to see if they are fouled. Make sure you have at least 12v at the coil when its running. And go on from there.

 

Ok i will do what. I always jump on the most difficult Thank you

 

Hi anyone who has a picture of scale for the ignition timing is difficult to see on my car and like a picture of where cyl number 1 is on the distrubiator cap thanks Jerry

 

Just follow the wire from cylinder #1 to find it on the cap.

If you've taken off all the wires and lost your place, turn the engine with a big wrench (28mm), with the sparks plugs out and your finger on the #1 hole until you get to TDC of the compression stroke and the rotor is pointing to the #1 terminal on the cap.

You've got to clean the grease and/or rust off the timing scale (and the groove on the balancer), and then rub some chalk or paint over it to highlight the markings.

- Eric

 

Might aso check the timing chain - pull the distributor cap out of the way and move the crankshaft pulley both ways until the rotor moves.
10 degrees before movement is too much!! [about 1 inch]

 

How does it run when it's cold compared to when it warms up?

 

The problem was the condencer but now runs the engine great but I are little confused the timing scale starts at 12 when 8,4,0 its seems not right to set timing at 12-14 anyone knows? Thank you all people who has help me Jerry The happy swede

 

Glad to hear it wsa something simple!!! The timing stting that was suggested was 12-14 deg btd, because over the years most of us (some run higher and lower) are running those settings from trial and error. The object is to get as much timing advance you can get without pre-ignition (pinging)

 

Hi Ok I will try that tomorrow .Only one question vacuum disconect plugged or not when i check timing. Thanks Jerry

 

You should check to make sure your centrifugal and vacuum advance units are working properly, and perhaps confirm that your "0" mark is at TDC.

- Eric

 

Vacuum advance disconnected and the port plugged to set timing.

 

Vacuum advance disconnected!!!!!

 

Ok thanks Goodnight Jerry