mattzilla_83

I've got 85 vette I recently put back together had some valves replaced in a head so it has all new gaskets and plugs wires etc. The motors a 355 with 70 camel humps with the big 2.02 valves running the tpi setup. I bought this car broken as a project. Well it will sit and idle between 550 and 750 as it has a cam so its up in down. But when I go to take off it will die unless I'm taking off at high rpms. Okay now when I'm driving it the thing is slower than a geo. It has no power at all. I have played with the disty idk how many times and it fires rite up from cold start. It so feels like a timing issue but I never messed with the chain just pulling disty in and out. I may have a couple vacuum lines crossed but I'm not sure if that would contribute that bad. Anyways any help would be appreciated. Its a 4+3 car and I also gotta pump clutch for it to hold pressure and I did install new slave but still seems as if air in system. Idk if this is common problem. Thanks for reading and I look fwd to feedback

leesvet

Just off of that it sounds like the distributer was stabbed in the hole off by 2 or 3 teeth..
Pull cap, rotate eng to rotor coming around to Number-1. Have valve corver off and plug out so you can see what the rockers are doing. Its pretty easy this way. As the rotor comes aroun the rockers watch thr rockers for what they are doing. My bet is that you're distributer is late....waaayyyy LATE

Get #1 so its tdc compression stroke, fit the dist back in going by the rotor and where its pointng.'

mattzilla_83

But even with disty off a few teeth it actually still start and run? After I get off work ill check it and see what's goin on. My buddy is one whom installd disty bak in and I didn't check it so ill start with that

cv67

Get it installed correctly, then try and find a diagram so you can route ALL your lines correctly you bet it makes a difference, only takes 1 wrong one to make it run bad. Pull codes if any and go from there. One thing at a time.

Muffin

Certainly leesvet is correct but there is an easier way to start. Hook up a timing light and check timing with the EST wire unplugged. Should be 6 BTDC. I'll bet you are way off.

mattzilla_83

No check engine lite is on or anything suprisingly if the 85 even has one. I've been trying to run down a lite instead of spending a fortune for one but the timing marks on pully aren't even visabile. But ill check and see what's goin on. Thanks for info.

cv67

Probably full of dirt clean it good.
You have a check engine light it may be disconnected or non op.
Still check for codes.

mattzilla_83

Well thanks leesvet the disty was a couple teeth off as u stated. The car fired up a purred with no vibrations. I took it for a drive and it had a lil more power but it just doesn't seem like its even half of its potential. Now I've never driven a vette this is my first but I've ridden in 305 tpi's that would run. Not sure if maybe my motor is just worn I mean it has 42 thousand on the rebuild. I would figure it to suck ya in seat in least. But all my vacuum lines are ran correct the cap in rotor are fine and everythings hooked up.

rithsleeper

It is a little known fact that they actually used the L98 in the Metro Geo, so it is supposed to feel like that. This is normal.

Na, I agree with the dist is not set, shove a screw driver down there w/ dist out and make sure its all set right. I did the same thing on my first vette that i got as project car. took me a month to find it....

Sandpiper59

So are you saying you found the timing marks, cleaned them up, pulled the control wire and set your base timing? Or did you just half assed bump the distributer a couple more teeth like your reply says?

mattzilla_83

I half assed it so far. I didn't fool with it a lot last nite but got the actual disty drive gear where it should prob be. I'm gunna do the rest when I have some time.

Txbobcat

You need a timing lite even a cheap one is better than guessing.

Sandpiper59

Don't drive it, especially hard, until you get that sorted out.

To retarded, no power and not much damage (but will idle fine if a bit slow). Too advanced, full throttle = kaboom

When you're talking teeth out, it is extremely sensitive to correct timing, extremely...