Clown Puncher

if my timing is off alot and I mean off by about 40 degrees or more will my car still run?
The reason I ask is that I checked my timing with a light and it is off by at least 40 degrees. My car is idiling really rough and feels like it is missing. I have lost alot of power. I ohmed out the plug wires and they were all good. I cleaned out the carb abd replaced all of the plugs. Then when I checked my timing it was way off. I am just wondering if the timing could cause the symptoms I have described...i.e. the really rough idle and the power loss and the hesitation. I can definatley hear a difference.

80TexasC3

Assume it is at 40 degrees advanced at around 3,500 RPM?

Z-man

I'll bet your timing isn't really off by 40 degrees. Are you sure you hooked the timing light up to the #1 cylinder? Could the timing marks be incorrect on the damper or could it have rotated slightly? Total advance is usually around 35 degrees - 40 degrees off would be either 75 advanced or 5 degrees retarded...

Clown Puncher

I couldn't beleive it either. It is definatley the #1 cylinder. The car was idling at approx 450-500 rpms, with it dropping and speeding up slightly throughout the idling because of the really rough idle. I just want to know if this is common or if it has happened to anyone and they figured out why it was this far off. I really just want to know if this is what is causing the problems I am having or should I look in another direction.

FeedVaal

Sounds like the harmonice balancer has slipped. If you were truely that far out of time, the car would not start or be throwing massive backfires.