272 cam and automatic tranny = high stall converter...PART 2
- Thread starter cfmustang
- Start date
CF,
First thing you need to do is get the dizzy right. The dizzy can cause the same problems that a carb can. But if the dizzy ain't right you will never solve "the problem" by adjusting the carb. Trust me, I know from experience
.
First get the dwell right!!!! That is measured in degrees and it the amount the coil is charging up basically. If the dwell is too low (not enough charge to the coil) the car will sputter and idle like crap. All the tweaking of the carb idle etc, will not get the car to idle well.
Next make sure the initial timing is right. There is a notch on the back edge of the balancer pulley. This basically the mark that tells you where the spark is firing. Also on the front cover of the engine, over on the drivers side are a bunch of cast-in marks. One of the mark should have a "0". This is Top Dead Center (TDC). The mark on the pulley should be BEFORE the "0" mark when you put on the timing light. Stock is like 9 degrees BTDC (before top dead center).
Get these right first then make sure the dizzy is hooked up to "ported" vacuum, and make sure the mechanical advance is working. To do the first, put the vac gauge on the current vac source. Slowly open the throttle, if the vac level increases then you have "ported" vacuum. If the level drops, then you have "manifold" vacuum. The car was designed for "ported" vacuum; so trust the FoMoCo engineers. Second, with the vac source removed from the dizzy AND plugged, use the timing light and slowly open the throttle. Point the light at the timing marks on the front cover and pulley. You should see the mark move to "more advanced" or closer to the center of the engine. If it doesn't change position then the mech advance is not working.
When the dizzy is working correctly THEN start to fiddle with the carb.
Hope that helps.
Mugsy
First thing you need to do is get the dizzy right. The dizzy can cause the same problems that a carb can. But if the dizzy ain't right you will never solve "the problem" by adjusting the carb. Trust me, I know from experience
.First get the dwell right!!!! That is measured in degrees and it the amount the coil is charging up basically. If the dwell is too low (not enough charge to the coil) the car will sputter and idle like crap. All the tweaking of the carb idle etc, will not get the car to idle well.
Next make sure the initial timing is right. There is a notch on the back edge of the balancer pulley. This basically the mark that tells you where the spark is firing. Also on the front cover of the engine, over on the drivers side are a bunch of cast-in marks. One of the mark should have a "0". This is Top Dead Center (TDC). The mark on the pulley should be BEFORE the "0" mark when you put on the timing light. Stock is like 9 degrees BTDC (before top dead center).
Get these right first then make sure the dizzy is hooked up to "ported" vacuum, and make sure the mechanical advance is working. To do the first, put the vac gauge on the current vac source. Slowly open the throttle, if the vac level increases then you have "ported" vacuum. If the level drops, then you have "manifold" vacuum. The car was designed for "ported" vacuum; so trust the FoMoCo engineers. Second, with the vac source removed from the dizzy AND plugged, use the timing light and slowly open the throttle. Point the light at the timing marks on the front cover and pulley. You should see the mark move to "more advanced" or closer to the center of the engine. If it doesn't change position then the mech advance is not working.
When the dizzy is working correctly THEN start to fiddle with the carb.
Hope that helps.
Mugsy
Opps 
There are actually two ways to measure dwell. If you have a dwell meter just hook it up per the instrutions and it will give you a reading in "degrees". The other way is to measure the gap in the points. You have to have a feeler gauge to make this measurement. But I is quite easy. All you have to do, while the engine is off, is remove the dizzy cap; remove the rotor; put your big socket on the crank nut; rotate the engine until the little block on the points is on the lobe of the dizzy shaft; then measure the gap with the feeler gauge between the two little pads. The feeler gauge should JUST slide thru. If ther is any drag you have too many tabs, no drag you need to add tabs. If the engine is tough to rotate over then remove the spark plugs. With out the spark plugs the engine can't build compression. It is the compression that you fight when you try ot turn the engine over by hand. It is a hassle, but the knuckles you save might be your own . But please make sure you remember/mark which plug/wires go to which cylinder 
.
now last but not least, to adjust the dwell, there should be a small screw that holds the points to the dizzy base plate. And there should be a slot in the base of the points. Lossen the srew ( do not remove) and slide/pry the points to the correct gap/dwell. Put her back together and enjoy
Mugsy
There are actually two ways to measure dwell. If you have a dwell meter just hook it up per the instrutions and it will give you a reading in "degrees". The other way is to measure the gap in the points. You have to have a feeler gauge to make this measurement. But I is quite easy. All you have to do, while the engine is off, is remove the dizzy cap; remove the rotor; put your big socket on the crank nut; rotate the engine until the little block on the points is on the lobe of the dizzy shaft; then measure the gap with the feeler gauge between the two little pads. The feeler gauge should JUST slide thru. If ther is any drag you have too many tabs, no drag you need to add tabs. If the engine is tough to rotate over then remove the spark plugs. With out the spark plugs the engine can't build compression. It is the compression that you fight when you try ot turn the engine over by hand. It is a hassle, but the knuckles you save might be your own
. But please make sure you remember/mark which plug/wires go to which cylinder .now last but not least, to adjust the dwell, there should be a small screw that holds the points to the dizzy base plate. And there should be a slot in the base of the points. Lossen the srew ( do not remove) and slide/pry the points to the correct gap/dwell. Put her back together and enjoy
Mugsy
A
Anonymous
Guest
CF,
did you ever get this worked out?
DB
did you ever get this worked out?
DB
Well, no. I have to think what happened since then. I replaced the dizzy with 1968 nonLoad-a-matic and things got better AND worse.
It got better in the fact that it actually started advancing the timing. It got worse in that I just could not get it timed correctly. I also had all sorts of issues with the carb (I think that is in a different thread). When I finally got it to a point where I could sort of drive it, it would either ping like mad or run like crap and stall if I back off the advance.
Since then, it has sat in my garage where I simply scowl at it whenever I walk by. Could be worse, my wife keeps dropping hints that I should sell it since I dropped $4000 dollars into it last year and still can't drive it.
Also, it is the middle of Winter here and my garage is not heated. Seeing as the temp has barely been above freezeing a couple of times in the last month, I just can't work on it till spring.
I have got offers from two local FordSix'ers (John G and Mercman63) in the area to help, but I will have to get it at least drivable to get it to them for help. I am starting to think it is the carb and I should just replace it. It was new 12 yrs ago, but it sat for 10 years and now is really problematic. The main thing being I can barely get it to run without losening a jet holder screw (which should be tight) and actually causing a vacuum leak in the carb. Unfortunately, I just dont have the skills to rebuild it and can't afford a new one at the moment.
Ugh.
It got better in the fact that it actually started advancing the timing. It got worse in that I just could not get it timed correctly. I also had all sorts of issues with the carb (I think that is in a different thread). When I finally got it to a point where I could sort of drive it, it would either ping like mad or run like crap and stall if I back off the advance.
Since then, it has sat in my garage where I simply scowl at it whenever I walk by. Could be worse, my wife keeps dropping hints that I should sell it since I dropped $4000 dollars into it last year and still can't drive it.
Also, it is the middle of Winter here and my garage is not heated. Seeing as the temp has barely been above freezeing a couple of times in the last month, I just can't work on it till spring.
I have got offers from two local FordSix'ers (John G and Mercman63) in the area to help, but I will have to get it at least drivable to get it to them for help. I am starting to think it is the carb and I should just replace it. It was new 12 yrs ago, but it sat for 10 years and now is really problematic. The main thing being I can barely get it to run without losening a jet holder screw (which should be tight) and actually causing a vacuum leak in the carb. Unfortunately, I just dont have the skills to rebuild it and can't afford a new one at the moment.
Ugh.
The link to the tread with all the carb/dizzy issues is:
http://fordsix.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17774&highlight=
http://fordsix.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17774&highlight=
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