engine sputters at steady rmp

[Anonymous]

Ok i've been building a 61 ranchero for the past 6 months or so and shes a driver now! I've got 2 problems right now though. The first one is that if i'm driveing at a constant speed my engine jerks and sputters but if i'm accelerating its nice and smooth. I got new points cap rotor plugs wires ect. The second problem i have is the trani that i have is the little penut 2.77 and it moans like a fast date at anything above 45 i have new gear oil in it and its still the same and i know its not the rear from pushing in the clutch at speed..I almost forgot.. the engines numbers tell me its a 67 200 and it dose have the old 144's tiny 1bbl holly but not the glass bowl ...
thanks guys

 

[fordconvert]

Your problem could be fuel or ignition or both...

Some of the other guys will have to tell you if that carb is going to work out long term. It may limit you on the high end and may have some idle issues but I dont know for sure, in mid rpms it should still work unless someone has messed with the jets in the past.

Check the advance in the distributor. Is it a Load O? The load o's dont have weights under the plate that holds the points and require a carb designed to work with them. If its not a load o (what you want IMHO) check to see that the vacuum advance is working and not leaking. Check the weigts and springs under the plate. Its fairly common for them to be kinda rusty and dusty but they should still move freely and return all the way. With a timing light you should be able to see the timing mark moving as you rev the motor and returning to the same spot, you can to it with the vacuum line un hooked and plugged to check the weights and then again with the vac to see how that responds. If you look at the distance on the timing scale you can get an idea how much distance it takes to cover 10* and put marks on the pulley to around 40*, that should be the ballpark for total advance. IF you or a buddy had an advance timing light its easier. Did you set the point dwell with a dwell meter or by gap? If you did it by gap try to get a dwell meter and confirm it. Also with the dwell meter run it through the rpm's and look for a steady reading, sometimes if the dizzy is warn the dwell reading will wander a bit as the shaft wobbles around. Dwell should be steady accross the whole rpm range. If all that checks out you should alright for starters on the ignition and time to start looking at the fuel/carb. This assumes your plugs and wires are good and you know you have a solid motor as far as compression and such.