Fine tuning help

olddaze

New member
I've got a '63 Econoline with a 170 that idles odd. Idles nice and smooth for around 20-40 seconds then dies. No warning, no stumble. Just dies.
Have made some changes from stock. Has a HEI distributor (plugs at .040), One wire 100 amp alternator, new oil pump (5/16th key) and a China copy of an Autolite 1100.
Any ideas where to start looking?
 
Most likely what you describing is going to be either in the HEI or the Carb or both in how they are hooked up together some good pictures of those will be a big help.
 
Sure but that doesn't tell me which Carb that you have I.E. if its a 1100 with a SCV or not. A SCV type Vacuum hook Up to the Distributor is a miss match setup and would not play nice with the HEI or a DuraSpark II or any other newer Distributor.
 
Pics will take awhile to figure out. I haven't used a hosting site in quite awhile. Photobucket screwed me over and locked me out of my own pics
 
All right then that 1100 dose have the SCV on the side of it, and that system won't work with any of the newer Dual Advance Type Distributors such as your HEI. They are made only for use with the Original type Ford Load O Matic Distributors that used in Year Models from 1960 up to 1967 in the US 49 states as well as on the 1960 to 1965 in California year models a later 1968 or 1969 Non SCV Autolite version would of matched up correctly. You can convert them over to a Ported Vacuum fairly easy (see below), or you can just disconnect your HEI from the 1100 Vacuum line now and than cap it off at the Carb. Then you can reconnect the HEI's Vacuum Advance Canister to a Full Manifold Vacuum source below the Carb. The stock 1963 Log Head should have a Manifold Vacuum Source (a threaded NPT Boss drilled and Tapped) there on the side just below the Carb Mounting. Just find a Pipe fitting at you local Auto Parts or Hardware store that is the right size. then see how it runs.

If you want to look into Moding your Autolite 1100 so it has a ported Vacuum source for the HEI Distributor than there is a group of post's going through how to do it stating here. https://fordsix.com/threads/a-vacuu...-vacuum-and-bypass-the-scv.84629/#post-681872

There will still need to be some more tuning yet to do with that HEI too, as some may have too much total advance and the Vacuum Advance will likely need to be limited some also.
 
Hi, I would put a $10 spark tester on it to determine if you have a spark or fuel problem. Next I would disconnect and plug the vacuum advance. You can try full vacuum for the distributor after you set the ignition timing. As Bubba said, this HEI distributor will not advance properly with a SCV carb.
Did you wire the HEI distributor to the resistor wire from the ignition switch? The HEI needs a 12 volt power source when cranking and running.
Maybe the new carb has a low float level.
Maybe it dies when the choke opens.
You didn't say if you can rev the engine.
Read the tech section here and learn about your engine.
Good luck
 
All right then that 1100 dose have the SCV on the side of it, and that system won't work with any of the newer Dual Advance Type Distributors such as your HEI. They are made only for use with the Original type Ford Load O Matic Distributors that used in Year Models from 1960 up to 1967 in the US 49 states as well as on the 1960 to 1965 in California year models a later 1968 or 1969 Non SCV Autolite version would of matched up correctly. You can convert them over to a Ported Vacuum fairly easy (see below), or you can just disconnect your HEI from the 1100 Vacuum line now and than cap it off at the Carb. Then you can reconnect the HEI's Vacuum Advance Canister to a Full Manifold Vacuum source below the Carb. The stock 1963 Log Head should have a Manifold Vacuum Source (a threaded NPT Boss drilled and Tapped) there on the side just below the Carb Mounting. Just find a Pipe fitting at you local Auto Parts or Hardware store that is the right size. then see how it runs.

If you want to look into Moding your Autolite 1100 so it has a ported Vacuum source for the HEI Distributor than there is a group of post's going through how to do it stating here. https://fordsix.com/threads/a-vacuu...-vacuum-and-bypass-the-scv.84629/#post-681872

There will still need to be some more tuning yet to do with that HEI too, as some may have too much total advance and the Vacuum Advance will likely need to be limited some also.
I think you nailed it! Plugged the port on the carb and pulled vacuum for the distributor under the carb. So far so good and I'm not 100% but I think I gained some power too. Thanks alot!
 
The problem with a spark valve carb with an HEI would be the venturi vacuum to the vacuum advance.
This could cause excessive advance for the load condition when manifold vacuum is low.
 
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