Timing keeps messing up

ok so i keep timing my 65 v8 coupe and the timing keeps getting off to where i can even start it. I HAVE TIGHTENED THE DISTRIBUTOR DOWN so it is not that. what gives? i need a solution quick my brother keeps using my truck and i need some transportation. . .

Sounds to me that you have a wandering timing gear set. New or recent installation?

Remove the fuel pump, then stick your finger into the hole and you ought to be able to touch the timing chain. Essentially, they say you should not be able to feel any slop, but after a few thousand miles that ain't so. If you got some there, you then take a quick read and see if troubles are not there.



If you still got points for iginition, put a meter on and see if dwell angle radially changes once the engine starts up and then rev's up some. Then you got to yank out the distributor and look there too.

For an engine out of time, will still amke the light go on and off, just at an inappropriate time then.

Wm.

It might be because the retaining pin was not placed on the drive gear if you had it replaced.

Maybe pull the distributor and check the roll pin...

If the timing keeps going out of wach the same direction the pin could be broken on the gear...

thanks for info guys i no longer have points (put an HEI on there dont give me any crap) could be the chain as far as i know its original so ill have to take a look. ill try all your suggestions tomorrow or wednesday and get back to you all. thanks again.

If you find a problem in the timing chain area, don't even start up the engine. You can easily hurt something inside then. Just cover up and fix when handy.

Wm.

well i pulled the fuel pump and checked the timing chain . . .theres no give so i guess i have to look else where for the cause of all the trouble. . .

Explain EXACTLY what happed:

I.E. You set the timing to X* BTC and 4 day's later you checked it and it was at ???X* ....

Give us the entire story.

Wihle you're at it, check the roll pin on the bottom of the dist shaft where the gear is. If it's NOT broken you can run a small pin from one side out the other.

If your using a aftermarket distributor I am willing to bet its the roll pin on the cam gear, like FE said. I had Pertronix billet distributor in my 400 and that thing went though about 5 roll pins before I trew it aside and went back to a Duraspark system. If your using the Pertronix billet distributor get rid of it. I had nothing but problems with it. No matter how many times I replaced the pin it kept breaking.

75......

Quite some time ago, I had a Mallory distributor that used to cut off the roll pins. Engine just started up rough one morning then, but noon it was out of action. (OH, baby, just hang in there until the weekend when I can fix you)

The main drive shaft up inside where the bushings are at was not getting lubricated well. Would take a good 2000 miles to goo up and then gice the friction. Oiled the bushings up and reduced drag, and reduced effort to shear that pin off again. The Mallory had external oiling spud, but that did little good. I drilled the bushing for oil, and then when I dripped some in from outside, it actually got to the bushing. No problems after that.

Wm.