Ok I was wondering how it went from decent timing but not optimal to skipping junk. Went to double check and it turns out the lead was sliding too close to the number 2 lead and picking up that signal of course it would be showing incorrect. I held it closer to the plug and wow the timing was no longer slipping. Set back to 12* and decided to get a beer and leave it alone for a few days. Thanks to everyone for the help, I am an idiot.



I am telling you I want to kick myself in the butt and will stand ready to be made fun of.



Still a few tuning tweaks to be done, but apparently I am in no mental shape to do it.

Mike Rizzo

1963 F100 "Rudy"

Daniel Island, SC

Axial travel of a distributor shaft will cause a "jumping" signal as the helical drive gear twists the shaft ever so slightly as it moves up and down. Shim kits are around that will take up the endplay a bit if you find that is what is happening. Requires pulling the distributor out of the block and checking the clearance of the stop ring pinned under the main body. 

A slipped or slipping outer ring on a damper will move the TDC mark slightly from the initial position - but I haven't seen one that moved around while you were watching. 

The valve train might have a cylinder with differing lash - have you gone through the drill of setting all of the valve lash? 

 
 Steve Metzger       Tucson, Arizona

Turns out I found the leak in the hard line tucked under the hold down. It was just a small crack but I am sure it widened when it got hot. Vac problem solved. PCV now stays quiet. So i took her out for a spin. Trans did not bog and idle only dropped about 150 from park to drive so easy idle adjustment to split the difference.



Now the bad news is that I took her out on the highway and there was a little vibration above 3000 rpm. Took it home and put the timing light to it and it looks like the timing set is skipping a little at higher rpm. So looks like the next project is a new timing set (for all I know this one is orig. might as well throw in a hotter cam if I have to get in there.

Mike Rizzo

1963 F100 "Rudy"

Daniel Island, SC

Just arranged to borrow a gage this week my last one got borrowed and never came home. This weekend will be spent trying to eliminate any possible vac leaks.




Mike Rizzo

1963 F100 "Rudy"

Daniel Island, SC

Have you tried hooking up a vacuum gauge and see what kind of reading you are getting at idle.Sometimes helpful in finding problem.

  

Steve,



I think you are right just start with process of elimination. It has got to be something simple and stupid I will be sure to post the ah ha. Everyone's help has been invaluable if for anything else to have some solidarity and keep me from trading it in on a gentle used Prius.



At least it will give me something to do for the winter since I just insulated the garage.



I am just going to start with the basics and get the carb cleaner out and start chasing the usual suspects KISS.....

Fuel air and spark should be easy right?

Mike Rizzo

1963 F100 "Rudy"

Daniel Island, SC

Riz - Seems to me you ought to just start plugging things until you find the culprit!

Bagging the two end carbs - plug the PVC line - that sort of thing should begin to sort things out. I had an old four barrel carb I bought one time that pulled lots of air through the (very) loose butterfly shafts. 

 
 Steve Metzger       Tucson, Arizona

Ok played a little with the timing and got it set at 12 deg. Helped the idle but it still acts like a vacuum leak someplace. The PCV is still rattling. It starts up but needs some throttle play until warmed up. I am working on rerouting the choke cable so that is pretty normal. But after warm up it still is hard to start. I am running out of places to look for a vacuum leak. I have a new vac modulator on the trans so that should be ok. Very little vacuum pulled from the engine. Just PCV and trans. So I am thinking that if the PCV went bad or as mentioned is opening too light to go there first. The only other thing I can think of is an internal carb leak and quite honestly I am tired of tearing them down.



What do you guys think go for the PCV first at least to eliminate that and then move on, seems like the cheapest fix. I had a little déjà vu when one mentioned that the engine is acting like running on the PCV alone. Granted I have 3 carb openings but it does act like it could run just on the PCV alone.

Mike Rizzo

1963 F100 "Rudy"

Daniel Island, SC

There were "sealed up" systems on several vehicles I've owned - where the PCV is taking "suction" air through the valve from the valve cover - and the sump intake "breather" is getting its air from inside the air filter housing. At lower rev's the PCV is sort of "sipping" air out of the crankcase - but if you get on the engine really hard and fast - and blow-by overpowers that volume by some amount then the "overflow" gets taken directly into the carb.

 
 Steve Metzger       Tucson, Arizona

I had the same idea, since that air is unfiltered/dirty. But, crankcase pressure at high revs always pushes the dipstick out of the tube a bit, and too much restriction on the breather/filler usually causes oil pumping.

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA