Topic: Dissappointed in my TA, probably an easy fix, need advice

[1onehotTA]

I have a beautiful looking, sounding, red W72.   And today I was kinda dissappointed in it, but im sure I can find the answers I need here as this site has helped me much in the past.  First off I am not an auto mechanic, but I do know alot about everything (dont we all), I am a service tech though and a big time do it myselfer.  Anyway, I love to drive my TA and I love that feeling that if I wanted to in could take off really really fast. However today I really really had to and my back tires broke loose like nobody's business and it took off for a second then sorta hesitated and started to run like *&%$.  Now I never really get on this car, I just cruise with it and when I do it runs very very good, and it accelerates fine, it does knock somewhat, but super unleaded tames that some, seems like if I gas it hard, it doesnt knock, if I ease it, it knocks.   Anyway, it also I have noticed if i am on the highway and punch it, like when someone is tailgating me, it puts out some smoke and a very bad smell, the same smell fills my basement when I bring it back in my garage from driving, but it doesnt smoke or anything, it also doesnt leak anything.  Now other than Catalytic converters that are new, it has no other emissions, it has every new tune up component under the hood, edelbrock carb and intake, distributor, alt.  The ignition timing I had a small problem with as my balancer marks are not correct, I believe they slipped out of pos. so I had to trial and error it.  I also never set my carb for wide open throttle, could that be my problem?  It is a 650 CFM Edelbrock, the car never gives me any problems other than the knock, but today that sorta bugged me, and now that smell makes me wonder what it is, it is kinda a bad smell, it is a hard to explain smell also, it isnt like burning oil or anything, it is like an exhaust smell, but why would it continue when the car is turned off. Any advice would be appreciated.

[1onehotTA]

Oh yeah it has full headers and Flowmaster mufflers with 2.5in exhaust also.  If that helps any in diagnosing my problem.

[eroc022]

umm as for the smell id have to go with the converters....thats the only thing that alters the exhaust.....since you said they are new they might be breaking in or something......as for your tires not breaking loose, could be timing...my espirt kinda has the same problem, when i bought it, it ran but not that great and would stall anytime i tried to break loose....but all i did was advance the distributor a little and everytime they broke. kinda easy fix, then the cam went :roll: but my balancer had spun so that the timing mark didnt line up so just went and bought a new one from autozone.....as old ones can throw your crank out of whack and mess up a whole lot more than just your timing.....basically youll just have to play with it untill it runs the way you want....could also be in the carb ? but im suggesting the distributor...

[ta78w72]

All the cars I've had from this era have a "smell" aftter starting them and pulling out of the garage and pulling back into the garage. But never when the car was tooling down the road.  That must be gas fumes but it's hard to say.

What I would do is to try to get your emission system back to stock.  A knock is usually caused by timing and if your vacuum lines have been fiddled with, chances are your vacuum adavance isn't doing its job correctly.

The carburetor should be an 800cfm rochester....why does everyone pull their rochesters off?  If set up correctly, they're great carbs.

What color smoke are you putting out when you punch it?  

It sounds to me like you've got a timing/carb issue.  If you put your foot into it and it pings, it's timing.  If the bottom falls out of it and it sputters, it's a carb issue.

When I put my foot down in my W72, the engine roars and jumps ahead.  You definately know the secondarys are open.   But mine is a totally stock system....all the emissions are hooked up.  

I have no idea how a harmonic balancer slips, but that would concern me.

When you time the engine are you doing it at the correct RPM and do you have the vacuum line off at the distributor and plugged?

In summary, vacuum, timing and carb adjustments..check these things.

[1onehotTA]

I am definitely certain that my Harmonic balancer is off, when I set it to the recommended BTDC it runs horrible, I researched this back when I suspected it, and set my timing by trial and error and it made a world of difference, however it probably is not exact.  I dont know why but I never thought of replacing it has anyone ever taken theirs off?  Do you need any speciall tools to do so? Puller?  I am gonna start there I think.  And my distributor is new also for one of the posts above.  And it sure isnt a gas smell I smell, it is kinda like when your car runs extremely rich, but not that eyeburning as it is.

[1onehotTA]

Should I pull a plug and see what color it is maybe?

[eroc022]

well make sure your carb is functioning proplerly, im sure it will be edelbrocks are awesome....i have one on my 79, but as for tools youll need a puller for the balancer the lower pully will need to be removed, and then hook up the puller, like 10-15 dollars at autozone or an autoparts store....and  whalah your off.. now for installing one....youll have to beat it on there but dont hit it too hard just tap it on till you can get the balancer bolt started with a decent amount of threads, then use the bolt to pull it on the rest of the way......the manuals say not to do this but i cant seem to find an installation tool that they all talk about, and ive never had any problems doing that.

[ta78w72]

Well, you've changed so much stuff it's hard to say why your timing can't be adjusted correctly.....I still suspect vacuum.

And the normal smell is not a gas smell buy a peculiar exhaust smell....hard to describe but when I smell it I know a late 70's T/A has fired up.  Especially when cold starting and pulling out of the garage......I love that smell!  No other car I've owned has it.

And, I'd take an original W72 rochester over the edlebock 650cfm any day of the week.  The intake manifold is a different matter.

Rule of thumb I go by....when you put your foot down if the car pings...it's the timing...if it runs like a POS it's the carb.  This assumes you have good plugs, wires, cap and rotor.

When's the last time you changed your fuel filer?  And is your fuel pump OK?

[81BlackTA]

Pulling a plug would be a good first step. If its black, likely a carb issue. If the plug is black, its rich with too much fuel. If you are going to rebuild a carb, I'd also go with the quadrajet. There are 10 second cars out there with them. A rich fuel mixture will also smell bad. In a garage it takes a long time for it to go away. My engine has a fluidamper. It is a steel bodied one piece affair which cannot spin on the rubber cuz there is no rubber. They make a less expensive version called a streetdamper which is still a one piece steel bodied unit. I personally wouldn't recommend hitting the new damper with a hammer. The installation tool is merely a piece of threaded rod (quality grade with a nut and washer. You thread the tool into the crank (all the way), slip on the balancer, should go on a bit by hand, then slip the washer over the end on the threaded rod followed by the nut. You continue to tighten the nut until the balancer is on all the way. This puts the stress on the threads of the installation tool and not your crank.
One of my buds just cooked a 520 hp small block because of spark knock. Spun a rod bearing. You really need to have the timing set to the proper spec. You can set it by ear when idling, but hard to do when under a big load..which is usually when they knock. By the way, if you cant get an install tool for the balancer, at least get a good grade grade ( longer balancer bolt and put it on that way. Be sure to put a bit of 30w oil on the threads of the bolt to reduce the friction between the crank threads and the bolt. Strip the threads in the crank snout and your in big doodoo. Where I'm from there are no laws regarding convertors, so we don't use them. That could be a part of it, but I really dont know.

[1onehotTA]

got my new harmonic balancer today, im gonna get my timing set properly then take it from there, I will post again as im sure I will need more advice from you guys after my guess work timing is solved.


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[ta78w72]

Let us know how much fun you have with getting the old harmonic balancer off.