72 360 first start question
But as I back the idle down by turning my dist. I get it to a point where it'll run steady but it's still too much for and idle (12 deg. BTDC on the timing light) and it's literally one more tiny turn of the dist. a degree or two at most and all of a sudden it sounds like a good idle but if I don't keep hitting the throttle every couple seconds it'll sputter and die. Also Yes I'm setting the initial timing with the vacuum advance line disconnected and plugged on the carb. when I connect it, my rpm's go way up and then I can back down the ignition timing further by turning the dist. but it's still the same thing. I can't get it to that sweet idle spot.
OK, well the pointing of the spark rotor is not all that important as long as it is hitting the right spark tower, and if it runs smoothly, then it is good enough for now. I'd stop looking at the ignition for now.
From you last description, it should like you are fighting some mix of carb throttle plate settings and probably a continued vacuum leak. If you can keep it running at lower RPM's by blipping the throttle, it is likely that you are just using the accelerator pump every few seconds to add in enough fuel to keep it running. If you don't blip the throttle, then it soudns like it is just leaning and dying out.
Is the idle set screw at a point where it is loose, it is it still actually the item that is holding the throttle open?
How do you have the idle mixture screws set?
Have you looked under the carb and seen if the secondary throttle plates are properly closed? If they are too far open at rest, then that will add a lot of extra air in under the carb; that can behave like a vacuum leak.
Also, when you have the vacuum advance line disconnected, make sure it is also plugged. Are you sure that the vacuum advance line is connected to the ported vacuum port? Your symptoms almost sound like it is connected to the manifold vacuum. Check the vacuum on the vaccum advance line at a stabel idle at as low an RPM as you can get; it ought to be near zero. If it is at/near 12" then it is not connected right (for the Mopar system).