360 Questions.. pardon my ignorance.
Here’s the issue I’m on now.. when I bring the vacuum can back in I’m at almost 50 degrees of advance at about 750rpm. It is firm going into gear but I wouldn’t say it’s slamming gears.
Fifty degrees should be as good as impossible.
Something is not right.
The absolute MOST, your Vcan would be able to bring is 24*, with most of the stops filed off. Thus, at idle, with full-manifold vacuum, and with 5* initial, the absolute most you could get would be 29*.
Typically the VA will max at around 13>15 degrees. More than that will require modification.
If in fact you are truly getting 50, then, either;
1) The throttle opening is enough to bring in full signal to the sparkport,
2) or the advance springs have to be not functioning correctly or not at all. AND/OR
3) the VA return spring has malfunctioned. Which I've never seen; or
4) something else is wrong that I have not thought of
SO
1) Check your curb idle transfer slot exposure! if that is correct, then;
2) Pop the cap and rotate the rotor against the spring pressure as far as it goes then quickly release it. The rotor should snap back to the starting position with a good deal of authority. If this does not happen, set your crank position to TDC #! Compression and pull that beotch outta there and lets get to the bottom of that bad boy.
BUT
if the rotor pops back nicely, then it must be a faulty signal to the ECU, and the only way mine ever did that was with the polarity reversed.
SO
Check your pick-up colors. the Small-block CW rotating Distributor needs a Pick up with one ORANGE wire on it. I forget the other color, maybe black.
If your pick-up has a Violet wire, it belongs to CCW rotating distributor.
Now, Go look where that pick-up connects to the ECU wire. The orange wire should go straight thru the connector without changing colors. I have seen polarity-reversing patchcords plugged in there, that look factory, about 6inches long. I seem to remember the wires being gray and black. If you see one of those, unplug it, Reconnect the P-Up to the ECU, and see if the engine will start. The timing will be all wrong, so you'll have to start over. I'm sorry, but I can't remember which way the timing went, So, if it won't start; pretend it's a new distributor install.
THUS:
Set the crank to TDC #1 compression, then advance the crank, BACKWARDS, CCW, to ~20 degrees. Push the V-Can CW until it hits the firewall, then pull it off the firewall to align the P-up to the nearest reluctor vane, center to center. Then install the rotor. With the rotor properly parked, mark the outside of the distributor as to where the tip of the rotor is. Install the cap. Find the mark; it better be close to or right under a tower. That tower will be your #1 cylinder, so plug #1 wire into it. Then follow CW in the firing order.
Now fire it up and reset your Idle timing. Then verify that the Strobing is without drama.
If it should happen that at 5* Idle-timing, the Engine needs a lot of throttle-opening to idle, My guess is that the engine has a mechanical problem, either;
1) a cylinder has gone down, or
2) the cylinder pressure is poor, or
3) the valve-timing is more than just a little off, or
4) the idle AFR is extremely off,
happy hunting.