440 with 727 Automatic dies when stopped in Drive**UPDATE!**

[Dino]

A while back I bought a 600 cfm Edelbrock.  It looked clean so I just bolted it on.  It needed to idle quit high and once put in drive it would die.  I removed the carb, opened it up and cleaned it out and then it idled fine in drive.  I'd remove the carb and clean it out or rebuild it.  If for whatever reason you decide to go with another carb, shoot me a pm, I always wanted to try one of those Demons..

[Dmichels]

check the float level on the carb had the same thing happen to me years ago the fuel spills over and kills the engine

[moparnation74]

check the float level on the carb had the same thing happen to me years ago the fuel spills over and kills the engine

I had the exact same thing happen to one of my rides and it was related to float level.

[Dino]

check the float level on the carb had the same thing happen to me years ago the fuel spills over and kills the engine

I had the exact same thing happen to one of my rides and it was related to float level.

That's probably why mine died as well.  I recall resetting the floats when I cleaned the carb.

[nge]

Float level is next on my list after I find TDC tonight!  I'm optimistic

[nge]

I found true TDC with a piston stop.
Builder was only off by 1/4 "CCW.
I havent started it yet so I do not yet know how much that will knock initial timing down from 36-38.
Next I will check my street demon...car sat at builders for 6 months so that may be part or all of my problem.
I also have a bad vacuum advance cannister .  I'm not sure if that is a problem at idle in park but I got a replacement.  Has anyone isntalled one of these? the 73 FSM says they are tuneable, but it doesnt explain how.
thanks
Vic

[b5blue]

  Initial time, static with nothing weird going on, I set my 440 @ 12* with the Vac. Adv. disconnected. (It will run crappy) Then I hooked up the Vac. Adv. to the Dist. and measured timing to see the difference. (say 22*-12* = 10* added by Vac. Adv.) Then run the engine RPM's up high to see full advance the dist will go to, that number should be somewhere in the 30's. 
  Let's confirm readings after you remove the Dist. cap grab the rotor and see if it rotates smoothly about 20 degrees by hand. Can you twist it some and will it spring back on its own? Has it been oiled ever? pull up the rotor and remove it, you should see a felt in the center of the shaft. Put some oil on it replace the rotor and be sure its moving smoothly about 20*. Even if your ring with the time marks shifted you would still read the initial at "X*" adding Vac. Adv. would add 6* to 10* (X*+8*)and full @ high RPM's 10* to 15* (X*+15*) give or take.     

[BSB67]

I found true TDC with a piston stop.  Good

Builder was only off by 1/4 "CCW. I'm not sure what you mean by this as the it is not adjustable, unless he put timing tape on the balanced for you.

I havent started it yet so I do not yet know how much that will knock initial timing down from 36-38.  1/4" is about 4°

I also have a bad vacuum advance cannister .  I'm not sure if that is a problem at idle in park but I got a replacement.  Has anyone isntalled one of these? the 73 FSM says they are tuneable, but it doesnt explain how.  It becomes self evident once you start.

[b5blue]

Vac. Adv. is adjustable by inserting an allen wrench in the vacuum pod nipple, it will set advance limit. (Google it.)

[nge]

I gooled it! Thanks!

[nge]

Hi all,
Here is were I am one I found TDC.
625cfm street demon on rebuilt 440
At idle in neutral at operating temperature-
timing is 15 deg BTDC
Vacuum is 12.5 "Hg
RPM is 900
when I slip in into Drive (and foot on brake)it stalls immediately.
I can keep it drom stalling only by nursing the throttle and driving away
It did not do that before the rebuild so I am wondering what "signal" vacuum or other the carb is not getting.
thanks in advance

[b5blue]

Did ya fix the Vac. Adv. ? Mine is running at about 22* with it @ idle. (+ or -) It likes 20+ deg. @ idle and about 36 deg. full @ higher RPM's. (Or I get pinging.)

[nge]

B5blue,
I did fix the vacuum advance canister, but I didnt use it for initial timing, because I didnt think it came into play at idle.
Are you saying that it might? Or that it might come into play when the tranmission is put into drive?  
Sorry but you're dealing with a guy who has only had manual transmissions to this point.  So, this area of carb tuning is new to me.

[b5blue]

Yes it should. (If engine is near stock build.)

[nge]

Well I replaced the vacuum advance canister and re set the timing with there advance disconnected.  I have not adjusted the canister yet.
At operating temperature, the car now idles in neutral at 850 RPM and 15 "Hg.  Putting the car in Drive dropped RP to 650 and 8 "Hg.  I enriched the idle mixture screws and increased neutral RPM to 1050.  It will now idle at 750 RPM and 8 "Hg in Drive...but it doesn't sound like it wants to stay there long
Any thoughts?
I would like to adjust my vac advance to pull at7 Hg. Is that possible?
Thanks
Vic

[c00nhunterjoe]

Im still lost as to why your initial timing is set at 36 degrees then you have your mechanical and vaccum advance going from there. That would put your total somewhere in the 50's if you are running a stock style distributor. I think there are more issues here. What cam are you running that your idle was at 650 rpm? Then you set it at 1050 rpm? You are making way too many changes back to back. I would start with finding out why your initial timing is so high. Im wondering if your cam is installed wrong.

[nge]

It may have been installed wrong, I'm sure no one at the shop will admit to that.
I knocked my initial timing back to 15 BTDC and got the RPM, vacuum, and timing the best I could.
So now its set at the numbers in my previous post.
But I was not clear in that post the 750RPM is in D and 1050RPM is  in N. Timing is no longer at 36-38.

[Sublime/Sixpack]

So other than a problem at idle, how well does the engine perform when you drive the car? Does it seem to have the power you think it should?  Will it tach out as it should? Or is it a dog?

[nge]

I only drove it home fro the builders and 2 other trips to test out the stall issue.  I thought it it had pretty good pick up (for having a tired automatic), its sounds great...just wont stay running in D at a stop. But only after it gets warm.  The 6 mile trip home from the builders lead me  to believe all was well. Subsequent trips have been troublesome.
I could keep raising the idle speed, but I'm not sure it 1100 is to high in N.
As of now its its 1000 in N with 12 "hg vacuum.  In D it drops to 800 RPM with 8"hg vacuum, but turing on the headlights kills it.
I really appreciate all of the help on this. I'll let everyone know what finally solves it.

[b5blue]

If it run good cold and crappy at temp.....look at your CHOKE set up. 

[nge]

My choke has been wired open for now.
I didn't want to deal with the electric choke until I solved this problem.
I could be wrong...wouldn't be the first time

[redmist]

What converter is in the car?

What camshaft?

[moparnation74]

Also, wondering if it is a camshaft/tight convertor issue.

The 800rpm drop slightly steers me away from what I mentioned above.

Or as coonhunterjoe questioned an incorrectly installed cam.

Does it fire and run immediately when you start it?

[nge]

moparnation74,
it fires and starts fine.  Idles OK in neutral. The touque cnverter has me wondering as well.  The stock converter should be in the accepable band for this cam, but the car did it sit outside under a car cover for 6 months...probably didnt help.
Ive havent restarted her in two weeks.  I pulled the dipstick tube to reroute it (the builder put in under the exaust manifold instead of between the manifold and the valve cover).  Its was one of those "while I'm here" jobs that has turned into a two week nightmare.  Near impossible to do in tne car!  Its a very tight fit beween the bolck and to motor mount. Ive spent  2 weeks and bent 3 dipsticks.....And I have 3 more dipsticks on order!....not fun

[b5blue]

You should remove the exhaust manifold IMO for that job, you need a really nice fit or you'll get leaks. I had to practically polish the tube and hole in the block. A thin coat of RTV right before the stop flair for insurance.