383 problems/solved

[Tmb84]

Fact: 383, original block and heads. Purpleshaft camshaft installed in the 70's with carter AVS 4bbl.
Last year it started to run kind a uneven at 1/4 throttle/cruising. It dont like to rev either.. also used alot of gas.
It runs smooth and no noise or tikking at idle. Last week i innstalled a new edelbrock avs600 with electric choke and dp4b alu manifold. There is no difference at the car performance. Maybe a little more rev happy when it pulls and goes nice, but still uneven at cruising and it feels like it run on 6-7cylinders sometimes. Also backfires sometimes when i hit the pedal.

So i starting eliminating stuff.. changed the sparkplugs to ngk xr5 v-power. That made it kind a worse! Then changed the fuel pump. Still same.. pushrod got the correct length, but the rod had some greyish oil on it, camshaft worn out?  
Could it be the fuel filter? I dont think so.. the car still got the original ignition. Next step is spark plug wires and coil.

Sorry for my english.

Thanks

[bee1971]

"the car still got the original ignition."





Factory Distributor as in Points and Condenser ? If that's the case , first place I would look

Scott

[bee1971]

Also what year is your car 383 ?

1971 Distributor , besides the Points and Condenser , also had the electric retard timing box mounted

[Tmb84]

this is how it looks now before coil swap, i changed the coil to a cheap aftermarket one. it runs smoother now, but less Power.. i have Challenger with MSD ignition, can i use the MSD coil?
i didnt use the coil resistor with the new coil, but after some googling i think i should use it..?

[Nacho-RT74]

383 problems? Thats A BUNCH OF PROBLEMS

LOL

yes, you can use MSD coil wherever you want.

And yes, use the resistor.

[Tmb84]

383 problems? Thats A BUNCH OF PROBLEMS

LOL

yes, you can use MSD coil wherever you want.

And yes, use the resistor.

i have 383 stroker in my Challenger, dyno result: 616hp/720, i dont have any problems with that  

[bee1971]

Replace the points and condenser inside your distributor , and set your gap and dwell properly

Start there as it's cheap and easy insurance to maintain a great spark

There is a reason most everyone converts there earlier factory points ignition system to the 1972 and newer electronic ignition system

Anyways


The resistor that's mounted on your coil strap bolt is nothing more then a factory radio suppressor


And then of course you have the ballast resistor mounted on your firewall that drops voltage to the positive side of the coil once the engine has been started , and must be used when running a factory points and condenser distributor ignition system no matter what aftermarket or factory coil you use

Start with the new points and condenser, and setting correct dwell is equally important

You could also replace your distributor cap and rotor

[Tmb84]

Thanks for all inputs, i think i have solved it.. one plugwire is broken, replaced all of them and the engines runs smooth and strong at low revs, but it backfires and runs like crap at full throttle. I set the acc-pump from middle to Rich and that solved it almost completely! So i think it running to lean and need bigger jets.

Any suggestions on the size of jets i need to change to?

Edelbrock AVS600 electric choke

[Tmb84]

the avs600 electric choke is too lean for my 383, it runs Ok only the first 5 minuts and after 30min.. between there it goes like crap, backfires and just cant handle the throttle at all.. so the carb need bigger jets. I read the 600manual choke got 100/0.95 and mine have 0.98/0.95 Do you think it enough to upgrade to them?

[69wannabe]

Do you have the owner's manual for the carb? You should have a section that show's rod and jet combination to go richer or leaner with the carb. My dads old truck is a 600 eddy electric choke and I used the metering rods and jet set up for the manual choke carb in it since it was too lean for the 390 and it worked out good. Edelbrock sells calibration kits to help you tune the carb with different size metering rods and jets to work with. They are not that bad to work with and most of the time they work pretty good.

[c00nhunterjoe]

Or you could ditch the metering rods.... 

[Tmb84]

the mechanic changed the jets to bigger ones, ended upp blowing one of the mufflers! converted it too pertronix Electric ignition and it solved the problem. it changed the engine completely, it runs so smooth now and a little stronger.. changed the vintage hushthrush mufflers to dynomax superturbo.

after this i took the car on a weekend trip to Orsa drag fest sweden, muscle car day and mopars at the strip. ca 375 miles total. car runs great.. lots of curvy roads with som hills and bad asphalt. the trunk was filled up and we all enjoyed the car. it ended upp With 17 mpg. i also changed the valve covers

[Midnight_Rider]

Cool, glad you got it sorted out...   

[bee1971]

Just like I told you to do back in June

Points and Condensor and or Electronic Ignition

Peace

[Tmb84]

i told the mechanic to check and adjust the ignition, and the engine run fine when its warm.. after 30min+
after he blow up the muffler he said it must be the ignition, it just dont keep up With the rest..

again, thank you guys. i learned alot of this problem.. 

[Nacho-RT74]

Even the upgrade fixed the problem, I was searched for the problem with what it had. Then decide if upgrade or not, but what it was the real problem? We still don't know.

I'm one of those who fix on the stock and get upgrades for the better performance, not really for the fix

[Challenger340]

Never had a problem with my original factory stock points/condenser dizzy      Fires first time every time, runs smooth at any rpm, good power, and even after sitting a couple hours, it don't even crank half a turn.... vroom. 
Not disputing the benefits of electronic for those so inclined wanting less maintenance changing points every 12,000 or so....
just say'in....
points/condenser can, and will, run absolutely fine.

[Tmb84]

im not sure what the actually problem was.. the mechanic said it was time to Upgrade it.

the car was fine at idle.. i could rev it like normal in neutral, but when i was driving it could only handle 1/4 throttle! after 30min it could take the throttle almost as normal and sometimes normal.. I am now using a MSD blaster 2 coil, before Electronic ignition the MSD coil make it even worse, but idle was fine. With a cheap shitty aftermarket coil that cost 10$ it was running much better, almost as normal, but there was no Power.. it was like having 100hp! but idle and revving was fine.

going through the e-mails from previous owner in the US i see he wrote: Heavy distributor weight spring replaced With mopar light weight spring to bring advance in quicker.

so this saved my summer: