Engine stalls when put in reverse or drive

[4aThrill]

It's a 71 383 4bbl, timing is great, just barely turn the key and she starts right up.
She sounds great at idle, put once we put her in reverse or drive she stalls, so basically once we but a load on her she dies. What do we need to do, I think it could be the carb or the timing any thoughts? It has a 670 Holley double pumper, this just started to happen last time she was started ran great now what's up?

[chargerman68]

try to manually adjust the distributor with the clamp off,try turning it slowing with your foot on the brake and put into gear,maybe

[Bandit72]

try to manually adjust the distributor with the clamp off,try turning it slowing with your foot on the brake and put into gear,maybe

just curious...but how do you suppose he turns the distributor while his foot is on the brake?  lol

[aifilaw]

Obviously you've put a cam in, and you dropped the idle enough to make it sound good.

Going to assume you have an automatic, its very difficult to get the timing to be correct at idle AND where you want it up high in the powerband, usually people sacrifice the idle. It's going to run a little rough due to the valve overlap due to the cam at idle, its not made to run there, it's made to run best at a higher RPM.

That being said, make sure your timing and mixture are set correctly.... instead of making it sound great at idle OUT of gear, make it sound great at idle IN GEAR. Typically I would say setting the idle out of gear at about 1100 RPM is a safe bet, as you put it in gear it will drop 2-500 RPM depending on many factors and will not stall.... This is what is happening to you.

[4aThrill]

Ya, as soon as I put in gear without any gas it wants or does die, so what you said might fix the problem will try that soon

I have an extreme energy 268 cam, auto 727 with a 2600 to 2800 stall.

Nick

[Al]

Did this solve the problem?

My car presents the same annoying symptoms as yours. Setting the idle higher doesn't solve the problem.
It would be interesting to know what can be done.

Al

[billschroeder5842]

Same problem with mine. I've adjusted the rich/lean and the timing so many times that I'm afraid I've really messed it up.

Currently, it idels out of gear (AT) anywhere from 1100 cold to 800 fully warm---I don't know why the drop when it is cold.

It runs "okay" so I'll just leave it alone for a while.

[Al]