HELP!!!!!!!! -440 timing and carb tuning

[69chargeryeehaa]

i'm having some trouble with timing and carb tuning.  i originally posted a thread about a hesitation, but i think i have to start from the basics again.
engine is a 440 in a 69 charger.

heres my questions:

timing (electronic ignition and running vacuum advance): what should timing be? i have it currently set to 5deg btdc with vacuum disconected, and about 13-15deg with the vacuum connected at idle.  at wot i have no ping.  but i dont' know what my total timing is cause i have no tape or a advance light.  am i in the zone?

carb (carter 9755s competition serries 750cfm afb): now with the carb, there are 2 vacuum ports on the carb, standing in front of the car looking at the carb, the one on the left has about 10inch pds of vacuum at idle, and the one on the right has about 17 inch pds of vacuum at idle, my question is which one hooks up to the distributor? when i hook it up to the left port (lower vacuum) i get no advance at idle timing (5deg btdc), when i hook it up to the right port (higher vacuum) i get a advance to about 13-15deg btdc timing. 
seccond question about the carb is how to adjust the idle mixture with the two needle screws on the base of the carb in the front, what is the procedure? i have read that you use a vacuum guage and look for a drop in the vacuum, but which port on the carb is the timed port and which one is the direct vacuum port?  where do you hook up the vacuum guage? is the one with higher vacuum at idle the direct? and the lower vacuum at idle the timed?

please show me the light at the end of the tunnel, i have no settings to start with HELP

[Chryco Psycho]

your timing is hooked up wrong you should have exactly the same timing at idle with the vacuum hooked up or disconnected so you have the vacuum advance hooked to manifold vacuum Not ported vacuum , if you cannot find the ported vacuum port , [this should have NO vacuum at idle ] edit use the left port , this should rise with RPM or leave it disconnected it will run better with no vacuum than manifold vacuum , using a vacuum guage to set mixture use the right port

[69chargeryeehaa]

ok, that makes things much eaiser, so i hook up the vac advance to the left port which has less then 10 vac, with it plugged in there i get no advance plugged in or unpluged.  so seeing as that is correct, i had to set the timing to 5deg btdc to get the motor not to ping (that is the factory reccomended setting), so i need to lower the total advance, thus go into the dist and weld something, how do you do this? what is the procedure?  next question is how to set the carb idle mixture, i hook up a vac guage to the right port on the carb which is manifold vac and then i'm lost, there's two screws on the carb, do i turn one? both? at the same time? and watch for vacuum drop? what is that procedure exactly? i checked the plugs and the electrode is slightly white, not a big deal, just need to get it a little richer, but this comes to my other question, the hesitation i have no matter where my timing is, i have a hesitation off idle, from a stop.  so now i think i have 2 problems, i have to reduce the total advance, and i need to change the metering jets to a richer condition or swap out the springs to lighter ones so that it properly switches to the seccondaries right?  the springs appear to be red in a carter afb 9755s competition serries carb.  which brings me to my last question, i cannot find any info on this carb, no charts for anything, parts, manual, anyone have any info on this carb? 

[Sublime/Sixpack]

When you talk of a hesitation it makes me wonder if you checked to see if the accelerator in the carb is functioning properly. Did you allready check that?

[69chargeryeehaa]

accelerator pump works fine, i even tried all three settings on the pump and no change, it squirts good.  the hesitation off idle is the only problem i have, if u go a bit harder from a stop there is no problem, i think with a mild cam i need to swap out the plungers and springs to make it richer, thoughts? i also tried to put the idle mixture a bit richer and that helped a bit so i think i'm on the right track

[Chryco Psycho]

don`t worry about welding the advance plate yet , have you tried to reduce the vacuum advance with an allen wrench into the vacuum pot & turn it 8 turns counter clockwise ?
to set mixyure I usually start with both screws approx 2 turns back from bottomed out , then turn 1 screw out 1/2 a turn & see if it gets better , then trun the other screw 1/2 a turn , keep going until it doesn`t change or if it is getting worse go the other way , when you have it right turning the screws in will make a slight difference & turning them out will not
you wil need to remove the top of the crab to check the float level & change jets , but metering rods can be changed from above , you wil probably have to buy an Eddy kit & adjust with those parts & the tuning book from Eddy also available downloaded from the internet , the plugs shoul dbe tan color not white which may be why the stumble is there
the secondary door is weighted not sprung , I usually start drilling holes in the counter weight toi get it to open faster , at least that way you can thread in a screw to put weight back in if you go too far 

[lilwendal]

If your still looking for the actual tuning specs for the carter, try federal mogal document 1601.  Heres the link www.mymopar.com/tools.htm    look in the right hand column under chasis drive trane,  carter carb tuning.  Hope that helps

[69chargeryeehaa]

thanks so much for the carb specs, that is exactly what i was looking for:)