Originally Posted by
cycowrencher
You will need a timing light to tune that car correctly. You will also want to buy a vacuum gauge. You can buy a cheap dial back at your local parts place. Warm up the engine, drive around the block, or run an errand, just make sure the car is at operating temp. Disconnect and plug the vacuum advance to the distributor. The only cam grind i can find from Isky is a 264. This is a .450 lift cam and should have 14-17 inches of vacuum in a 9.0:1 350 cid motor.
Set the initial timing at 12-14* before top dead center. Your idle speed should increase, unless your timing is too far advanced. Then turn down the idle screw until the car idles at 800 rpm. Turn the dial on your timing light to 35* and rev the engine to 3000 rpm, you should be able to see the 0* mark on the crank pulley. Adjust the dial until the 0* mark on the pulley is zeroed to the timing pointer. Read the dial, this is your total advance, this should be between 35-39*. Once this is set up, it is time to move on to setting up the carb.
Baseline the carb by turning in the bleed screws on the front of the carb all the way in until lightly seated. Now back them out 1.5 turns. Connect the vacuum gauge to a port that supplies manifold vacuum ( this will have a high reading at idle and will fall towards 0 when you rev the motor). Start up the car and read the gauge, you should have between 14-21 inches of vacuum at idle depending on your cam. If the car will not stay running, back out each bleed screw 1/2 turn until the car will idle (If you have to back them out more than 3 1/2-4 turns, your metering rods are too small and will need to read up on how to change them, or pay someone to do it for you). Pick one bleed screw and slowly turn it in until the engine starts to stumble. Then back it out until the vacuum reading peaks. Turn the screw out 1/2 additional turn. Repeat this for the other bleed screw. Readjust your idle to 800 rpm and you should be ready to roll. Disconnect your tools and plug the vacuum line back to the distributor.