Dodge 230 '6' timing

I have a '53 coronet '6'. Engine is a rebuilt shortblock out of a '48 dodge 1-ton. Engine seems to run fine as is, but it bogs down if I open the throttle too quickly. I suspect the carb, but it could also be timing. Unfortunately, this engine does not have any timing mark on the Vibration damper. The timing plug in the head just isn't coming out without a struggle. Would someone out there be willing to send me a sketch with a measurement of where the timing mark should go? I could then file the mark into my existing damper.

Any other suggestions?

In progress - 1953 Dodge Coronet '6' 4-door

Daily drivers - 1998 Plymouth Neon Expresso

1999 Dodge Caravan Sport

Your vacuum advance dashpot diaphram may be broken. You should be able to pull a vacuum on it and see the distributor plate move.

Thanks;

Did check the vacuum advance; it is working. Just have to keep looking.

John GB

How is the accelerator pump set? Might need to move it to a different hole on the linkage...

I would be thinking carb and probably accelerator pump issues. However with the timing just go and shift it and see if there is a change, these engines dont have to be precise with their timing 5 - 10 degrees either way will not cause any harm , rather the performance will be affected.

If you are not sure which way to move it for advance and retard take the distributor cap off, rotate the engine a little with starter or fan and watch whcih way the distributor rotor moves; moving the distributor body opposite rotor travel will advance timing and vice versa, I would start by advancing a little to see if there is an improvement, dont rotate the body more than 1/4 inch at a time.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm thinking carb. problem myself. On the highest accel. pump setting, it still bogs down a bit, but on the lowest setting, it nearly dies. I've had reservations about the carb. all along. I rebuilt it (it's a D6H1), but it was really nasty to begin with. I've since located a decent D6H2, and I'll rebuild it and try it out (in my spare lifetime!).

On my much older Carter B&B carburetor there is a "power circuit" that is actuated by a vacuum port around the throttle plate. It apparently actuates a valve on another jet during the transition between idle and non-idle conditions. The piston and or the cylinder bore that the piston runs in wore and the result was that the engine would die during a slow transition between idle and non-idle conditions (on a fast transition the accelerator pump got it through the bad RPM range).

Might want to check to see if there is a similar circuit on your carburetor and if it is working properly. Might be the jet on it is clogged up, etc.

Hi, I brought down the pulley from an old parts bin today. When looking at the front of the pulley with the two threaded holes at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock AND the key slot at 3 0'clock...the TDC is directly inline with the threaded holes at the 12 o'clock position.

To mark the + and - 15 degrees on both sides of TDC is going to be tricky because they don't line up exactly with an English (inches) system...untill I think of something easier: the diameter of the pulley is 6 7/16 inches, figure circumferance, divide by 360 and you will have a one degree measurement. Hope this helps.

Now that I think about it, this pulley with timing marks maybe off a P-12 and I could be all washed up..not sure...

If you make a piston stop and put it in the # 1 sp plug hole and HAND turn the fan (or crank up against it, then mark the pully, (or damper).

Then turn the engine backwards until you reach the stop again and mark the pully there you will know that TDC is half way between those marks.

You have to make the stop so that it is solid to the head. I made one from an old spark plug. You could weld a piece to it that would stop the piston, on mine I drilled out the old sp plug and ran a screw thru it so that it is adjustable.

If you want advance then use a 12 volt timing light that you can adjust the advance, hooked up to a different battery. (I am assuming that your 53 is still 12 volt).

The Plymouth 6 that I just did wanted to be at TDC according to the manual that I was using. Runs great.

You can check how much advance that the vacuum is giving you by reving the engine and turning the dial on the timing light until it reaches zero.

Thanks for the advice; I've thought of this, but my Dodge 6 is a flathead; the sparkplugs are over the valves, not the piston. There is a plug directly over the #6 piston, but I've had no luck trying to remove it. The electric system is 6 volts, but its enough voltage to trigger my old Heathkit timing light.

Oh yea, you are correct. You can use that plug over the #6 piston as it comes up at the same time as the #1. (the engine doesnt care what cyl you time if you are making your own marks, but you would really confuse the next guy if you set the timing on any other than the #1 or #6 cyl.)

The timing procedure will be the same on 1 and 6 as the crank turns twice per distributer (and cam) turn and that mark (flash) would just alternate between the two cyls.

As I reread my post I did say 12 volt when I meant 6 volt.

I doubt that your old light has built in advance. These lights are common these days.

However you could still see the vacuum advance the timing, just no way to know how much.

On a further note, you might try using some heat to remove the plug. Dont heat the plug but rather the head around it. The theory is that you will expand the hole making the plug looser.

I would start with one of those presto lite torches. If that doesnt work then maybe some oxy acet. as it is much hotter. But you will have to be VERY careful with the latter.

Good luck.

before breaking out the torches (and even if they are needed) you might try some pb blaster and running the engine a good while to get it up to temp (then if necessary, apply more heat)

I would still suspect the carb first... as noted above exact timing isn't that critical on these engines and it's not hard to tune by ear if everything else is working right. Just make a few laps around the block with the distributor bolt lightly snugged so you can move it either side of where you have it marked now. Ethanol is also hard on the old carbs made with seals that don't withstand alchohol. Just because you rebuilt it, doesn't mean the kit wasn't sitting on the shelf before ethanol was mandated. Go back through that carb with a fine tooth comb before you break out the torches and make more work for yourself

You can screw a pipe into the spark plug hole and stretch a balloon over the end. As you turn the engine the balloon with expand during the compression stroke. When it is biggest is TDC. Maybe not 100% accurate but should get you within 2 or 3 degrees.

It is more accurate if you use a soap bubble.

You can break the porcelain out of an old plug and weld on a piece of pipe if you do not have a suitable adapter.

I'd suspect a shrunk up accelerator pump and or it's jet being partially clogged. Also check the step up piston and it's jet not being 100% up to par. Simple carbs easy to check and work on.

Bob