Timing issues on rebuilt motor

[RickKlem]

Sorry so long

This is an 80 3.0l that I had rebuilt and just installed into my 77 and I have had problems ever since.
This is an update of my 3.0L install problem. I’m using a MSD 6al and a blaster 2 coil.

FIRST ATTEMPT
First I connected the trigger as follows; violet from the MSD to the green center signal wire from the distributor trigger and the green wire (ground) from the MSD to the outer wire (ground) from the distributor trigger, this is the coax wire from the dist. This is per the instructions that came with the MSD ign. When I start the engine, the timing is at 30 to 35 degrees BTDC. If I turn the dist as far as I can counter clock ways, it will only drop down to about 10 to 12 BTDC and the car runs like crap. It sounds like its going to stall. And the timing is not steady; it jumps up and down.

SECOND ATTEMPT
I tried to flip the two connections mentioned above so that the violet wire from the MSD was connected to the outer shielded wire from the dist. With it wired this way I was able to set the timing to 5 degrees BTDC which is where it should be and it remains steady on the 5 mark. But with it set like this there is NO POWER out on the road; top speed 38MPH.

I pulled all of the plugs and put the number one cylinder at TDC right on the Z1 mark and the distributor rotor was pointing right at the scribed mark on the dist. The dist position was not exactly in the center of its adjustment slot, but it wasn’t off by far.

I check the compression and it was 163 or so on the left cylinders and 172 or so on the right side cylinders. I think the difference is because this is a newly rebuilt motor and the rings are still seating and all of the plug wires on the left were bad and that side was not firing as hot as it should have been. I have since added a new set of magnecor wires, but have not drove it yet. So I think these readings will change over time as I drive it.

1: Could the first connection be correct and the distributor is off by a tooth or two, to make it idle at 30 degrees.
2. Could it be that since this is a SC motor (dist runs counter clock ways) opposed to other types, that it has to be wired opposite than the instructions, as in my second attempt and I have another problem that causes it to have no power.

I really don’t want to run the motor very long in either manner mentioned above until I know which is correct. I don’t want to damage the motor.

Any ideas

Help
Rick

[RickKlem]

Help