Try moving your spark plug pickup away from that shielded wire. It looks like it's a ground wire of some sort. Could be messing with the signal pickup I think.

Tried that. I am thinking the T.light is not working.

If that's the case then the best you'll be able to do without one is dead time it to TDC.
Know how to do that?

If that's the case then the best you'll be able to do without one is dead time it to TDC.
Know how to do that?

might not matter but i ground to the engine mount bolt.

No Scott, how is that?
Beretta, I'll try that.

You basically line up the timing marks TDC on the number one cylinder, then rotate the distributor till the points just open. Your car may have a CD ignition on it so you should be careful as I've read where they can zap ya pretty good. Double check the rotor to make sure it's pointing at the number one plug wire on the cap. You can pull the high tension wire out of the coil and set it so it can spark to a nearby ground point. With the key 'on' you can turn the distributor until you get a spark. Try it a few times as you'll most likely turn past the 'just open' point the first couple of times. Once you've done that your timing should be set at TDC and you can go from there once you get a timing light that works.

No go with the engine mount bolt for the ground. Tested the dwell and got a 35. Going to try the Tlight on another car.

Read in Haynes that my dwell should be 40 not 35 with the Marelli dist. Is that at 6000rpm or idle?

That's at 6,000 RPM not idle - or an RPM that's high enough that the timing stops advancing. Once you get your timing light working and the car idling, point the light at the timing marks and briefly rev the engine and return to idle. What you'll see is the timing marks advance from idle to their max at some RPM. It's that max position that you want set to 35 or 40 degrees. My book says 35 degrees - 40 sounds like a lot.

Rex
He's talking about dwell, not total advance.

Scott - you're right. I'm too quick to respond sometimes. 40 degrees is the correct dwell angle, and it doesn't change with RPM.

Dwell is pretty critical on these cars. Set it right before you timing. Also it sounds like you have a bad timing light. Get one that works, or try it on another car which you said you would do.

I messed with this dwell stuff on my '73 for eight years and then I put in a Pertronics hall effect system to replace the points. I check the timing every 6 months of so and it does not change. Getting rid of points is a very worthwhile change. And it is totally reversible.

Our host sells the Pertronics electronics points system.

Weird Wild Stuff
 

Timing light was bad. Bought another one.
Got the dwell up to 38. Still working on it.
Checked the timing at idle for now and got this with the distributor turned all the way.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1256500035.jpg

What did you set the timing to at idle? I would guess it should be around 5 degrees BTDC at idle. Don't try to set it at 35 degrees at idle.

If you are trying about 5 degrees at idle, and you are running out of adjustment, we can fix that easily.

I can't get the marks any more centered. They stay to the right and the distributor is turned all the way.

At what RPM? Idle?
What do you have the timing light dial set to? 5 degrees?

Yes at idle. The new timing light has no dial.

With no dial and at idle, I'd expect the crankshaft pulley to show about 5 degrees BTDC. If you don't have a mark on the pulley, it's about 5 mm off of Z1. Or you can just rev it up and see if the timing stops advancing at high RPM around the 35 degrees mark on the pulley.

The timing will be about 5 degrees BTDC at idle, and advance until 35 degrees BTDC as you rev the engine. Don't try to set 35 degrees at idle. Won't work.

The picture is at idle with both marks in right field and the distibutor turned all the way.. Is the distibutor in wrong?