Timing Troubles with Chev 350

Some assistance with timing on a chev 350.
My son has installed a pre-84 chev 350 into his newly acquired 94? GMC
pickup. Removing the 6 and installing the 8 was a challenge, but it's
mostly done.

I don't have any history on the motor except it came from a camaro and
was fuel injected; stock? I don't know; kinda doubt it. He decided to
change the fuel injection out for a carb, so he bought an edelbrock
carb 650cfm? and intake manifold as well as a new distributor
assembly.

We had the engine running, sounded good, however when it was put in
gear, no power stalled every time. Most likely a timing issue. Checked
the timing and yup it was off the scale so far I could hardly see it.
Re-setup the timing; #1 TDC, align rotor with #1 lead on distributor
try again. Won't start at all. Re-setup a couple more times, runs very
rough, but the timing is again way off the marker.....better than
12deg. BTDC. Actually never did get the engine to run with the timing
being any where near 8deg BTDC.

As I said, no history on this motor so perhaps it has a cam, but I
can't see that causing the timing mark to be so far off...I'm down to
thinking I may need to check the timing chain.

Any suggestions before the front of the motor is taken off?

On Feb 6, 8:02 pm, "donj" <coquitlam1... DeleteThis @yahoo.ca> wrote:
> Some assistance with timing on a chev 350.
> My son has installed a pre-84 chev 350 into his newly acquired 94? GMC
> pickup. Removing the 6 and installing the 8 was a challenge, but it's
> mostly done.
>
> I don't have any history on the motor except it came from a camaro and
> was fuel injected; stock? I don't know; kinda doubt it. He decided to
> change the fuel injection out for a carb, so he bought an edelbrock
> carb 650cfm? and intake manifold as well as a new distributor
> assembly.
>
> We had the engine running, sounded good, however when it was put in
> gear, no power stalled every time. Most likely a timing issue. Checked
> the timing and yup it was off the scale so far I could hardly see it.
> Re-setup the timing; #1 TDC, align rotor with #1 lead on distributor
> try again. Won't start at all. Re-setup a couple more times, runs very
> rough, but the timing is again way off the marker.....better than
> 12deg. BTDC. Actually never did get the engine to run with the timing
> being any where near 8deg BTDC.
>
> As I said, no history on this motor so perhaps it has a cam, but I
> can't see that causing the timing mark to be so far off...I'm down to
> thinking I may need to check the timing chain.
>
> Any suggestions before the front of the motor is taken off?

on my bbc the harmonic balancer was going bad and the outside ring
slipped and when setting the timing it was way off I set it by ear and
ordered and new timing llight and the new one did the same, found tdc
with a fitting in the number on plug and it was not near the timing
mark and restarted and saw the harmonic balancer was wobleing and
replaced all good.