The Dodge Challenger Message Board

ok try to follow, this gets confusing... First I was having trouble with my timing, can't find the line.. I figured the Balancer was off another engine.... I also replaced the disturbutor adjusted the timing by ear.. Got no ping shifting and running great. Now since my last adjustment of the timing, My Brake pressure disappeared.. SO thinkng it was the breaks having trouble at the same time , I took everything apart, Changed the pads , the Calipers, the drums and shoes, the master cylinder. After all that same problem. When the car is at High idol I have a nice high pedal, when I put it in drive it dissappears. Goes almost right to the ground when I go in drive, and after a few seconds it goes all the way down. I have checked for Vacuum leaks and found none, I took the plug off the Power Booster and I have Vacuum.. and my Vacuum reserve as well... See what I meant about confusing... Any Ideas let me know....
By the way its a 73 challenger rallye

Norm

"Can't find the line" sounds a bit silly to me and where are the facts? You "found vacuum" but how much?

Get your basics right first. Sounds like you could have been doing something silly like not using #1 cylinder for the timing or maybe you were using a 'dial-back' strobe light and did not have it set right - I don't know - but you are not going about this logicaly.

Do you know which is #1 cylinder?
Do you know how to find TDC on the compression stroke?

Do that first and get the timing right. Start with an initial setting of 10-12 degrees. Then get your idle speed and mixture right. THEN see how the brakes are doing. If the brakes are still not right measure the manifold vacuum and tell us what it is.

Thanks Dave, I'll try all that first. But I know for sure I have Cylinder #1 right. There is a line on the balancer its just not visible when I try adjusting the timing, even if I set the advance 60 degrees I can't see it. The timing can not be off so far as to be 180 degrees off, So thats why I figured I have the wrong one (balancer that is). As far as Vacuum is concerned. That was going to be my next step. When I put the new disturbutor in I marked the Vacuum advance and the rotor with Cylinder one in the up position. I was not able to find Cylinder one using the line, I had to pull the plug. But for agruement sake, lets say the timing is fixed and the vacuum is low, would the brake booster or the vacuum reserve need to be changed?

If the timing is out it can effect the amount of vacuum quite a lot so you have to get that right first.

I asume you don't have a piston stop or a cam degree wheel.

Take out all the spark plugs.
Take off the drivers side valve cover and look at the valves over #1 cylinder. Rotate the engine clockwise (from the front) with a socket on the crank bolt until the exhaust valve (the one right at the front of the engine) has opened and then closed. Now watch the intake valve. It will open and then start to close. Stop just after it starts to close and stick a bit of stiff wire (coat hanger or welding wire) in the spark plug hole and feel for the top of the piston. Continue to rotate the engine (you may need a hand) and feel for the piston rising with the wire. It will rise to TDC and then start to drop again. Back the engine up until the piston drops again and then rotate forwards until you are sure the piston is at TDC. When you are sure it is at TDC in a clockwise direction mark this postition on your damper and re-instal the sparkl plugs etc.
Now set your timing to 12 degrees BTDC using your mark and see what the brakes are like.

Report back.