Um I dont know exactly but the coil is on the firewall. Its round and is incased in a chrome msd holder. Its red inside and it jumps to the distributor. I connected the green wire to the negative on it.

 

Ok, I had some suspicions about the ignition, which is why I asked, let's see if luck continues. Look around, either in the engine compartment, stuffed under the dash inside the car, etc. for a red ignition box (about the size of a brick) that says MSD on top of it. If a previous owner added that, then you do NOT hook the tach up to the coil, there will be a tach output on the MDS box.

 

Yeah I know what they look like but I haven't seen one but I also haven't looked either. I will go look now lol.

 

I can't find a box anywhere

 

Do you have, or know someone who has a spare tach laying around that you could try?
That way you can rule out, or in, your tach being defective.

 

I have come to the conclusion that this engine simply doesnt rev anywhere near as high as my stroker. I have been comparing apples to oranges. This tac is probably right, it is I that was expecting more I guess.

 

Oh man, even if your engine had a couple of cylinders that weren't firing, you'd be able to rev it beyond 3 grand. And only 1500 rpm at 50 mph? No, something's not right. But it's tough to say what, with my ears out of range.

 

Check distributor brand. If electronic, go to the manf's site and read installation instructions as they would give tach output lead.
If MSD, you might need a tach adapter.
If OE point dist, tach is faulty. Sun tachs have worked very well on point set dist engines since the early '60's. Super Sun tach worked on a '98 Honda DX I had, but the Honda ign system had a tach lead and the tach indicated correctly, or, at least sounded like engine rpm and tach matched.

I agree, your engine reads like it runs very well.

 

The engine does run great, not as powerful as I would like but smooth for an old 350. My neighbor who has a 600 hp nova that he drags told me that its right for this engine and not to compare it to my stroker. See, my first engine I ever dropped into a car was my stroker and its all I have ever known when it comes to old cars. Oh well, ill know for sure when I relocate the stroker in place of the 350 lol

 

Again....
This is NOT right for your engine, or any other engine for that matter.
A stroker engine, is not a higher winding engine than a 350 is, unless you have the rotating assembly balanced.
Your neighbor is smokin some wacky tobaccy if he thinks that your engine topping out at 3k is "right".