Pretty sure you should not ground the coil again if you have one ground. Since I can't see the micro switch setup, it's hard to say why they're not working, or why you can't adjust them. If they only have a solid mount, and no adjustment, then it may simply be bending the arm on the switch, if they have a roller tip arm. If they don't, then I'm not sure how to ever get them adjusted properly, and that seems odd that they'd be built with no adjustment.
The choke needs a test light on it also, to see if it has 12v. Then it needs to be adjusted until the choke plate is just barely closed when the engine is cold. Power should heat the choke and open it after a few minutes. That should help the issue of having to go full throttle to fire it. Might have other issues though, as both of my rods have no choke and fire up easily with just a couple pumps of the throttle.

 

The Camaro didn't fire up until I put another ground on the coil Vall. I'm going to test the choke when I get more time to work on it but it doesn't open after a few minutes. I adjusted the choke plate when I did the Carb rebuild and checked it again last night. Par for the course, I'm so close to having it running and I get to take a couple days off from working on it! My daughter just turned 8 and for her Birthday all she wanted was to go to the Katy Perry concert. So, we are heading from the top of the state, toward the bottom of the state for that today. Coming back tomorrow, but won't be home until late. Guess the Camaro will be there when I get back but the timing of this is a bit irritating. Sure would be superb to hear the Camaro run/idle on it's own. The starter is getting a workout for sure!


The micro switches do have the roller tip arms off of them also by the way. Appreciate all your suggestions and help very much!!


I now have the distributor turned so far advanced that the canister is just about touching the back of the intake. Haven't done anything with timing yet, hasn't stayed running. As far as the possible need for more advance, not sure what I would be able to do?

 

If you run into the intake, just pull the distributor and turn the oil pump so you can drop it in back a few degrees. Then it will advance enough before hitting the intake.
Have fun at the concert! That's really great you are taking your daughter, and the Camaro will always be there later! She'll never forget you took her for her birthday!

 

Thanks for the tip Vall, I was thinking about the same thing but wasn't sure if that would mess anything up timing-wise. I should turn the oil pump counter clockwise then to advance it a tooth or two? That way I could bring the advance canister back a little way to where it should be correct? I have successfully gotten the Camaro to start and run by the way! Issue at this point is keeping it running/idling. Doesn't happen. It starts and runs, sounds beautiful too! Have to keep it above 1500 rpm or it immediately stalls however. Only had it running 2-3 times as I've learned the shiny new valve cover hold downs that I bought DO NOT do a very good job of "holding down" the valve covers. Oil just spews out, even removed the plug wire separators and tightened the hold downs with Klein's. I need to buy some of those long tabs to help as well as different hold downs. The one's I got are round at the top so no way to really get them very tight. They shouldn't have to be that tight anyway but oil leaks out badly. I do have the good neoprene gaskets and never thought I'd have a problem with them, but I do. Don't want to make a bigger mess so I need to get something new, and quick!


Noticed when I had the Camaro running that the smell of raw fuel is so pungent that it clings to my clothes so I believe some leaning is probably in order. Still have plenty to do tuning-wise but I'd really like to get something figured out to get the Camaro idling so I can get to setting the timing. Fuel pressure is 5.5lbs, it now fires up almost immediately when I hit the key but still have the screwdriver holding the choke open. Getting ahead of myself a bit, only had a few minutes before we left for downstate, but it sounded so incredible to hear that 327 sing!!


Katy Perry concert was great, my daughter had the time of her life! We had a suite but the stage blocked it. We ended up in floor seats about 20' away from Katy. She puts on a good show, which was a welcome surprise considering it's not my taste in music. Heading home now so I hope to have a couple hours out in the garage this evening. It's so hard to get back on the wiring gremlins now that I know it'll start and run. Everything's gotta get finished up though so I suppose it doesn't really matter what I work on first or second.

 

Got the reverse lights working properly. No matter what I do however, can't get the neutral safety switch to work properly. Removed all the LED lights from the tail light housings and put the old bulbs back in to see if that could be a culprit as to why the dash lights come on when I push the brake pedal. Didn't help a thing with the old bulbs. I did notice that on the driver side stop/running lights, they seem to be a little bit dimmer than the passenger side also. All lights work back there. Turn signals will not flash but illuminate. This stuff is maddening! I have now tried everything that I know of to fix the dash light/brake pedal issue with no success. I unhooked every switch and gauge that I installed to see if they were causing the issue and it did nothing by disconnecting all of that stuff. Is it possible that the grounds that I ran up front are causing any of this stuff? Maybe not making a good enough connection to bare medal? I'm doubting that since everything seems to be working, just not working properly.


Whether I like it or not, I'm going to have to remove the gauge cover once again. I mentioned last week that I had broken the wiper switch trying to get everything tucked back into the dash. Now, all of a sudden, when I turn the key on the wipers start and there's nothing I can do to get them shut off! Strange deal there too, they ended up shutting off on their own again. This was the first time since I hooked up the battery that the wipers turned on. Anyone have similar issues that could share some insight as to what they did to correct the problem?

 

Yeah, I sent you a long PM that might help with distributor adjustment.
The rich running isn't unusual with a big cam, but burning your eyes is too rich, so might be timing, or a carb adjustment. I'd turn the idle air screws in gently, and back them out 1.5-2 turns before doing anything. Then you can tweak them with a vacuum gauge for highest vacuum once your engine is timed. You'll definitely want to set the timing close before doing much to the carb, unless the carb is so bad it wont allow it.
The turn signals not flashing can be several things. A poor ground, too light a load (LED's front and rear) or a bad flasher. If they illuminate, then they should flash with enough load and a good flasher.
If the dash lights come on with the brake pedal depressed, there's something crossed at the headlight switch wiring, or stop light switch wiring.
Wipers should be hot, and the switch grounds them to make them work, so might have something grounded there also that's feeding back.

 

It was the messed up wiper switch! I figured it out last night. I unplugged the motor up at the firewall and the dash lights went out with the brake pedal pushed. I can't find a delay wiper switch that looks like mine online anywhere. I however am not real concerned about fixing the wiper switch real soon. I don't really ever plan on needing to use the wipers ever again! So, I'm whittling away at the electrical issues steadily but would really rather be getting the engine to idle. Not going to worry about the blinkers until the front end is on and I have headlights/relay wiring/grounds etc. all installed. Only thing left is to figure out why the switch I installed as an override to the electric fan sender doesn't work right.


I did something to the choke linkage on the carb yesterday and not sure what. I used the linkage on the side to open the choke and I don't know if it broke or what but the linkage just flops around now, no tension and the choke plate is wide open. I tested the electric choke for 12v and it read 11.9 so I believe the power is there. Just not sure it's working properly? Again, Camaro will fire right up with the hammer down but will NOT idle. Dies immediately after I bring it under 1500 rpm. Cam is pretty beefy for a hydraulic flat tappet - .534 lift so I'm confident that idling is going to be somewhat of an issue. However, the PO of the 327 had the same carb only manual choke and it idled fine. I am very inexperienced with tuning carbs and will need to acquire a vacuum gauge here pretty quickly.


Thanks for sending me some info on the distributor, haven't read it yet but going to right now. Heading out to the garage after Dr. appts this afternoon. Appreciate the help as always! Sure would be nice to get this stuff finished up so I can get busy and put the fenders/nose on and drive a bit.

 

Today I set TDC on compression stroke (actually about 10 degress btdc) and pulled the distributor to move it back a little bit. When I put it back in I made sure the rotor was pointing EXACTLY at #1 spark plug wire. Had to turn the distributor a little bit counter clock-wise (maybe a couple degrees in all) to line up the locking tab spots but again, rotor pointing dead on #1. Then, I go to start the Camaro and got backfires through the carb?? I only tried to start it twice, second time the short fire in the carb intimidated me. So, I'm wondering if I'm too advanced now? Choke on the carb DOES seem to be working, I leaned it out on the choke body too. A/F mixture screws were turned all the way in and then backed out 2 turns. Really hoping that it's not too far advanced otherwise I'll be pulling the distributor back out again. I did this so the vacuum canister wasn't hitting the back of the intake. If I have to turn it the other way now, the canister will be pointing at the firewall! Here I was thinking that I'd hit the key this time and be rockin' and rollin' with the timing set 12-15 degrees for initial. No such luck. Any insight on the backfiring through the carb? Too advanced? I have total confidence that I'm not 180 out.

 

Hook up the timing light and tickle it in as you turn the engine over. Engine doesn't have to be running to adjust the timing.

 

Hi Chuck! I never knew that about the timing light with the engine not running. That would be great to have the ability to turn the engine over, use a timing light and adjust the distributor. But alas, I bet that would be tough to do all by my lonesome. Right now I'm just trying to get an idea from the explanation of what's happening to determine if it's too far advanced or what's going on. I'm going to try again tomorrow and retard it a bit to see what happens. Before I pulled the distributor today I could hit the key and have it fire right up but I was at the point where the canister was hitting the back corner of the intake. I wanted to get it back closer to where it was placed originally in case it needed to be advanced more, which I assumed would be the case. Again, I'm not expecting anyone to pinpoint exactly what's going on (unless it's possible) but rather to help get an idea of what could be going on with the backfiring through the carb now. I checked plug wires and they are all where they're supposed to be, positive I was on the compression stroke and had the rotor precisely on #1 plug wire when I put the cap on. Only thing that I had to do was turn the distributor a little more advanced to get the cap to line up on the hold downs. I set the timing mark at 10 degrees btdc like mentioned earlier. My speculation is that it's advanced too far now, but I really wouldn't think that's possible with where I set everything? If anything, I assumed it would still start and it might. It didn't in the two times I turned it over and got the backfires thru the carb and I quit for the night. I appreciate the info about the timing light while turning it over sir. Good to hear from you as well!