AMC 360 Vacuum issues

[godzilla]

Been lurking a while, trying to get my 80 CJ5 running right. Its got an AMC 360 with all the emissions stuff removed (bought it that way). I live in Ohio where there are no emissions inspections so for now I'll just leave it this way. It had a holley carb (with manual choke) on it but I switched that out for a motorcraft 2150 with electric choke. I've got all the vac ports blocked off on the 2150. I just did a TFI upgrade as well which could explain the higher idle.

I -think- one of my problems is I have no vac advance for the distributor. It runs fantastic until its warm, but the idle never settles down and when I turn it off it sputters like crazy, then backfires LOUD, then dies.

Could I just put a normal fitting into the manifold where its plugged off (typically where the brake booster and vac advance run I think) and run the distributor right off that?

I'm not very familiar with this motor, so please go easy on me

 

[Lumpy Grits]

:ww:

Yes, you need vacuum. What is the timing set at now?
Have you checked for vacuum leakage.
LG

 

[godzilla]

:ww:

Yes, you need vacuum. What is the timing set at now?
Have you checked for vacuum leakage.
LG

I had the timing set to 15* BTDC but after the tfi install I set it to 6*. I’ve seen some setups that have removed the emissions stuff successfully, but which vacuum lines are necessary? I can’t test it because I don’t think I have any vacuum lines hooked up anywhere. It’s all plugged off.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Can you post pictures of your set up for others far more knowledgable than me, can see what you're deal'n with?
LG

 

[godzilla]

Yep! Good call.

 

[mtnwhlr]

Could I just put a normal fitting into the manifold where its plugged off (typically where the brake booster and vac advance run I think) and run the distributor right off that?

No, you want to run a ported vac to the distributor. That would be a port off the upper part of your carb.

 

[godzilla]

No, you want to run a ported vac to the distributor. That would be a port off the upper part of your carb.

Can you tell me which port is right for that on the carb? I just looked at the pics I uploaded (from my phone) and they suck, sorry. I've looked online and am struggling to find a diagram that labels any ported vacuum.

 

[mtnwhlr]

You need to get a vac gauge and try the ports on your carb. You are looking for one that reads 0 at idle and raises with rpms.

 

[Posi]

Your pictures are not helpful to me (too small)
Your running retarded
Set your timing to 8°
You should be running 800rpms at idle with a manual.
Buy a vacuum pump and test your vacuum advance to verify it's working.
Pump it up, the vacuum advance linkage should move and hold vacuum.
Buy a vacuum gauge and post your readings from a full vacuum source.
Ported vacuum will be on the right side of the carb (not looking at it from the front rather sitting in the driver seat).
Or you could do as mtnwhlr mentioned and test it will a gauge.

 

[sparkzaflyin]

On my Holley, I have two nipples located on the passenger front corner, at a 45 degree angle. One nipple is a larger diameter than the other. The small nipple is your ported vacuum, the large nipple is manifold vacuum. Hope this applies to you in your situation. My distributor is hooked up to ported vacuum.