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Being that Im waiting for my new driveshaft to come.
I went back and re checked my timing. From preavious posts I had on engine shutter. I found out that I was wrongly adjusting the vacuum advance in the wrong direction.
I thought I had this put to bed. But NO...

So just for fun. I threw as much initial timing at it without it causing it to roll back on the starter. I ended up at 19 degrees of initial timing and the car idled the best it ever idled. The throttle was crisp and the engine came alive!
The vacuum came up to a steady 19 inches from the usual 15 to 16 inches of vacuum.

I love it!
I did a 2000 rpm pull to see where I was at "ALL IN" without vacuum advance.

It was off the chart.
Id guess Im at 46 to 50 degrees.. I even got it to knock when I pushed it to 2500 rpm.

So I now need to figure out if my distributor is adjustable? Its either a MP distributor or a mother mopar unit. Its electronic. No points and it accepts mopar cap and rotor.
Ive read that you can limit total advance with shims and then it lock down?
Its got the PINK springs.

My head is spining and now I wonder if my balancer has "walked"...

Ill check my balancer marks via spark plug hole tomarrow.

Has anyone been down this road?

Thanks again!

383/727
Cam unknown.
Timing chain New!
Compression test not yet done.
Edlebrock 1406

Ran out and checked balancer. It's on the mark!

That's good news...it would be best to have the cam specs but you mentioned you don't have those. What octane are you running?

87 pump gas.

Did my homework. I'm going to buy the "FBO" ignition company's advance limiter kit. It has holes for 0 deg 10, 14, 18 degree limits.
So if my at 18 initial and limit my distributor to 18. I end up at 36.. Right?

The FBO kit came today. I read the instructions to the "T". As I tore down my Distributor I noticed the instructions were not on par with the unit I had. My BAD I assumed the FBO plate would work. The book that comes with the kit is a Demon carb tune up / sales lititure.

Long and short. My distributor is a fully adjustsable unit. The only thing I used from the FBO kit is one silver advance spring. It suggested that I use one stock pink with the silver spring.

Anyway I adjusted my adjustable advance plate to give me about 18 deg total mech advance. Used the silver/pink spring. I set my inital at 18 first the then 20 deg.
I took it out and flogged its butt!

WAY BETTER!
Might go back to pink / pink spring setup.
Running 18 /20 deg advance really woke up this 383 and it runs cooler, and smells cleaner. Throttle is crisp and Just backing out of the garage in "IDLE" in reverse. Way so much better!

AS for FBO... I did not tear into my distributor before I ordered assuming their product was the cure. ( dangly bits for dolly)

I was on the right track just used the wrong stuff. $43.00 lesson.
So if your Big block loves a ton of inital timing? Yet wont let you on the highway? Figure out your distributor and adjust it!


Overall today was the biggest win!