Ever since I bought my Chevelle a couple months back, it seems to run ok until the secondaries kick in, then it bogs out, spits, backfires, and just runs like crap (tried a new fuel filter)

I just looked at the plug wires and noticed my distributer is 180 deg off, but so are the wires. Should I just lift the distributer and rotate it 180 then re-do the plug wires correctly? Could this cause the bad missing I'm having?

Not sure how good the drawing is, but 1 and 2 are at the rear of the distributer, not the front. The order is correct at 1 8 4 3 6 5 7 2

If it's wired correctly it won't make a difference.

As long as there is no interference with firewall or intake when trying to set the timing it won't really matter where #1 is positioned.
I personally like to have them like they were originally myself.

Ok, I didn't think it would make a difference. Just wish I could figure out this problem with the secondaries. I'll switch the dist tomorrow back to original from factory look :)

If you are using an HEI with the resistor primary wire still in use, this could cause an ignition shortcoming when you put your foot in it. Take a timing light out on the road with you. Hook it up to a rear cylinder and bring the light into the car. If the light is flashing regularly when the engine is running poorly, then it is not an ignition problem.

If you are using an HEI with the resistor primary wire still in use, this could cause an ignition shortcoming when you put your foot in it. Take a timing light out on the road with you. Hook it up to a rear cylinder and bring the light into the car. If the light is flashing regularly when the engine is running poorly, then it is not an ignition problem.

I am running HEI ignition. My engine is apparently a mid 80's 350. I'm not sure about the resistor primary wire. I have so many wires cut and spliced, I don't know what's what (bought the car this way).

Problem does seem to be around 5000 rpm. After reading your post, I did a little search on the HEI ignition. Saw this which sounds like me:

"However, performance enthusiasts replaced HEIs with traditional ignition systems because the stock HEI didn't perform well above 5,000 rpm."

You'd be surprised how many guys use an HEI on engines turning over 7000 rpm on a regular basis.

If your firing order is off it will be off at all speeds not just when you get on it. It sounds like your secondaries may be opening at the wrong time. Are they vacuum secondaries? If so, Holly makes a spring kit that contains springs of different rates to fine tune the secondaries. I think there's another thread going on about that very subject.

Tom

I knew the firing order was correct, I just thought it was weird when I checked and everything was off by 180 deg. I corrected that problem today. Pulled dist and re did the wires

My carb is an Edelbrock 1405

If your distributor was off 180 degrees the car wouldn't start or run. Nothing but popping and back fires through the carb.

If your distributor was off 180 degrees the car wouldn't start or run. Nothing but popping and back fires through the carb.

The wires were also 180 off, with number 1 being back at the 11:00 position rather than 5:00

When I redid my dist to it's correct orientation, I left my tach disconnected. To my surprise, I no longer have that bog at higher RPM when I jump on the accelerator. Why would the tach be causing the problems? The wire I left out was the one that is attached to the distributer

Your tach shouldn't cause anything, I'm betting your timing is probably just better after playing with your distributor.