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I suggest wiring the heat riser closed (in the warmed up position, blocking off hot air to the carb) and trying again. A heat riser that is malfunctioning can cause ALL sorts of driveability issues. May not be the only thing, but it is certainly going to contribute to issues.

BigKev - During the rebuild there weren't any issues noted with the timing chain so it was reinstalled. It certainly could be a contributing factor, but I'd like to check through the other/easier possibilities first to rule them out. Getting to the timing chain will be a much bigger job.

DM37 - The shielded ignition cable was removed because of a short. The first time we tried to start the engine after the rebuild the ignition wire nearly caught fire....it melted and burned the entire length of the ignition cable (12V). So I had to disassemble and modify the ignition switch with a new wire (link). I did not use the shielded cable. So there should be no short at all now. But perhaps the wire should be a lower gauge?

Ken - It was wired closed before, and I removed it to try and get the valve operating properly. But I don't have all the parts I need. I don't remember which way to wire so it is closed....not sure if it's the same as my '54.



Can anyone comment on the distributor shaft wobble seen in the video? I need to know if that's normal play or not. If not then the dizzy gets pulled to send off for a rebuild.

On the heat riser, weighted arm down is the warmed up position.

On your distributor, that shaft play looks very excessive. You can also use a timing light, with the car warmed up and idling, to determine if the timing is wiggling. With my old distributor, the needle would oscillate by a few degrees just because of play in the distributor.