2.3L ('83-'97) 83 2.3 timing issues

[Rangerlove83848894]

So I have an 83 ranger with the 2.3 4 cylinder and I've been pulling my hair out for the last 2 years trying to get this thing running correctly. I pulled the the motor when i first got it and installed new piston rings, new crank seals, cleaned and lashed all the valves, new valve seals, new timing belt, new distributor, new carburetor, new water pump. I've set the timing dead on the marks and it won't run under 20° advanced and it constantly burning oil and blowing blue smoke. Before assembly I noticed the pistons seamed sloppy in the bore even after new rings. I've pulled the valve cover off and noticed that a few valve seals will not stay down where that are supposed to be. I can get I to run around 25° to 30° advanced but have terrible performance. Starts right up but no performance. I need help I'm tired of pulling it apart moving the timing either which way and gaining nothing. All YouTube wants to show me is 95 and up and not helping me, I've read through my Chiltons manual and have done everything by the book and still having issues. Ive been working on cars and trucks my whole life and have rebuilt a few v8s and v6s but not a 4 cylinder. I dont have the money to take it to a professional mechanic. But I'm desperate please help. Thank you in advance.

 

[franklin2]

Get a compression guage and see what your compression is on all cylinders. That will check the mechanical condition of the engine.

 

[Rangerlove83848894]

Get a compression guage and see what your compression is on all cylinders. That will check the mechanical condition of the engine.

Compression is 130 to 135 in all four cylinders. Slow bleed off but my gauge is old and could be leaking off

 

[franklin2]

I would pull the timing belt cover off and look at it. Check to make sure all the marks are dead on where they need to be at #1 TDC. I have had problems where I set everything dead on, but when I tensioned the belt, all the slack went to one side and it moved one or two of the pulleys one tooth off.

 

[Rangerlove83848894]

I would pull the timing belt cover off and look at it. Check to make sure all the marks are dead on where they need to be at #1 TDC. I have had problems where I set everything dead on, but when I tensioned the belt, all the slack went to one side and it moved one or two of the pulleys one tooth off.

Yeah I can't count how many times I've checked timing and or redone it, everything is tensioned and dead nuts where it needs to be I think I'm having carburetor issues. Don't know much about the single barrel carbs but it seems to be pretty simple. I can get it to start and run but idle is super low even with idle screw maxed out, sitting still it idles and revs easily but as soon as I try to drive it, I can't give it more than a breath of gas and it chokes out spits and pops. I've tried hooking and unhooking all of the vacuum lines with no success. So I took the single barrel off and put a holley 500 2 barrel on it and now it's hard to turn over and if it does start it's super high idle. Like I said before I'm at wits end with this motor and about to sell it and rebuild my 302 and put it in there instead.