ok heres the update:

check timing on distributor with a timing light. and it doesnt matter where i set it, it still just doesnt run properly...

so im guessing that the trip on the truck from perth has stuffed (or detuned) the carbies on the thing and thats my problem.

i just smokes alot and doest idle well or rev and i can only think that its the A/F ratios.

im not knocking craigs work, im sure he did have this running well. but i just think that the carbies can be the only other things that are stuffing it up.

getting in contact with people in melbourne tomoro (carbie shop ppl) and asking a few questions.

i didnt wanna have to touch the carbies, but there is nothing else it can be. can there?

i also took out the dizzy and put a new o-ring on it (old one was worn) and reinstalled it (yes i did it correctly so there is no chance it can be timing anymore)

JUst thought i should add my 2 cents, ive got a a14 with twin 40 webers(old unmatch pair) with my engine no matter wat i put timming to she still revs to valve bouce with no troubles,i never dyno my webers and this is pretty much my first selection of jets,Only trouble i have with them is worn butterflies(so dead spot in progression from idle to mains)stock fuel pump with holly reg(never checked pressure)

This is wat ive got(Thinking hard to remeber so i could be wrong)

27mm chokes
105 mains
145 air corrections
f9 emo tubes
idle 40f9

tunning wise i just go for a drive if it feels slower then not goood if faster than goood lol hey it works. As for performance well i need a bigger speedo and on full rev shift from 1st to second front left wheel comes off ground (i think rebound rate is very stiff)
not sure if this is of any help to you. all i can suggest is to check all gaskets..and idle screws ow and wat about that whole attlitude thing mabey that had somthing to do with it..

i think that if worst comes to worst ill end up with jets and tubes etc as follows:
36 chokes
145 mains
f9 emuls
air correctors 180
45f6 idles
pump jets 35
aux venturis 4.0

not sure whats in there at the moment.

altitude would not make this much difference. im glad to hear that some1 has been enjoying their webers...

if the carbies have had the work done to them for this engine already then don't touch them, it's not the carbies. a trip on a truck across australia wont change the settings in them that much that the car wont rev. there's not that much in them that actually moves ... how do you think rally cars go running side drafts ?? 300km of rough gravel roads, transport legs and they manage to go without being reset after every stage.
i've had webers or dellortos on all the Aseries i've had with no issues in the reving area. the laziest i've been with a set was straight of a 2l alfa and straight onto an A14 ... it still revved !!
seriously get it sorted by a mechanic that knows what he's doing, even if it means getting a tandem trailer and getting it to melbourne for a day.

spend the $$$ and guaranteed you'll be happy

I think Dattodevil touched on it earlier,
Check the mechanical and/or vacuum advance in the dizzy. I know you said it was a new item but hey I bought a new video once and took it home and plugged it in and it wouldn't work! Stranger things have happened.

My 2c.

Have you checked the float levels in the carbs. I have seen floats in carbs become very high because of boncing when carbs are empty. has happened to me several times as I tow my car on trailer. this may of happened durring transpertation of your engine as it was stated it was ok prior with the previous owner and nothing was changed on the engine.

Quote:

the vacuum advance isnt hooked up. its not needed. the mechanical advance is working coz i held the engine full throttle and it went out to about ~30 or so.

Reserected this old girl...

pulled the carbs down and the main jets are actually smaller than i thought they would be.
they are 135's in all of them which is nice to know. i was expecting 145s...

chokes are not what i expected, they are 38s and talking to a guy who is good with these things (yes i found some1 who has had lots of experience with them) says they should be no bigger than 34s.

so we'll swap the chokes over and see how we go then.

after that im not sure...

still considering options here.

ive narrowed it down to spark. not timing, but a weak spark.

reason: after jst about calling it quits and burying this thing, i decided to fork out and put some new plugs in it whilst it was having an oil change. the result was unbelievable. it started with the 1st kick of the key (no throttle) and actually revved to about 6000rpm (only guessing, tacho wasnt on at the time).
but then after about 20mins of use (just warming engine up looking for leaks etc) it started to go back to its old tricks.

so out came no.1 plug and it was black as black so clean them all and reinstall and that fixed things slightly again.

solution:
buy NGK BPR5EIX plugs (iridium IX plugs, best u can buy i believe) and see how we go from there.
also hotwire coil, and fuel pump. (by this i mean use the existing coil wires to switch on a relay that has a direct connection to the battery. This should give me 13V at the coil instead of the 10V i measured before and the fuel pump should benefit from the voltage increase too).

i havent given up hope yet
watch this space...

a ngk rep advised me not to go with iridiums in my datsun, said not really suited unless had mega spark system such as crane fire ball etc.

If you have 10v at the coil, it seems a little low or possibly spark gap to big. Mine improved at .7mm compared to .85. might try .75 next but stock they suggest .8 to .9mm.

still an interesting scenario