A B747-200 UNABLE TO EXPEDITE A CLB TO FLT 330 WAS GIVEN HDG AND ALT CHANGES TO AVOID A LOSS OF SEPARATION.

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DURING CLB TO FL330 IN B747-200 ACFT; ANC-ZZZ ON MAR/FRI/07; ABOUT XA45; WE WERE ASKED BY CTR IF WE COULD BE LEVEL AT FL330; 15 MI E OF ABC VOR. WE WERE CLBING OUT OF FL300 WITH DECREASING PERFORMANCE. WE WERE TOLD IF WE COULDN'T THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO LEVELOFF AT FL310. OUR ONBOARD PERFORMANCE COMPUTER INDICATED IT WOULD BE CLOSE AND WE CONTINUED THE CLB INSTEAD OF TAKING THE SAFER LOWER ALT. I WAS NOT AWARE OF OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC AT FL320 AT THE TIME AND WHEN I SAW THEM ON TCAS AND THE FACT OUR PERFORMANCE HAD DECREASED; I TOLD ATC WE COULD NOT MAKE IT AND HE DIRECTED US TO TURN R 40 DEGS. I THEN HAD TO DSND AS WELL BECAUSE I HAD LET OUR AIRSPD FALL TRYING THE CLB AND NEEDED TO REGAIN IT PRIOR TO TURNING. ATC DIRECTED THE OTHER ACFT TO ALSO TURN R AND WHILE WE WERE MANEUVERING; WE GOT A SINGLE TA 'TFC' ADVISORY. WE WERE TOLD BY ATC THAT WE NEEDED TO QUIT DEBATING THE INSTRUCTIONS AND FOLLOW HIS ORDERS AND THAT WE HAD PASSED 8 MI AND 1000 FT. HE REALLY LET US KNOW (AND EVERYONE ELSE) WE HAD MESSED UP AND DURING THE VECTOR RESUMED OUR CLB AFTER WE HAD REGAINED OUR AIRSPD. THERE DID NOT SEEM TO BE ANY DISCUSSION AFTERWARDS AND WE WERE HANDED OFF TO THE NEXT SECTOR. CAUSAL FACTORS AND CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: EPR LIMIT COMPUTER NOT SET CORRECTLY; CAUSING DECREASED CLB PERFORMANCE. NOT STOPPING CLB SOONER. ADVISING ATC EARLIER OF CLB ISSUES. ASKING ATC ABOUT RESTR. TAKING OFF COURSE VECTOR SOONER.