I'm all fixed up.

I needed a new turn-signal switch assembly and complete harness. About $55.00 or so...brake lights work and the car is running like a champ. That 6AL ignition is awesome, and the new distributor is working just fine now. Still chapped that MSD charged me to fix a faulty distributor that had less than 2,000 miles on it, but it is what it is and it was outside of warranty under their rules (1 year).

 

A properly-working ignition makes all the difference. And the turn signals and brake lights are icing on the cake.

 

I've been driving the car weekly...it is running perfect. This engine is a monster.

 

I gotta get mine together! Yours doing well on pump gas? What octane? What CR do you have?

 

93 Octane...had to run the timing conservatively to avoid pinging...initial timing set to 10 degrees with the black bushing installed on my MSD distributor (18 degree stop) for a total of 28 degrees.

I am also running the vac advance (but 28 is still the max).

I set the idle to 800 in neutral, about 650 when in gear.

TMeyer KB2344 -30 pistons (9.5:1 C/R with 302 Cleveland heads) (1.71 compression height, 30CC dish, .030 over)

Dynamic CR estimated to be in the neighborhood of 8.83:1 to 9.03:1
Cylinder pressure estimated 181-186 PSI

 

Ok, thanks.

 

. Surprised you're still having a problem with pinging with your quench distance corrected and only 9.5:1... what distance did you end up with? 180 thermostat?

. An ounce or two of kerosene per tank of 93 will usually eliminate the pinging and allow a higher total advance... works for my 351W at 10.5:1 on iron heads... about same duration cam... 216/228... 36 degrees total...

 

I'm not pinging anymore...problem solved with current timing and 93 octane. 180 thermostat. I did a lot of reading - and most chalk up the pinging to the iron Aussie heads. Despite the quench, they simply cannot tolerate a lot of timing on pump gas. May try the kerosene trick for fun and turn up the timing.

I'm leaning toward running E85 on this car and buying a carburetor converted to run E85...and a fuel pump that can handle it...then I can turn the timing way up and get more power without pinging, Mwahaahaaaaa. Sure, you flow 30-40% more fuel, but it is cheaper than running 87 octane.

I might turn this beast into my daily driver and sell my 2007 Accord, LOL. I'm torn, but I do very much love driving this beast and if I am going to keep it, it needs to be used (driven) a lot more than it is right now.

 

Good news dimora!!! Yours is one of the builds that inspired me to build a 400 that lives up to it's potential! Glad you are enjoying all your hard work and looking for more!

 

It's funny reading all the issues you all have in using 302c heads on 400 builds. I had a totally stock 302c in a Aussie Falcon 25 years ago, was fitted with factory stock 2v intake with a Holley 350 on a adaptor.
(The 302c was fitted with a 2v intake from 1972 to 1977, then went to 4v)
Always had pinging issues under load and if I turned back timing it really became a slug of a engine.
Very sensitive to timing and running on after shutoff.

 

. Maybe the Aussie heads are like the Chevy Vortecs... make best power with only 28 - 34 degrees max timing (depending on other engine parts) because of the fast burn chambers... no more power from advancing it beyond that...

. The E85 needs about 15:1 compression ratio to become efficient... and with gas so much lower priced these days, and E85 losing 25% of MPG when compression ratio isn't boosted, there's not much reason to run it... and the alcohol in E85 won't always have its price Govt subsidized...

 

I know this is three years later but anyway here is my question to Dimora, did you get rid of pinging? can you run 89 octane with no pinging? what was the inicial and advanced timing that got rid of the pinging.Thanks