Timming?

[Bill W]

Hey all, I need some help with timming my 390 fe block It wants to run way addvanced? thats were it sounds the best at idle. I set it by ear and when we put a light to it, It was 30 + deg. We set it at about 14 and now I get a lot of backfire on the slow down OK the dist is a aftermarket Mallory Mecanical addvance unlite with a Protronix insert for electronic Ign also has Offenhauser intake, edelbrock carb 600 cfm Sorry dont know the internals of the engine
but it has a lope to it, cam? My Question is what is a good place to start? as far as numbers for timming, Can someone Help if you have Knowlage about this Stuff, Cause I'm lost??? Thanks

[ubereal2]

Bill what year, make and modle? Is i the 95 F150?

Bob

[Bill W]

Duh! Sorry I cant belive I did not say. It is a 66 F100 Custom Cab motor is from a Galaxy same year

[ubereal2]

I ran downstairs and had a beer and remembered why "I went downstairs"... I have a Chilton's from the 60's.
According to it you're timing should be at 10 degrees, before top dead center.
Bob

[Bill W]

Very hard starting at that setting, Would a aftermarket Cam and the high performance stuff, effect the timming? Cranks a long time before starting after warm up. I dont know much about HP stuff, let alone what the factory setting would be Thanks I will try 10 Btdc again and drive it for a while.

[ubereal2]

I would think that an aftermarket cam would effect the factory timing. Was the complete engine built? Does it have a new timing chain and gears?

Bob

[Bill W]

Dont Know? I was thinking that the Mecanical addvance on the Dist would make some differance? The backfire through the carb on the slow down tell you anything, or the hard start when warmed up? I dont know wich way to go with it.

[ubereal2]

The backfiring thru the carb, and hard to start when warm, sound like a timing issue for sure.

[Mike G]

Hey Bill, why have you started having problems? Did you recently remove the distributor? You did not state that it was running fine and now you have issues. Just looking for some history.
--Mike

[Bill W]

Hi Mike, Thanks. Well it was a truck I bought for my son, I'm glad he cant drive a stick Shift lol, Crashed in the front and now back together. Been driving it for a few weeks now. OK so it had the Mallory unilite stuff in the dist giving me problems with the wires to the crane fireball box, Soooo.... I replaced the insides with Protronix insert but doing all of this I had the Dist out once to take it to Don's Hot Rod shop They have a tester. I'm not to Knowlageable about this kinda thing, so need some help I set it by ear and when we hooked up the timming light it was 38 deg btdc
we set it at 14 and now just trying to get it closer so it will start easy when warmed up. The truck sat for 3 years before I got it to where it is now.

[Mike G]

Reason I asked... You may have gotten that dist in at 180 degrees off. The steps I would take would be to get the motor at TDC on the compression stroke, then reset your dist to the #1 plug. Also check the wires and make sure they are routed correctly and making good contact.
--Mike

[chrono4]

An engine wont run at 180* off, so thats out. It may sputter, but no vroom. What kind of balancer does it have on it? If it runs best at 30*, leave it. What may have happened is the outside of the balancer can rotate some over time, which will throw your marks off. You could bring the #1 up to exact tdc, and mark your balancer to see if its off. If it is, then just use an angle finder to mark out 10*, and time to that.

[Bill W]

Hummmm, I changed the Balancer also? Very good Advice Andrew, I will find TDC and check the marks, I will post the results when I get that done. Now can someone tell me which side the #1 cyl is on?

[chrono4]

not entirely sure, but the intake manifold should be marked for each cylinder

[Bill W]

Aftermarket intake Offy 360 Deg. so no markings, I should know cause I hooked the timming lead to it. Lol Just making sure!