I have been setting the final tune to my 360. I set the timeing to 12 btdc and it runs great no pinging but I can take it to 16 to 18 with out problems and it runs better. Most of you say to set to about 12. I was wondering about the 4 degs of factory retard on 73 360's and if this the extra advance i am seeing durring set up. Will my truck be ok set at the 16 mark? There isn't any ping.

 

Initial time is just a number that gets you close to your total mechanical advance number. Total mechanical advance should be 36° to 38° at 3500 rpm (for your average truck that actually works once in a while). To find total max mechanical advance, you disconnect the vacuum advance and plug it (that's what all the instructions tell you but I know for a fact it don't change a thing). Now start and run the engine with a timing light connected (one with the retard feature works best), also connect a tach. Now run the rpm up until the timing quits advancing, note the rpm and then retard the timing light **** until you are at 0°. Read the dial an that tells you what your total advance is.

If your are reading 32° at 4000 rpm and your intital is set at 12°, you can advance the initial another 2° to 6° to acheive the desired maximum mechanical advance. I usually stay away from 38° on my street trucks and keep things around 34° to 36° to be on the safe side.

Oh and don't be surprised if the total advance isn't in until 4000 rpm of higher. Stock dist. roll timing in very slowly. I always do a recurve on even my after market dist., which I generally have found to be a wasteful use of my money, when a recurve kit is around $10 for the stock dist.

 

Thanks that all makes sense.