Running with High ignition timing
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
It's definitely best (and a lot of fun) to experiment and try different setups. You could try 30 deg. initial and limit centrifugal to 5 or 7 or so, exactly opposite of how many have it setup. Just keep the total mechanical always to 36-38 regardless of combination or ratio; all in by 2800-3000. That should be pretty snappy too. Getting a distributor setup right can also be a pita but really pays off; and costs next to nothing. Why not get all the performance and efficiency you paid for to begin with?
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 8,679
Likes: 191
From: On the Edge of the Desert
Hmm. Well today was warmer outside, and I took the truck on a longer trip down the road. After the engine was fully warm, it did start to ping under moderate acceleration. So I guess 20* initial IS the edge. After I find out what milage I get on this tank I'll back the timing down to like 12 and run another tank.
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
Not necessarily, depends the conditions or type of pinging. Pinging at part throttle acceleration, or going up hills at speed, that's vac advance needing dialed back a little. Pinging at wide open, full throttle from a dead stop or, with heavy load; that would mean back off on initial.
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,949
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From: Earth
It's the pinging you can't audibly detect you need to worry about.
You can take apart the distributor and check which reluctor it's got. It will have slots and numbers on either side, the number is 1/2 the total mechanical advance - i.e. 13 = 26° mechanical advance. Subtract that number from your target total advance for the base timing. You shouldn't need 20° base timing unless you're running a cam with 250°+ duration at .050" lift.
You can take apart the distributor and check which reluctor it's got. It will have slots and numbers on either side, the number is 1/2 the total mechanical advance - i.e. 13 = 26° mechanical advance. Subtract that number from your target total advance for the base timing. You shouldn't need 20° base timing unless you're running a cam with 250°+ duration at .050" lift.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 8,679
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From: On the Edge of the Desert
I'll probably take the distributor apart tomorrow and look at it. I'll see what numbers it has and then figure out what 38* would be on initial timing.
What about vacuum advance? I tried to put an Allen wrench in the diaphragm but I didn't find an adjustment. How can I adjust that?
What about vacuum advance? I tried to put an Allen wrench in the diaphragm but I didn't find an adjustment. How can I adjust that?
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Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
You can also just run it up in neutral, with a timing light, vac advance disconnected/plugged. Record the total timing in degrees at each 500 rpm increment. Should be all in by 2750-3000 or something like that, and no more than 36-38 degrees total. You have to observe this with a light at some point anyway. You can more or less deduce what slot and springs are in there that way. Unless you especially enjoy extra distributor removal/disassembly. May have to depending what you find...
THEN you're ready to add in vacuum advance if that's good in your application. Some say 3/32 Allen wrench. Couldn't find one but 2.5 mm fits the same, on mine, 30-2808 dizzy. Some say CCW to reduce advance, some say CW. Measure it to be sure. My application seems to pull in well over 10 crank degrees at full CCW testing with manifold vacuum at idle. So we can see it's working at least some. Carefully install an allen in the vac port, should be REAL gentle adjusting near the stops, sort of like mixture screws, they seem fragile and maybe easy to bugger. Have probably put 20 miles in just setting everything up, initial, mechanical, vac. Definitely worth doing.
THEN you're ready to add in vacuum advance if that's good in your application. Some say 3/32 Allen wrench. Couldn't find one but 2.5 mm fits the same, on mine, 30-2808 dizzy. Some say CCW to reduce advance, some say CW. Measure it to be sure. My application seems to pull in well over 10 crank degrees at full CCW testing with manifold vacuum at idle. So we can see it's working at least some. Carefully install an allen in the vac port, should be REAL gentle adjusting near the stops, sort of like mixture screws, they seem fragile and maybe easy to bugger. Have probably put 20 miles in just setting everything up, initial, mechanical, vac. Definitely worth doing.
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