Can someone tell me what the ideal timing is for a stock engine and a 600cfm carb?

 

Factory base timing is 10*BTC on a stock motor you could pretty easily get 12*. Any more advance you may get detonation. A straight up cam timing set will get you a little more power, and will help with base timing advance. What year motor?

 

You know I'm not sure. I bought a 72 F250 and it had the 429 swap done before he bought it and he didn't know anything about it. All I know are the head numbers are D3VE-A2A. And I don't know what that means yet. I am new to the old candidates distributed motors. Everything I've wrenched on had electronic timing. I am still trying to learn the older style of wrenching.

Which brings me to my next question. When I went out to time it after work it was set at 28° initial timing. When I went to turn the distributer the engine died as so o as I touched it. So I would have to check it, kill it, check it kill it etc. When I got it down to about 15° initial timing I noticed what sounded almost like leaves rustling around in my intake. Kinda like a crackling sound. That's the best way I can describe it. Does anyone know what could be causing this? Is it spark knock and the timing needs to be advanced more?

 

did you remove and plug the vacuum line going to the distributor? you have to time it with this line removed or you will get an incorrect reading.

cbakker's timing is correct. start at 10 deg then take it for a test drive and see if it pings under hard accellaration. if not go to 12 and repeat until it starts to ping and then back it off. usually 12 is about the most.

rgds
Mike

 

Yes I did plug off the vacuum line going to the distributer. I am also a little concerned that the timing marks may have slipped on the dampner so i am going to verify that before I go any further.