Can somebody please tell me what the factory timing is on a 1972 Ford Bronco?

I have purchased several Haynes manuals and every manual refers to the specs being located on the VECI label under the hood...well my label is no longer under the hood and I can't seem to find the specs anywhere.

I recently upgraded my distributor to a electronic Pertronix and I would like to start with the initial factory timing. The previous owner had it set at 9* BTDC. Just making sure that is the factory set.

Thanks

E

 

Factory specs call for 6 deg BTDC.

You want to make sure that your mechanical and vacuum advance are working properly. Ideally, I start out about 8-10 deg and then check the total advance. At about 2500 RPM, when the advances are all in, I look for about 38-42 deg total. If it is too high by just a few degrees, you can turn the base timing back slightly. You can break down each advance by pinching off the vacuum to the dist to find out how much the mech is advancing. And the diff between the total and the mech only is the vaccum advance. This is where adjustable vacuum advances and mechanical spring and weight kits help to dial it in. Your mechanical advance should be fully on at 2500. A lighter spring will bring it in earlier, if needed. Different weights can be used to increase your advance.

The most precise way is to have a machine shop recurve it for you, but if it is an otherwise stock application and the distributor is is good shape, you shouldn't need it.

On older Ford distributors, I have found the mechanical advance weights have excess wear on the pivot pins and the stops built into the weights. This can make dialing in your advance frustrating if you don't catch it.

Jason

 

9 should be good. I also start at 8 and work it from there. Different motors like different timing. I have run from 6 to 14 degrees in different motors. You could also check with Pertronix since your not running the '72 ignition system anyway.

 

Just remember that anything over 12-13 degrees may begin to increase the idle too the point that the carb starts pulling off of the primary circuit and you will have trouble setting the idle below 1000 rpm.