I got a cheap reman with a comp cam and timing set and I was wondering how do you choose what degree of timing to set it at? I have a buddy at work that says he used to hook up a vaccuum gauge and adjust till you got the most vaccuum then back it off a little. Then run the engine up and check for knock and adjust down from there. Does this sound right to you guys? Thanks.

 

Hello- Welcome to FTE!

Nope, CAM timing and IGNITION timing are two different things.

Set the CAM to the straight up or "O" mark.

Set the ignition timing at 8-10° BTDC and play with it from there. Make sure both your vacuum and mechanical timing advance systems work in the distributor. You can find those tests in any repair manual.

 

The cam is set straight up. When you say play with it, what am I looking for?

 

Please re-read my post. CAM timing and IGNITION timing are two different things.