Dumb Question #76
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,239
Likes: 53
From: Coatesville, PA
Dumb Question #76
Hello All,
Getting to drive the truck a little now, took it to the Gas station today, got a couple thumbs up on the way.
My question today is how do I adjust the timing, dwell etc? My truck is the inline 223 and 6 volts. My timing light and dwell meter are 12volts. I even looked on Ebay for 6 volt equipment but found nothing. My problem is the truck is gutless. I am not expecting neck snapping speed but 40mph top speed? I never drove one of these before am I expecting too much for 50 to 55 mph and little power? Again its a 1952 F1 but it has a 1956 223 with the 3speed and 3.92 rear.
Thanks everyone.
Getting to drive the truck a little now, took it to the Gas station today, got a couple thumbs up on the way.
My question today is how do I adjust the timing, dwell etc? My truck is the inline 223 and 6 volts. My timing light and dwell meter are 12volts. I even looked on Ebay for 6 volt equipment but found nothing. My problem is the truck is gutless. I am not expecting neck snapping speed but 40mph top speed? I never drove one of these before am I expecting too much for 50 to 55 mph and little power? Again its a 1952 F1 but it has a 1956 223 with the 3speed and 3.92 rear.
Thanks everyone.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 4,644
Likes: 55
From: Moro Bay, AR
You should be able to connect your test equipment to a remote 12V battery. If the equipment requires a ground to the vehicle, just hook a jumper wire to the negative side of each battery(if it is positive ground, hook to the Pos side, just not both)
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 145
Likes: 0
From: Coral Springs, FL
Dennis,
40 mph top speed is not all these trucks can do. They are not speed demons by any stretch of the imagination, but should be able to do 55 to 65 mph (depending on the slope you are on).
Ron
40 mph top speed is not all these trucks can do. They are not speed demons by any stretch of the imagination, but should be able to do 55 to 65 mph (depending on the slope you are on).
Ron
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,239
Likes: 53
From: Coatesville, PA
Got the truck running real good today. Reset the points and reset the timing using the trial and error method of slowly moving the dist counter clockwise and driving the truck to see how it ran. It runs real good. Seems to have plenty of power now. I was able to use my Sears Dwell meter to check the dwell and Rpms worked good. Do not have a timing light but have a friend who has worked on old cars and trucks for years he came over and got things straightened out. I am a happy man. Might have to call in sick tomorrow!!
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 281
Likes: 0
From: Bloomfield, Iowa
Timing Light Options
We use one of 2 methods to time sprint car motors.
1. Use a regular 12V timing light and hook it to a spare battery sitting on the ground beside the car. All you have to hook up to your pickup is the #1 spark plug lead.
2. They make battery powered timing lights. All you hook is one wire to the #1 spark plug lead. The light contains it's own battery power.
Sprint cars don't use batteries and we time them.
SPark
1. Use a regular 12V timing light and hook it to a spare battery sitting on the ground beside the car. All you have to hook up to your pickup is the #1 spark plug lead.
2. They make battery powered timing lights. All you hook is one wire to the #1 spark plug lead. The light contains it's own battery power.
Sprint cars don't use batteries and we time them.
SPark
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Roast em' if you got 'em
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 22,017
Likes: 9,975
From: Rio Rancho, NM
In a pinch you can do it without a timing light. Here's a couple of different ways to get it close.
First way is to do it by ear. Loosen the duistributor and disconnect and plug the vacuum advance. Now slowly advance the distributor until the engien starts to run crappy, retard it until it runs smooth again. Sometimes you have to go back and forth (retard then advance) to find the sweet spot. Hook everything back up and you're good to go.
Alternate method, hook a vacuum gauge to the engine and set the dizzy at max vacuum, again sometime syou have to move it back and forth several times to find the sweet spot.
After all is said and done, shut off the engine and try to restart it. If the engine is hard to crank over then retard the timing a bit until it starts easy.
Good luck
Bobby
First way is to do it by ear. Loosen the duistributor and disconnect and plug the vacuum advance. Now slowly advance the distributor until the engien starts to run crappy, retard it until it runs smooth again. Sometimes you have to go back and forth (retard then advance) to find the sweet spot. Hook everything back up and you're good to go.
Alternate method, hook a vacuum gauge to the engine and set the dizzy at max vacuum, again sometime syou have to move it back and forth several times to find the sweet spot.
After all is said and done, shut off the engine and try to restart it. If the engine is hard to crank over then retard the timing a bit until it starts easy.
Good luck
Bobby
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Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,063
Likes: 38
From: Valley Center, California
Bobby's technique takes me back to my High School days :-)
Here's my two cents of you don't have a light.
Rev the engine to about 2500 RPM and advance slowly until is starts to stumble.
Retard it until it runs smooth.
Once smooth, Retard it just a tiny bit more and button it up. Get a light on it as soon as you can.
I don't think you have a lot of compression so pre-ignition may not be a problem. Today's crappy gas could make me a liar though.
Here's my two cents of you don't have a light.
Rev the engine to about 2500 RPM and advance slowly until is starts to stumble.
Retard it until it runs smooth.
Once smooth, Retard it just a tiny bit more and button it up. Get a light on it as soon as you can.
I don't think you have a lot of compression so pre-ignition may not be a problem. Today's crappy gas could make me a liar though.
