Ignition Timing
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 3,078
Likes: 101
From: Riverhead New York
Ignition Timing
So, a little while back I wrote a post about being "Old School" and Timing my SB engines by Ear. I pretty much blew off everyone who advised me to use a Timing Light. Hmph!
Then JohnZ
posted a similar answer stating the value of correct Timing. Oh!:
Maybe there's something to gain here. Today a former "Newbie" Corvette Guy who I once showed the way around one of these cars to, Timed my car for me. Bingo!
What a much crisper throttle I gained. (Damn!). By Ear
it was 3BTC called for 10BTC and he even checked my Vacuum Advance for me 8/15.5. I didn't even know about doing that. Well anyway, I guess I'm not a Know it all, after all!!!!
LOL
Al W.
Then JohnZ posted a similar answer stating the value of correct Timing. Oh!: Maybe there's something to gain here. Today a former "Newbie" Corvette Guy who I once showed the way around one of these cars to, Timed my car for me. Bingo! What a much crisper throttle I gained. (Damn!). By Ear it was 3BTC called for 10BTC and he even checked my Vacuum Advance for me 8/15.5. I didn't even know about doing that. Well anyway, I guess I'm not a Know it all, after all!!!! LOL Al W.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,658
Likes: 3,665
From: Central Arkansas
Oh well it's h@ll being proven wrong by youngsters and wives! I'm sure there is validity to the theory of setting intial timing by ear, but it has escaped me all these years. I'm amazed you ended up with the timing retarded. If it was me, I probably would have timed it to where the idle smoothed out pretty well and had crisp throttle - and ended up with about 25 degrees of initial timing in it and pinging out the kazoo when I tried to drive it. After all it always sounds a lot better at idle when I finally hook the vacuum can back up and it gets all that additional advance. Old timers could probably do it on flatheads and straight 8 Buicks but I suspect as engines developed further with iincreased compression and more radical cam timing things went astray. And then again, maybe I'm wrong.
Dan
Dan
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,068
Likes: 27
From: St. Joseph Mo
Don't feel like an old fud. Untill I joined this forum I only set timing to shop manual specs and never gave a thought to see if the vacum or centrifugal advance worked correctly. Now I set total timing to 36 deg at whatever engine speed it takes and work from there.
Thanks Lars, JohnZ and Duke.
Thanks Lars, JohnZ and Duke.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 3,078
Likes: 101
From: Riverhead New York
Don't feel like an old fud. Until I joined this forum I only set timing to shop manual specs and never gave a thought to see if the vacuum or centrifugal advance worked correctly. Now I set total timing to 36 deg at whatever engine speed it takes and work from there.
Thanks Lars, JohnZ and Duke.
Thanks Lars, JohnZ and Duke.
My engine is brand new 327/350, 
home built and crafted to original so I'm proud!!! And I can feel the Pony's raring to be unleashed. Al W.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,377
Likes: 6,377
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Setting up for total timing will gain you even more. If you need a step-by-step process for doing this, just drop me an e-mail request for the Timing paper and I'll send you a copy of the instuctions.
V8FastCars@msn.com
Lars
V8FastCars@msn.com
Lars
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 3,078
Likes: 101
From: Riverhead New York
