Using a dial back timing light? HELP!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 943
Likes: 3
From: Chicago IL
Using a dial back timing light? HELP!
I recently bought a new Dial Back Timing Light and I need some verification on the usage.
From all the reading and research I’ve done this is my interpretation of using the dial back timing light. You have to set it at what degree you want your engine to be at, and then it should show up at 0 degrees BTDC (Before Top Dead Center) on your gauge.
Example: If I want my engine to be at 35 degrees BTDC at 3500 rpms, I would set the timing light at 35 degrees and when I take the car up to 3500 rpms it should show 0 on the scale or read out that’s on the gun. Does this sound right????
Any help would be good!
Thanks,
Curtis74
From all the reading and research I’ve done this is my interpretation of using the dial back timing light. You have to set it at what degree you want your engine to be at, and then it should show up at 0 degrees BTDC (Before Top Dead Center) on your gauge.
Example: If I want my engine to be at 35 degrees BTDC at 3500 rpms, I would set the timing light at 35 degrees and when I take the car up to 3500 rpms it should show 0 on the scale or read out that’s on the gun. Does this sound right????
Any help would be good!
Thanks,
Curtis74
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 943
Likes: 3
From: Chicago IL
I'm kind of going through a crash course on this new timing light and just wanted to make sure I was interpreting it correctly. It was a pretty high $ light so I want to be sure to use it to its full potential. Again, thanks!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 6,422
Likes: 591
From: McHenry Illinois
Yeah, set the timing light to whatever, say 35 and then watch when the mark on the balancer lines up with TDC as you bring the rpm up. You should see the balancer mark migrate toward the TDC mark as you increase the rpm. If it stops advancing before the mark lines up with TDC, you may have to turn the dist some to get the advance you are looking for.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 943
Likes: 3
From: Chicago IL
Yeah, set the timing light to whatever, say 35 and then watch when the mark on the balancer lines up with TDC as you bring the rpm up. You should see the balancer mark migrate toward the TDC mark as you increase the rpm. If it stops advancing before the mark lines up with TDC, you may have to turn the dist some to get the advance you are looking for.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 943
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From: Chicago IL
One more question about this. It says to subtract degree advance at idle from degrees at higher speed. The difference is the amount of centrifugal advance.
What is “Centrifugal Advance” mean?
What is “Centrifugal Advance” mean?
Racer
Joined: Jan 2008
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From: macks creek mo
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,247
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From: Glen Allen, VA
centrifugal advance is the advance that is added by the weights in the distributor. You have initial advance, which is what your car reads at idle, vacumn advance which is what is added when the vacumn line is reconnected (you did remember to disconnect the vacumn advance when checking timing didn't you) and centrfugal advance. All 3 together make up total advance.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2000
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From: cincinnati ohio
St. Jude Donor '09
Doesn't your engine builder/tuner know all this basic ignition curve plotting?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 943
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From: Chicago IL
centrifugal advance is the advance that is added by the weights in the distributor. You have initial advance, which is what your car reads at idle, vacumn advance which is what is added when the vacumn line is reconnected (you did remember to disconnect the vacumn advance when checking timing didn't you) and centrfugal advance. All 3 together make up total advance.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 943
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From: Chicago IL
Advanced
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 86
Likes: 0
From: cypress tx
Curtis74:
Here's a good link on disti tuning and other related things...
http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/dist...1-a-59033.html
the hotrodders forum has SOOOOO much information, while not vette specific, the source data is outstanding.
Ben
Here's a good link on disti tuning and other related things...
http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/dist...1-a-59033.html
the hotrodders forum has SOOOOO much information, while not vette specific, the source data is outstanding.
Ben
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 943
Likes: 3
From: Chicago IL
P.S. Referencing back to your “master” quote, unquote. I’ve know him for awhile now and contrary to popular belief he is a great guy and does know what he’s doing!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 943
Likes: 3
From: Chicago IL
Curtis74:
Here's a good link on disti tuning and other related things...
http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/dist...1-a-59033.html
the hotrodders forum has SOOOOO much information, while not vette specific, the source data is outstanding.
Ben
Here's a good link on disti tuning and other related things...
http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/dist...1-a-59033.html
the hotrodders forum has SOOOOO much information, while not vette specific, the source data is outstanding.
Ben
Melting Slicks
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From: Niles, MI
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
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From: Chicago IL
Drifting
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From: New York
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Northern NJ
St. Jude Donor '04 & '05
