Retard and advance.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 967
Likes: 0
Retard and advance.
If you are standing on the driver's side of the engine bay, with the hood open, looking at the distributor, which way is retard and which way is advance?
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Fill in the blanks.
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Clockwise - ???
C-Clockwise - ???
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Also, I have heard that retarding timing can make the engine overheat or heat up too fast. Is this true?
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Fill in the blanks.
-
Clockwise - ???
C-Clockwise - ???
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Also, I have heard that retarding timing can make the engine overheat or heat up too fast. Is this true?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,342
Likes: 7
From: Connecticut
If you buy a dial back light be sure to get one that reads RPM as well. With this type of light you can dial in your timing in about 60 seconds providing your vacuum advance unit is capable of reaching 36*
If not, then you need to do some work on the distributor.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 366
Likes: 1
From: Houston Texas
Do you have a timing light?
The idea is to use the strobe effect to see where a mark on the harmonic balancer aligns to the tab on the engine block when #1 cylinder fires. The tab has a 0 reference, and so the mark appearing 'before' the reference is advance, the mark apperaing 'after' is retard, keeping in mind the direction of engine rotation.
Two ways to determine the 36 degrees. First is to use a timing light with an adjustment **** that allows you to 'dial in' the 36 degrees and look for the flash to align the mark and 0 reference; the other is to mark the harmonic balancer a second time 36 degrees from the default mark and align this to the 0 reference.
The idea is to use the strobe effect to see where a mark on the harmonic balancer aligns to the tab on the engine block when #1 cylinder fires. The tab has a 0 reference, and so the mark appearing 'before' the reference is advance, the mark apperaing 'after' is retard, keeping in mind the direction of engine rotation.
Two ways to determine the 36 degrees. First is to use a timing light with an adjustment **** that allows you to 'dial in' the 36 degrees and look for the flash to align the mark and 0 reference; the other is to mark the harmonic balancer a second time 36 degrees from the default mark and align this to the 0 reference.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 967
Likes: 0
Okay I'm starting to see the light here.
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I need a dial back light.
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What gets me is, if 36 before is what's best, why do they not make the 0 mark on the balancer and 36 before the same thing? Wouldn't that make it all very easy?
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I need a dial back light.
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What gets me is, if 36 before is what's best, why do they not make the 0 mark on the balancer and 36 before the same thing? Wouldn't that make it all very easy?
Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,601
Likes: 0
From: BETHEL PARK PENNSYLVANIA
using an adjustable timing light. mark your zero on the balancer and mark the zero on the timing tab. set the dial on the timing light to 36, rev the engine to 3000 rpm and turn the dist until the marks line up and you are done
vc
vc
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 967
Likes: 0
Sounds very simple. Thanks.
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Is there something I have to do before I set that 36? Something with the vacuum hose disconnected?
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,235
Likes: 0
From: Mesa AZ
you will want to also make sure that the advance springs are maxed out by that rpm or else the timing will be over 36 at higher rpm
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
You need to download Lar's timing papers and read them thoroughly before doing it. His papers are very informative and easy to read. You will have a good understanding of what you are doing after reading them.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 967
Likes: 0
How do you do that? You have to have the cap on to do this timing thing, and last I checked you can't see the springs with the cap on.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 967
Likes: 0
Okay, got it.
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Are there any steps I need to take before I set it to 36 using a dial back light at 3500 RPMs?
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Does anyone have a copy of Lars' paper they wouldn't mind sending me?
Pro
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 665
Likes: 0
From: wilmington nc
Barry has them on his web site, you"ll find a link to them and a lot more usefull info here:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1430339
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1430339
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,380
Likes: 6,391
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Most of my papers floating around the Internet are not current copies. E-mail me for the latest revision and current copy:
V8FastCars@msn.com
Specify that you need the timing paper since I have a lot of different papers available.
Lars
V8FastCars@msn.com
Specify that you need the timing paper since I have a lot of different papers available.
Lars
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 967
Likes: 0
Most of my papers floating around the Internet are not current copies. E-mail me for the latest revision and current copy:
V8FastCars@msn.com
Specify that you need the timing paper since I have a lot of different papers available.
Lars
V8FastCars@msn.com
Specify that you need the timing paper since I have a lot of different papers available.
Lars
Email sent, thanks.