383 Stroker Timing
Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
383 Stroker Timing
Hello all. I bought a 69 Corvette that has a 383 small block stroker installed. Never been raced and has less than 5000 street miles. I have a parts list for the engine. It's rated at 538hp by the manufacturer (Speed-O-Motive) West Covina CA.
I can't seem to get a hold of the them and need the initial timing spec and the total timing specs. It has Dart Pro 1 215/64 AP heads, compression rated at 11.0 to 1, MSD6A ignition, MSD ProBillet Dist (no vacuum advance), it has a Comp Cams CS294S 10 solid lifter cam. I have an Edelbrock Performer 800 CFM Carb on an Edelbrock RPM airgap manifold.
I'm new to the board and would appreciate any help. Thanks
I can't seem to get a hold of the them and need the initial timing spec and the total timing specs. It has Dart Pro 1 215/64 AP heads, compression rated at 11.0 to 1, MSD6A ignition, MSD ProBillet Dist (no vacuum advance), it has a Comp Cams CS294S 10 solid lifter cam. I have an Edelbrock Performer 800 CFM Carb on an Edelbrock RPM airgap manifold.
I'm new to the board and would appreciate any help. Thanks
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,063
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Send your distributor to Bob Jennings in North Hills Ca.
He will take that MSD apart and make it right they have their flaws and put the perfect curve on it. I couldnt make any of those bushings and springs make it anywhere near right. It would not time the way it read. Maybe I typed that wrong.
Conservative curve that comes in late works well. No need for locking them out and all that.
Had QMP racing in Chatsworth do a neat oiling mod for the gear, optional
Maybe you could do this yourself
He will take that MSD apart and make it right they have their flaws and put the perfect curve on it. I couldnt make any of those bushings and springs make it anywhere near right. It would not time the way it read. Maybe I typed that wrong.
Conservative curve that comes in late works well. No need for locking them out and all that.
Had QMP racing in Chatsworth do a neat oiling mod for the gear, optional
Maybe you could do this yourself
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,375
Likes: 6,375
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
With 11:1 compression, you're obviously not running pump gas, since no available pump gas will support that comp ratio. So assuming this is not a street car, and you're running 100-octane race gas, you should be running about 34 degrees total timing with those heads, and initial timing in the 20 degree range with that cam. Bring it all-in at about 2500 rpm.
Lars
Lars
Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
With 11:1 compression, you're obviously not running pump gas, since no available pump gas will support that comp ratio. So assuming this is not a street car, and you're running 100-octane race gas, you should be running about 34 degrees total timing with those heads, and initial timing in the 20 degree range with that cam. Bring it all-in at about 2500 rpm.
Lars
Lars
My question now is, if I set the initial timing at 20 degrees advanced and see more or less than 34 degrees at 2700 rpm, what should I do about that?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,375
Likes: 6,375
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Install the correct advance stop bushing in the distributor to produce the curve length you need. Also, you don't set initial and hope for correct total. You set the total, and see if the initial is in an acceptable range. 
Lars
Lars
Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
That begs the question, what would be an acceptable initial range in your view?
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 18,695
Likes: 2,572
See if you can find a local dealer who sells Sunoco 100 unleaded or any of the other leaded fuels such as 112. As Lars stated above that engine will not run correctly with 91 octane and a booster. I have a 11.1 engine and switching to Sunoco 100 made an amazing difference.
http://www.racegas.com/fuelfinder
http://www.racegas.com/fuelfinder
Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
See if you can find a local dealer who sells Sunoco 100 unleaded or any of the other leaded fuels such as 112. As Lars stated above that engine will not run correctly with 91 octane and a booster. I have a 11.1 engine and switching to Sunoco 100 made an amazing difference.
http://www.racegas.com/fuelfinder
http://www.racegas.com/fuelfinder
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 925
Likes: 7
Send your distributor to Bob Jennings in North Hills Ca.
He will take that MSD apart and make it right they have their flaws and put the perfect curve on it. I couldnt make any of those bushings and springs make it anywhere near right. It would not time the way it read. Maybe I typed that wrong.
Conservative curve that comes in late works well. No need for locking them out and all that.
Had QMP racing in Chatsworth do a neat oiling mod for the gear, optional
Maybe you could do this yourself
He will take that MSD apart and make it right they have their flaws and put the perfect curve on it. I couldnt make any of those bushings and springs make it anywhere near right. It would not time the way it read. Maybe I typed that wrong.
Conservative curve that comes in late works well. No need for locking them out and all that.
Had QMP racing in Chatsworth do a neat oiling mod for the gear, optional
Maybe you could do this yourself
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 925
Likes: 7
Hello all. I bought a 69 Corvette that has a 383 small block stroker installed. Never been raced and has less than 5000 street miles. I have a parts list for the engine. It's rated at 538hp by the manufacturer (Speed-O-Motive) West Covina CA.
I can't seem to get a hold of the them and need the initial timing spec and the total timing specs. It has Dart Pro 1 215/64 AP heads, compression rated at 11.0 to 1, MSD6A ignition, MSD ProBillet Dist (no vacuum advance), it has a Comp Cams CS294S 10 solid lifter cam. I have an Edelbrock Performer 800 CFM Carb on an Edelbrock RPM airgap manifold.
I'm new to the board and would appreciate any help. Thanks
I can't seem to get a hold of the them and need the initial timing spec and the total timing specs. It has Dart Pro 1 215/64 AP heads, compression rated at 11.0 to 1, MSD6A ignition, MSD ProBillet Dist (no vacuum advance), it has a Comp Cams CS294S 10 solid lifter cam. I have an Edelbrock Performer 800 CFM Carb on an Edelbrock RPM airgap manifold.
I'm new to the board and would appreciate any help. Thanks
Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Want to thank everyone for the great responses. New problem:
In attempting to set the total timing I noticed as the engine RPMs are increased the timing does not advance under the timing light. I shut the engine down and took off the distributor cap (MSD Pro Billet) and noticed I can move the rotor a good half inch in both directions. Usually the rotor is solid. I wonder what might be wrong before I pull the distributor out of the engine? I wonder if I've sheared a pin holding the distributor gear?
In attempting to set the total timing I noticed as the engine RPMs are increased the timing does not advance under the timing light. I shut the engine down and took off the distributor cap (MSD Pro Billet) and noticed I can move the rotor a good half inch in both directions. Usually the rotor is solid. I wonder what might be wrong before I pull the distributor out of the engine? I wonder if I've sheared a pin holding the distributor gear?