One other thing that may help after you find out if your timing mark is correct on your balancer would be to put a timing tape in the balancer. you can get them for under $10.00. they might be a pain to put on if a lot of stuff is in the way but it may help for setting the timing. you do not even have to put the entire tape on - just go 60 degrees each way from the TDC mark. and obviously do not do any of this until you verify the ring on your balancer has not slipped.

Pat

 

ok, guy you bought it from had it retarded.
you drove it home.
did it ping?

get a piston stop. google it
until you put the piston up to top, on fire stroke and look at the marks at damper,,,,
you know nothing about how it even runs so retarded.

did you check firing order?

 

Firing order is correct, and I did not drive it home. It ran but not well so I towed it home. But test driving it it did not ping at the terribly retarded setting. I am going out right now to check the marks are in the correct spot at #1 at tdc. But I do know they are real close because Ive static timed it about 10 times now, and with finger over spark plug hole its compresses air, then I check and the line on the balancer is almost at 12 oclock. It then manually move the line to the 8 at 12 oclock, and start it there, and it fires right up no issues. So it must be close. How accurate is another problem as it again is impossible to view running unless you want to lose your face on the alternator fan. My timing light has hits on it form the alternator as to get the light to hit the marks you have to put it between the alternator and the powersteering reservoir, and it darn tight in there for the light. Fans there too, yikes. So a few chunks outa the light, my hands. Guy that put the marks up there was on dope for sure. What were they thinking.

 

get the piston stop

 

Ok, I don't know what a piston stop is. But I got my bore scope out, and I will look into the spark plug hole to verify its at the top, both valves closed. That should accomplish the same goal. But, I also want to see what my total timing is as it sits right now, so I have a starting point to go from. I'm getting some mixed answers here so I'm gonna **** everyone off and ask again. How do I check total timing. One guy said with vacuum disconnected, other said total timing is vacuum advance, mechanical advance and initial timing all combined. So does that not indicate checking it hooked up to vacuum? How do i do it? Vacuum hooked up or not? Also, should I leave the middle strength springs on , or switch to the lightest one like another said it needs? My thought is put weakest springs on, set my timing light to 30 degrees. Start it and warm up with the vacuum hooked up to can on distributor. Run it up to 3000, then adjust the degrees on my light until it reads 0 on the timing mark indicator and line on balancer. Then the number my gun reads is my total timing? Then, turn the distributor until the gun is at 33 degrees were most say its supposed to run, and that should be my correct total timing. Im then curious what base time it says. Is this correct, or do I do it with the vacuum off and plugged. Again, I use manifold vacuum as the metered one high on holley carb has no vacuum at idle, many here say thats bad to goto the manifold instead.

 

https://www.startpage.com/do/search?...tartpage.brave

 

My money is that you have a mismatch in balancer and timing pointer. I can count on one hand the number of SBC timing pointers I’ve seen at the 12:00 position. if someone installed a balancer meant for a timing mark at the 2:00 position, you are pissing in the dark.
It makes sense. Pinging is from too much advance. If you have a 2:00 balancer that you are using with a 12:00 pointer, you are inadvertently adding a bunch of advance.
When you do the finger over the hole method for TDC, pressure starts pushing your finger very early in the upstroke.
Get a piston stop and a bolt-on adjustable timing pointer from a hot rod shop and PHYSICALLY verify piston is at TDC. Then set the pointer to the balancer mark.
Then set the timing to 36 degrees all in at 3000 with the vac advance disconnected and I bet it will run like a champ.
Then start fine tuning by adding in a limited amount of vac advance (that fancy dizzy you bought should have adjustable vac advance) to improve your idle quality and light cruise tune.

 

wwiiavfan is spot on^^ I believe your timing tab should be at about the 2'oclock position on the timing cover. It's likely you are reading if from the wrong tab spot and setting it way off , thus having it so far advanced that it's causing your pinging.

 

Ok, so summit wants 8.99 for a stop, and 45 bucks shipping. so driving to lordco to see what they charge. I try to get results by tonight. wont be able to post total timing as everyone stopped responding to my questions and im not sure the proper procedure. Also watched video on the stop tool, and it seems to have some adjustment. Meaning how far do you turn in the bolt to touch the piston. In my head it seems the further you turn that in the farther down the piston will touch it. Turn it out and piston will go higher? NO , yes? How do you set the tool so you know thats top. Bolts about and inch long so could get quite a different reading by turning it all the way in or out? hopefully it comes with better instructions than the video. off I go

 

go back and forth
first clockwise, hit stop, mark with something, counter clock wise, hit stop, mark.
between the 2 marks you made is top DC

 

ok, found a piston stop at lordco for 20 bucks, but it wont be here until later this afternoon. At least its today. Summit wanted 45 bucks for shipping, thats 25 more than the tool, so not doing that. Pretty much can't post any info until I get it so I'll get back later tonight if I get that today. Wondering if the valves are rattling because its just old. I had an old bronco that did that after many many miles. Started valve ratttling going up hills. The fix for that was a tune up and 94 octane fuel from chevron. I run the 94 in the stingray without much improvment so thats why Im trying to time it right. I do know the motor is old, they don't even make them anymore with the dipstick on the drivers side. Were is the motor serial number, maybe I can get some info from that while I wait for the tool. Im not getting the adjustable pointer, I'll just draw a line on the balancer were its supposed to be and line up that to zero when I get my light set to 36 degrees. See what happens. Hands are tide until I get the tool.

 

yes, I got that part. Part I don't get is how far to screw in the bolt. Seems to me if you screw in too far then the piston wont be at top dead center. But thinking about it for the last hour, this is probably true, but when I turn the other way for the second mark the only difference will be how wide apart the marks are. Meaning if I screw it all the way in the marks will be far apart, but the middle will still be the top. If I screw it in just a bit but still hitting piston the marks should be real close together making it easier to find the middle. BUt either way I still get the middle. So i guess I figured that out. Still waiting on lars sending me that timing paper he wrote.

 

 

Ok, so total timing is without vacuum. I'll do that after I get that stop tool this afternoon. Brains smoking tho, makes no sense to me that total timing doesnt include the vacuum advance because doesn't it add advance? How do you get total if that advance is not added? Wont it add more after I'm done and plug it back in, again sending me over the 36 degree target? Should be called 2/3 total advance, lol. Only uses 2 of the 3 advances. I do not think the vacuum advance is adjustable. But I'' take a closer look. The kit came with 3 sets of springs, a lock out plastic thing to lock the weights if you using another timing device like a box. And a couple bushings I don't know what are for. I'll try to figure that out, but I think its not adjustable.

 

So just read the instructions for the distributor again. there is no vacuum adjustment. IT has fully adjustable mechanical with different springs. THe bushing are to adjust how much advance the weights add , like stoppers I geuss, and the lock out thing locks out the centrifugal advance it says. So no vacuum adjustment. I know a previous distributor I tried has a thing to adjust vacuum advance amount, but it was the giant one with the coil in the cap, and I couldn't use that one because it contacted the air cleaner and wiper motor because it was so big. Couldn't even get all the plug wires on it cause it was contacting the wiper motor or washer pump I guess that is attached to the wiper motor. So I had to get this style with exterior coil and smaller stock style cap. Anyway, what do you do when the vacuum is non adjustable. If I put it back on the metered vacuum on the carb it has no vacuum at idle, so maybe thats the ticket. I only moved it because others said these dont work on metered vacuum with this car, and it was stumbling on accelleration, but changing springs seems to have helped that so maybe I should put it back on metered?

 

once you verify if the timing marks then worry about total timing verbiage

 

Keep in mind that no SBC is REQUIRED to have vac advance to run correctly without pinging, etc.
Vac advance merely improves things at lean conditions like running cooler, better fuel mileage, and less emissions.
The GM Performance crate engine in my car is actually factory recommended to be run without vac advance. And it does run fine without it. It just runs a little better with it.
A lot of adjustable vac advance units are adjusted by slipping a small Allen wrench into the tube that you vac line goes on and turning a screw inside there that limits the travel.

 

Thanks for that info. I'm still waiting on the piston stop device. Wont be there until 5pm so waiting. Ill get the timing lined up first. Then I will try it with vacuum and without to see which is better. There is no adjustment screw in the vacuum pot i could see. The other distributor had a cam in it that you could put on a different hole to change the amount of vacuum advance. This one doesn't appear to have that. The HEI distributor may have been the better choice because of that adjustment feature, but there was no way it would fit unless I wanted to listen to the thing hammer away on the washer motor on the wiper motor. And it was so tight against it I couldnt get 2 plug wires on there either. I see alot of vets with that distributor so havnt a clue how they got it to fit. It was also lifting the air cleaner, so didn't want to modify that either. So its on the shelf collecting dust. Waste of 200 bucks. This A team pro ready to run one works real good, fits nice so sticking with it. I'll go without vacuum advance if I have too.

 

Some or most adjustable vacuum advances are adjusted with an allen wrench. Replacement adjustable vacuum advances are fairly inexpensive.

 

Go read post #12 again, follow the instructions, and report back.

Can you post some photos? Unless your motor mounts are shot, an HEI distributor should fit.

BTW, whether you need the reminder or not, (perhaps this helps someone else), here's a great video on how to time your car correctly.