Timing for a 70 454
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Yakima WA
Timing for a 70 454
I recently rebuilt my engine (454). I kept the orginal block and used Edelbrock RPM heads, Torker II intake and ran a comp 278 cam. The compression is 10.5 to 1.
I am having problems finding a good timing setting. If I advance it to about 12 degrees, then it runs good, but the starter has problems starting.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks
I am having problems finding a good timing setting. If I advance it to about 12 degrees, then it runs good, but the starter has problems starting.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,844
Likes: 99
From: Orrtanna Pa.
Re: Timing for a 70 454 (Victor's70)
Assuming you're running a decent battery (DieHard Gold 1000 cca) you can try backing down the timing to 8 and run it that way for a couple thousand miles.Once the rings seat the cranking will be easier and you can bring on more timing.
I once built a 12:1 327 and couldn't start it with anything less than a DieHard,even Jump starting was difficult.After the DieHard and a few weeks of running it would fire on the first turn of the key.
I once built a 12:1 327 and couldn't start it with anything less than a DieHard,even Jump starting was difficult.After the DieHard and a few weeks of running it would fire on the first turn of the key.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 4,004
Likes: 2
From: Severna Park Md
Re: Timing for a 70 454 (Victor's70)
I have some questions to get more info then it may make it easier for us to help you. Is it the stock points dist? Is the vacuum advance working? Is the vacuum line connected to ported or full vacuum source? Modifications can be made to the stock dist to lengthen the mechanical advance curve. When that is done, and the vacuum advance is set up right, you should be able to get enough ignition advance between mechanical and vacuum to allow you to run a lower initial timing setting for easier cranking. Then the advance mechinisms will kick in when you want to go for good performance.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 11,872
Likes: 12
From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Re: Timing for a 70 454 (Victor's70)
I ran into the same problem with both a mallory distributor and then a accel distributor. The motor would have trouble turning over, too much advance but it was the distributors falt because the timming from the weights was not backing off properly. I went to the friendly speed shop and they run into this all the time. The weights do not return the advance back to zero when you go back to idle. I rebuilt both distributors after finding the weight pins loose, I rewelded them. I put a timming light on the motor and I also have a degreed harmonic balancer so I could watch the timming as the motor was revved, it should go up smoothly and come back down the same way> No way was it comming back to the initial setting.
I finaly gave up , fixed the timming in the distributor to zero advance and installed a MSD timing computer to go with the MSD 6AL. It has a very good electronic curve plus drops the timming 20 degrees for cranking.
My timming curve is now smooth going up and comming down. It is all in by 3000.
I finaly gave up , fixed the timming in the distributor to zero advance and installed a MSD timing computer to go with the MSD 6AL. It has a very good electronic curve plus drops the timming 20 degrees for cranking.
My timming curve is now smooth going up and comming down. It is all in by 3000.
