duster wonder
National Guard Member
ok so 318 mild cam, headers, weiand intake, and eddy gas mixer. whats a good starting point for timing degrees? running in cold weather
318 timing
- Thread starter duster wonder
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1wild&crazyguy
Banned
12* btdc at idle.... or 34* total/full advance @ 3500rpm w/o vac advance hooked up.
I usually set my timing by listening to the engine at idle once its warmed up. Similar to setting the fuel mixture, I advance the timing as long as the idle is speeding up and the engine is running smooth, then back it off a bit once I get to the "end".
The problem with this is that if you end up with a lot of advance, you'll have to limit the amount of mechanical and vacuum advance you get or you'll end up with too much advance all in.
My 318 runs about 18* btdc, mechanical is all in at ~35/36*, and no vacuum advance. I don't know the specs on the cam (rebuilt by a PO), but its very mild if not stock, with a edelbrock streetmaster, Carter 600 and headers. It takes a little choke to get it going if its freezing, but otherwise is fine. I've found that that most sbm's seem to like a lot of advance, usually between 16-20*. But, like I said, running that much advance at idle will mean recurving the distributor, or you'll end up with way too much all in. With a stock distributor, I think 14-16* is probably about the absolute max without reducing the amount of mechanical advance.
The problem with this is that if you end up with a lot of advance, you'll have to limit the amount of mechanical and vacuum advance you get or you'll end up with too much advance all in.
My 318 runs about 18* btdc, mechanical is all in at ~35/36*, and no vacuum advance. I don't know the specs on the cam (rebuilt by a PO), but its very mild if not stock, with a edelbrock streetmaster, Carter 600 and headers. It takes a little choke to get it going if its freezing, but otherwise is fine. I've found that that most sbm's seem to like a lot of advance, usually between 16-20*. But, like I said, running that much advance at idle will mean recurving the distributor, or you'll end up with way too much all in. With a stock distributor, I think 14-16* is probably about the absolute max without reducing the amount of mechanical advance.
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