timing way over my head...

[Dart_440]

ok.. need some help here. I have been researching and reading and getting more and more confused. Here is my situation.. I got my first 383 installed and running.. I would call it running, not great but running.

Its a pretty standard 383 not sure of the internals.. maybe a mild cam. All new pertronix distributor, wires, coil and plugs. Also a new holley 750 with vacuum secondaries and choke. This will be a 95% street car but would like to set it up to get all the power availiable.

I need help setting the timing and then fine tuning the carb. I am slightly confused with all this talk of "over all timing.. mechanical timing and vacuum advance timing.." blah blah blah.

I assume I set my initial timing around 16 degrees by disconnecting and pluging the vacuum advance. Then once that is set....... help?

My distributor also comes with extra mechanical advance springs and limiters. I have attached the chart. I am unsure which of these would best suit my application as well. Or do these not apply since I have a vacuum advance distributor..

Anyway.. any help would be great.

Thanks Bryan

 

[demon seed]

ok.. need some help here. I have been researching and reading and getting more and more confused. Here is my situation.. I got my first 383 installed and running.. I would call it running, not great but running.

Its a pretty standard 383 not sure of the internals.. maybe a mild cam. All new pertronix distributor, wires, coil and plugs. Also a new holley 750 with vacuum secondaries and choke. This will be a 95% street car but would like to set it up to get all the power availiable.

I need help setting the timing and then fine tuning the carb. I am slightly confused with all this talk of "over all timing.. mechanical timing and vacuum advance timing.." blah blah blah.

I assume I set my initial timing around 16 degrees by disconnecting and pluging the vacuum advance. Then once that is set....... help?

My distributor also comes with extra mechanical advance springs and limiters. I have attached the chart. I am unsure which of these would best suit my application as well. Or do these not apply since I have a vacuum advance distributor..

Anyway.. any help would be great.

Thanks Bryan

Okay Brian first off do you have any idea what the compression ratio is on the 383 it would be nice to know for the starting point. I'd start off by going 12 deg initial with centrifugal advance (mechanical) being another 24 deg and coming to full advance (all in), in your case 2800 RPM
How I'd set yours is to remove and plug the vacuum line start the engine and idle her done to around 700 RPM. I'd recommend setting your initial timing with todays gas at 12 deg before. Now according to the chart in the directions the max stops and the silver springs have been installed which will limit your centrifugal advance to 24 (good) and the engine will come to full advance somewhere between 3000-3500 RPM. That'll give you a total (overall) timing of 36 deg. at 3000 rpm and above. Try running her on the street with the present settings and later you may want to swap the springs so that the centrifugal timing tops out at an earlier RPM. As far as the vacuum advance goes I never connect it, it just muddies the waters so to speak.

Terry