questions on timing an engine

FIRST until you prove it is accurate, there is no reason in my opinion, to trust "dial up" timing lights. In a previous life, I sold parts, and part of our service was to send tach/ dwell/ timing/ etc instruments in for rebuild I've seen a number of "dial up" lights that were not accurate.

SECOND Get/ make a piston stop and check your timing marks.

THIRD I still say either degree your balancer or buy the correct size timing tape

TIMING

"TOTAL" timing is the ADDED TOTAL of

1 INTITIAL timing set at idle, BEFORE either vacuum or mechanical kicks in

2 The amount of mechanical advance. If you READ on the timing marks, what the timing IS at HIGH RPM, then you HAVE at that point the TOTAL of INITIAL + MECHANICAL

3 For the true figure of TOTAL timing, you must also add the amount of vacuum advance. IF YOU READ this at high vacuum (simulated cruise) RPM, than you HAVE the TOTAL of the THREE right there

So if you set INITIAL, and you KNOW "how much" is "in" the distributor mechanical, you can ADD the 10 (or whatever) INITIAL to "what you know" is in the distributor, which might be 22-24* for a performance curve, and that gives you a TOTAL of INITIAL + MECHANICAL of 10 + 24 (say) for 34 TOTAL

BUT IF YOU ALSO use vacuum, and you have, say, a 15* "can" then you ALSO must add the amount of vacuum to the first two, for a TOTAL of the three of 49 (in this fanciful case)

ALSO BE AWARE that many books and service manual specify DISTRIBUTOR degrees, so you must DOUBLE that amount to get CRANK degrees

I ALWAYS "talk" (because I think) in "CRANK" degrees.

It is starting to sound like you have a LONG SLOW smog type advance


DO NOT GET HUNG UP on 3000 RPM. You MUST rev the engine to a high (but safe) RPM to be SURE that the mechanical is "all in." If you are concerned about doing this, simply unhook the fan belt long enough to check the timing, so the fan and alternator are stopped.