Ford with a Mopar engine in it

65Val said

From "www.ford460.com"....
Tips and tricks to maximising power in the 73-86 460.
1. Timing set change; 72 and up have an 8* retard in the timing set stock. Install a 69-71 timing chain set (double roller is also a good upgrade)....

...no mention of camshaft retard.

Click to expand...

Yeah, exactly. 460. I've seen it on a degree wheel. With a known zeroed timing set I got 4* retarded on a 351M camshaft. See, the 351M and especially the 400s were TERRIBLE about spark knock. Ford kept going the wrong way (down) with the piston using shorter compression heights, because quench technology was not as advanced as today. Had they gone the other way and made the piston higher in the bore, they would have fixed the problem.

As a result, there was not "enough room" on "just" the timing set, so they had to retard camshaft timing, too. This is a pretty documented fact through Ford itself, as there were several TSBs on it through the years. I'm not arguing, just telling you what I've seen through the years. I worked at the local Ford dealer in 80-81 and the M block engines were still being made and still fighting detonation. I have seen the TSBs first hand regarding both the timing sets and retarded camshaft timing.