I have been running 22*/34* or a bit more on my X head 340, ...both before and after a recent refresh and addition of the Lunati Voodoo 740 solid lifter cam (w/ EDM's.) Cam is 235/243 at .050 and lift of .526/.546.
I have a 6A MSD box into a new-ish "Ready-to-Run" MSD distributor. I have 12* mechanical advance in the distributor. Motor compression 9:1. With the old cam I had done 1/4 runs ad various timing #'s and my mph was a bit higher at 34 than at any higher setting.
I have read advice that says to set initial timing to max the motor will take. As in, with motor fully warmed up, keep adding idle timing 2* at a time till the motor wants to pull the starter down or back fires through the carb.
Here's my question: Motor was fully hot, carb dialed in pretty well with A/F meter and reading of plugs, etc. I have have recently had idle set at 900 to 1000. I started adding timing 2* at a time then trying a hot start. I got all the way to 42* initial (where I quit) and still no resistance to starting just fine. WHY IS THIS?
When the 340 is idling (both with old mild cam and with new Voodoo) I can start twisting the distributor to add timing and it will keep speeding up a little bit until I reach 40* and then will level off and not slow down till I reach nearly 60*.
What is all this telling me????
