1971 360 question

AJ/FormS said
Even 318s don't always idle at 20.
I've never had any 360 idle at 20.
more like 8 or 9 maybe up to 11 if I really advance it.
But not at the 12>14 I run.
But see, My 11/1 engine is tuned to run on 87E10, so I run a 2-stage curve that I pirated out of an old 318, and just set up for my application.
But the thing is, as I stated, I can tune to idle at 5* timing.
and what I said was;
"There is NO GOOD REASON to run big idle-timing numbers, NONE. People do it to get the stall-timing right, cuz they don't know how to properly modify the distributor. Or, they're just lazy."
I never defined "big" . What you imagined, came from inside your own daymn head.
So as usual, you jumped in with your blinders on.

I don't recommend ANY IDLE TIMING numbers for the simple reason that any number given may upset the Transfer slot to Mixture-screw synchronization, which leads to drivability issues.
On my engine, with properly synchronized T-slots, and a stable fuel-level, it runs on any Idle-timing from 5 to 25, the only difference being the Idle-Speed, and a small change in throttle response. By 8 degrees, I can slam that DP and expect instant tirespin, so, there is no good reason to run more. I run 12>14 cuz it gets me 28*@2800 on the first stage, which is slow enough to not cause detonation on 87E10. From there it goes to 32>34 at 3400. which is late enough to go WOT at any speed in any gear except overdrive which is geared for 144@5000, so not going there on any public road, lol.

Furthermore; when I said;

"BTW, I run a 12.5PV on my 360 with a 276/286/110 cam (230/237@050), and she will idle down to 550 in First Gear(A833) and pulling herself around the parking lot at 5* timing advance. She'll go down to 500 if I ride the brake a hair."

Please note, I said BTW which, if you don't know it, means; "By the Way".
Then I continued, with information that could be helpful once OP figures out his cam. Nowhere did I command OP, or even recommend OP, to run a 12.5pv
.
BTW,
I run the 12.5PV for two reasons;
1) so I can run a smaller MJ so I can cruise lean, made possible by my custom timing curve that allows up to 50* at 2240, and on the previous cam, I squeezed 32 mpg out of that 11/1 engine, geared 65=1600. and
2) cuz the transition from PMJ to PV is dead smooth.
I got a double pumper set slightly rich on the back to compensate for slightly lean on the front; and it's a manual trans, so the engine is always humming, I gotta try to save gas wherever I can. Plus lean is mean.

Finally; if your 340, at idle, with a 12.5PV already flowing, your tune has a problem. You should consider a 360 like mine;
which has no problem with that 12.5,
right down to 550rpm,
and nicely crawling along on it's own, at 4mph.

So you know, if you can't get sense from my posts, whose fault is that?
Just put me on ignore.

I get "sense" from your posts, it just seems to me that you have a narrow understanding of a complicated topic and think that repeating the same very specific advice to everyone is good for them regardless of the situation.

You say you don't recommend any idle timing numbers, but yet you'll brow-beat anyone that uses more than you- very helpful. I didn't say 20º advanced was "big", I said- "not every build should have 20° advance at idle, but not every build is gonna be right at 10° either". I said that because the OP said his timing was "around 20 degs". The OP's words (post #45), not anything out of my "own daymn head" as you say. Maybe read the thread before you regurgitate your same advice and come after me?

Tire spin as a reason to not add idle timing? Give me a break! That's a lousy reference. I could blow off the tires on my Challenger with a boring 318, a 625 carter OOTB, 2.76's and a 904 with a stock converter. No where near an idle tune. If you couldn't spin the wheels up running the all season tires you run, in an A-body with a 360 and a 4 speed I'd tell you to do a compression check not change the idle timing. And that's before we get to a lack of traction not implying a perfect tune.

Not every engine needs to be tuned the same. Not every engine will perform best when tuned the same, because not every engine build is the same and not every application is the same. You want to tune for absolute gas mileage? Neat. Someone else might want to tune for maximum power, and that will be a totally different set up.

Regardless of what you or the banned member formally known as Yellow Rose say, there are A LOT of different ways to tune a carburetor. Some are definitely better than others, but there's a lot in the middle too. And what works best in one particular car will depend on the engine build, car weight, gearing, vehicle use and even the drivers style and preferences.

Saying I'm "lazy" because my car doesn't run best at 12º advance at idle and won't tolerate a 12.5 PV just shows that you only understand a very small window of a very complicated topic. I'm no expert, but it's pretty obvious you aren't either.