lock out dist.

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slowdown

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I've recently gotten my car back from a shop that tuned it and it's running great. But theres this guy at work that races at bandamere and says I't would run even better with the distributor locked out. It's currently 22 initial and runs fine but some times starts a little hard but other times fires right off. I've been reading about this and what I've read says it might make my car hard to start being locked out. It's a mp electronic distributor and orange box. I hate to mess something up now after it's fineally running good and not fouling plugs. But if it would make it even snappier I would be willing to give it a try.
He told me to bring it in and he would set it up for me. What You think.
 
I ran mine occasionally on the street locked out at 40. More or less just to putt to the track and back home when my trailer wasnt available, it was tolerable. She's a hard starter for sure. I have my ignition on a switch to get it spinning. i should really have a starting retard assist from MSD. I'm not sure why on a street car anyone would tell you to lock it out. guys thats dont understand a vac advance sometimes just use the mechanical, but 22 initial seems really high. i'm thinking fully advanced around 32, should idle around 10-12. I honestly dont think you'll see any performance gains from a lock on a street car. now making sure your fully advanced timing is right....thats worth looking into.
 
I ran mine occasionally on the street locked out at 40. More or less just to putt to the track and back home when my trailer wasnt available, it was tolerable. She's a hard starter for sure. I have my ignition on a switch to get it spinning. i should really have a starting retard assist from MSD. I'm not sure why on a street car anyone would tell you to lock it out. guys thats dont understand a vac advance sometimes just use the mechanical, but 22 initial seems really high. i'm thinking fully advanced around 32, should idle around 10-12. I honestly dont think you'll see any performance gains from a lock on a street car. now making sure your fully advanced timing is right....thats worth looking into.
The shop that tuned my car disconnected the vacuum, and choke. My car would foul plugs endlessly and after they had it back at there shop for the 4th time they pulled the power valve upjetted primary's disconnected vacuum and choke and set timing at 22 initial. Knock on wood it has'nt fouled a plug yet and I've went through 4 or 5 tanks of gas already. It runs great it just starts hard some times maybe 4 cranks and then it fires and some times as soon as I turn the key. The shop I took it to does alot of hot rods and older cars, so I felt like it was a good place to take it to.
I was just talking to this guy at work about how it ran before I took it to the shop and he suggested the lockout dist thing maybe he misunderstood me and thought I was still having problems with it. Thanks..
 
What this does is disable the mechanical timing advance mechanism inside the distributor. It 'locks it down' in its full advanced position. Sure, your buddy's car will run better at Bandimere, cuz its at WOT. If your car is street driven, you are guaranteed to have starting and drivability issues. I wouldn't do it.
 
I'm not sure why on a street car anyone would tell you to lock it out. now making sure your fully advanced timing is right....thats worth looking into.

X2. Tell your friend no thanks.

What is the rest of the combo? How does it get driven? What RPM does it idle? Do you know what your total timing is?

Since you are asking, locked out timing means that your car will start and idle at your total advance number whatever that is, probably 32-36 degrees BTDC. If it's hard to start at 22, no way you want to advance it more.

Drag cars usually leave the line at an RPM somewhere above or close to where timing stops advancing. WOT performance would suffer with anything less than full advance. On the other hand, any car that spends time operating at part throttle benefits from an advance curve.
 
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