timing question??

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myasylum

myasylum

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Someone tried to explain this to me once, but I am unsure.

I'm use to setting the timing at idle for 5 degrees advanced. But on this forum I am hearing a lot how you should set the timing at 35 degrees at 2200 RPM.

How do I do that? The timing marks only go up or down 10 degrees!
where do you get 35 degrees?

I'm just tiring to set this thing right.

Thanks a lot. Oh, I have a 360.
 
you will need a timing light with advance skew knob on it. Set the skew at 35 and line up zero. YOu can set the skew to anything and line up to the zero mark.
 
myasylum said:
Someone tried to explain this to me once, but I am unsure.

I'm use to setting the timing at idle for 5 degrees advanced. But on this forum I am hearing a lot how you should set the timing at 35 degrees at 2200 RPM.

How do I do that? The timing marks only go up or down 10 degrees!
where do you get 35 degrees?

I'm just tiring to set this thing right.

Thanks a lot. Oh, I have a 360.
Click to expand...

There are only 2 ways to actually see 35 deg. the first is to put degree tape on the balancer but most guys, myself included, use an adjustable timing light where once the timing has gone to full advance you adjust the light (with a turnable knob or up and down button) until the mark comes back to 0 and then read the actual timing off the small digital screen on the timing light still with the engine RPM up.
I would start off by setting the timing at idle, 800 RPM and vacuum disconnected and plugged, to 10 degrees advance then speed the engine up till the timing stops advancing. At this point the timing should be around 30-35 degrees, this is your total with centrifigal advance included or "all in" and engine somewhere around 2400 RPM. I wouldn't worry about getting the timing perfect until you've got the engine broken in :-D which could take 5000 miles.

Terry
 
There is a third way, the poor mans method. Rotate the crank until the TDC mark it at 10 degrees BTDC. Then place a mark on the balancer next to the 10 degree ATDC line on the timing tab.

Rotate the crank counter clockwise 20 degrees until your new mark is at 10 degrees BTDC.
Now place a second mark on the balancer next to the 5 degrees ATDC mark on the timing tab.

You can now use a standard non adjustable timing light to set total timing. The second mark you made is at 35 degrees BTDC, and you can use that mark when adjusting your total timing.
 
69swinger340391-Thats kind of what I was thinking :)

Now?? How does this work?

Do you set the timing with the idle first with the vaccum line off, then go up to 2200rpm and set the timing again? then put the vaccum line back on?

is it 2200 rpm it's suppose to be set at?

thanks!
 
Initial timing is set by rotating the distributor. Total is set by tinkering with the springs and counter weights inside the distributor.
 
Set the initial to the factory specs, and the total will be close, but not perfect. Go for a drive. If it doesn't ping under load, advance the initial 2-3 degrees and test it again. When it pings, back off the initial 2-3 degrees and your done.

Vacuum advance is for part throttle cruising only. Keep it disconnected when setting the initial, but hook it back up for driving.

If you check total timing with the vacuum advance hooked up, you will see approximately 50 degrees BTDC, as this is for part throttle cruising
 
if it has any cam it will need 15-18 initial. no way will it run decent with 5 degrees initial.
 
My 318 ended up being pretty happy at 15° initial. I yanked the distributor apart and welded up/ filed down the slots to limit mechanical advance to 20° (really 20.5° due to a lack of precision somewhere in the process, but close enough).
 
you said you had a stock distributor....

you need to get it recurved or get a performance distributor that will bring the mechanical advance in sooner...
 
Yes, I have that Voodoo Lunati 60403LK. but initial timing then probably would be about 15 degrees then, I'd guess. I'll play with the "ping" test and see how that goes.
As far as getting anything "recurved" your going beyond my knowledge of this.
I guess I'll look into that when I get to that point?
 
I have a similar situation myself. My 340 idles best with 20 degrees advance on the initial, but then it pings real bad under load. I need to have mine recurved as well. It is the Summit Racing electronic distributor.
 
You'll need to limit the mechanical advance once you get your initial figured out. Most aftermarket distributors have a system to limit mechanical, MSD uses a bushing. Look at the instructions that came with your distributor.

total desired - initial the engine wants = mechanical adv in the distributor

Timing a street car using the total method is really not a good way to go. Lets say the distributor has 24-28* mech adv (not uncommon) and the engine wants 32* total. That leaves you with 4-8* of initial, which is about 20-30% of what it will probably want, and it will run like a DOG down low.
 
69swinger340391 said:
There is a third way, the poor mans method. Rotate the crank until the TDC mark it at 10 degrees BTDC. Then place a mark on the balancer next to the 10 degree ATDC line on the timing tab.

Rotate the crank counter clockwise 20 degrees until your new mark is at 10 degrees BTDC.
Now place a second mark on the balancer next to the 5 degrees ATDC mark on the timing tab.

You can now use a standard non adjustable timing light to set total timing. The second mark you made is at 35 degrees BTDC, and you can use that mark when adjusting your total timing.
Click to expand...

That's what I like to call hillbilly engineering. Using what you have to make it work! Don't need fancy balancers, timing tapes, etc. :thumblef:
 
O.k. I just messed with my car today. I really makes NO sense to me!
The place where the car idles best is WAY off the timing mark! If I try to get it anywhere near the mark it just dies.
The odd thing is where the timing seems best (or at least to me) there is a hole drilled in the balancer! Thats where it lines up at.
Not only that, but even though it idles best at that timing, it's hard to turn over at that position, it cranks hard. So what do you think I should do next?
Thanks!
 
On my stroker and 360 timing is done by holding the idle at 2500 rpms and setting it at 36 degrees lock it and good to go...this is with a msd setup..
 
myasylum said:
O.k. I just messed with my car today. I really makes NO sense to me!
The place where the car idles best is WAY off the timing mark! If I try to get it anywhere near the mark it just dies.
The odd thing is where the timing seems best (or at least to me) there is a hole drilled in the balancer! Thats where it lines up at.
Not only that, but even though it idles best at that timing, it's hard to turn over at that position, it cranks hard. So what do you think I should do next?
Thanks!
Click to expand...

Mark the balancer as suggested above via the hillbilly engineering method...

The timing mark is on the BTDC side of the cover timing marks, more towards the top, correct?

If it cranks hard, especially when hot, it may be too far advanced. Turn the distributor just a smidge clockwise to take a bit of timing out of it. See how it starts and make sure the battery is charged up when doing this.
 
since were on timing when doing my slant i have initail set at like 15* and total is around 30* @ 2400. so im gonna switch to the electronic with msd box so it will kick in a 2k, but my real q is that i can advance the timing way up and it wont ping it but its 2 far adv and not as fast. is that just because my compression is around 9:1?
 
Somebody did a really nice write-up on this I just can't remember who,I bought a mopar unit from summit put one light spring in it and set timing with vacuum guage,I have no idea what the actual # is it starts great and pulls hard.I wound back my vac.adv. until no ping.starts nice,pulls hard,reasonable mileage if I keep my foot out of it.Not recomending this but it worked for me.
 
so "initial" timing is the timing set by the distributor at idle? Is this the same as "mechanical" timing?
 
805moparkid said:
since were on timing when doing my slant i have initail set at like 15* and total is around 30* @ 2400. so im gonna switch to the electronic with msd box so it will kick in a 2k, but my real q is that i can advance the timing way up and it wont ping it but its 2 far adv and not as fast. is that just because my compression is around 9:1?
Click to expand...

Moparkid, you're best off starting your own thread on this question, please and thankyou.

Terry
 
sharpie said:
so "initial" timing is the timing set by the distributor at idle? Is this the same as "mechanical" timing?
Click to expand...

No mechanical timing usually refers to how much the centifugal counterweights change the timing to because of RPM changes.

Terry
 
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