total timing is set at what rpm

[1wild&crazyguy]

If you really wanna set your timing 'spot on' you need to find the middle of true tdc with a dial indicator fixed steady and a long piece of coat hanger to stick into the no.1 cyl though the plug hole. Find max reading going clockwise then gong counter clockwise.

without a degree wheel you can simply turn the crank over just till hits the max reading, mark the balancer, then go past tdc to atdc and go backwards just till max reading, mark the balancer. Now that you have those 2 marks...now make a mark thats in the middle of the 2 and that is TDC and the mark you should be timing with.

then you need to find out what rpm the mechanical advance maxes out at and use that rpm for setting the total timing.

Thats the basics.

 

[1BadDodge71]

AHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!Now I understand(DING!lol)And I do this with the vacuum advance disconnected from vacuum and capped also?Ill give this a try .thanks,its alot cleared now:cheers:

 

[dgc333]

You need an adjustable timing light..to set it as i do bring the motor up to 2500 rpms set the dial on 36,shoot the timing and turn the distributor til the timing mark lines up with 0, lock the dist. and your good to go been setting my timing like this for years,on my 416 and 360 no ping hesitation or any other issues of coarse i'm running an msd system,so no vacuum advance to deal with...34 degrees may be just fine for your motor run it and find out...

Initial timing has a huge impact on your idle quality and the off idle performance of your engine. To ignore that leaves a lot of potential for improved driveability on the table not to mention it will make it easier to dial in the idle circuit of your carb. your method may work for your combination or you may not be getting all you could get from your engine.

If you follow the process I laided out on the first page of this thread then setting/checking the timing from then on becomes much less complicated than what you are doing. Just check adjust it at idle because you already have the total set in the distributor.

 

[1wild&crazyguy]

Initial timing has a huge impact on your idle quality and the off idle performance of your engine. To ignore that leaves a lot of potential for improved driveability on the table not to mention it will make it easier to dial in the idle circuit of your carb. your method may work for your combination or you may not be getting all you could get from your engine.

Absolutely.

Just check adjust it at idle because you already have the total set in the distributor.

Ditto, with the exception being rust on a home made bushing in an MSD distributor that welds itself tight in the advance slot...I live close to the beach and it happened to me a month ago.

 

[1wild&crazyguy]

AHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!Now I understand(DING!lol)And I do this with the vacuum advance disconnected from vacuum and capped also?Ill give this a try .thanks,its alot cleared now:cheers:

Yes...disconnect & plug the vac advance hose from the distributor, plugging the hose onto 1 of the fan motor bolts works real good.

Once you get this dialed you can move on to tayloring the amount of advance /raising the initial up till the starter won't crank it over and then go back 2*