timing

[monte70car]

My days are closing on my and still fighting issue. Currently we changed the dist out for a HEI with MSD parts installed. Yesterday we got it dialed down to 42° base timing(yes know it's to much) the MSD e-curve was giving 60° base but with vacuum advance undone. We have tried moving the plug wires around the cap with no change. Even took the mixture screws and screw them in all the way car did not cut off(78 Q-jet). we have run out of ideals.

[dbreese]

Just a guess but do you think the outer part of your balancer may have slipped giving you an erronous readings? Have you tried different timing lights? As for as the mixture screws not having any effect I'm thinking vacuum leak of some kind. Just guesses.

 

David

[Sam (Bones)]

pull #1 plug use a screwdriver in the cylinder carefully bring the piston to TDC by hand!!!! when you get it to TDC (screwdriver stops moving)check to see where the timing line on the balancer is compared to the timing tab

 

I swore we've went thru this before with you and this engine

 

you have carb problems too if you can close the idle jets and it still runs

[wallaby]

Well, it's possible that the idle speed screw has been turned up to compensate, and the carb is running on the main metering system. That would explain why the idle screws have little/no effect.

 

Do you have the "MSD ultimate" internals in that distributor? I have that system and the multiple spark feature at low engine speeds confuses my timing light.

 

Lets assume your timing light or balancer is wrong...you can still get a pretty close timing setting by bringing the engine up to 2500-3000 rpm and holding it there while you rotate the dist to get the smoothest running position. (dist vacuum hooked up). Once you have done this, tighten the dist and then you can start adjusting the idle speed and mixture settings.

We still don't know what your timing light is going to show, but it should be close to correct nonetheless.

[monte70car]

Sam yes we have been down this road many of times.

 

Mark I have not tried that. Last night we did a hot restart and could tell the timing was to far retarded so we advanced it a little and it fired back up and left it for the night. Tuning it by ear sounds really good but probably fall like a rock once you get on it.

[bigtankjones]

I have tuned my Motors by ear and a vacuum gage. I don't have top dollar engines so a timing light does not do me any good. I do own a timing light though.