Thread: I really am idling with 40 degrees advance

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If you follow Denny's procedure you will find TDC. You will have to mark the pointer yourself where that point is. Paint will come off over time they sell adjustable pointer or you can file a mark. Either way Denny's right on (the mark) .

Then I'm back to square one, idling (and driving well) at 40 degrees advance at idle, and 60-62 at 2800rpm. I'm tempted to do nothing, but the engineer in me (that is what I do) wants to figure it out.

I think he's got a 305 timing cover or tab. Of course he was told that earlier and wasnt getting it

Well he could have the wrong damper to. If he just follows directions he'll get it. When he "see's" it he'll be upset that it is so simple.

Guys, i've been lurking for a while and learning allot from all the experience flying around here. I have a very similar problem here. I have a MSD 6AL and an MSD HEI streetfire in a chevy 350 4blt-main that i'm having some troubles getting timed.

When the motor is running as best i can get it (hand-turning the dist), the timing mark is way up at around the 11 - 12 o'clock position. If i start to move the distributor to move the timing mark down to the pointer where i think that it should be, it kills. The motor is a crate job with huge cam (don't have specs) and World Sportsman II heads. I tried putting a brand new balance for that motor's year/make/model (78/79) from Autozone on it and it was even further out, flashing at around 9 o'clock instead of around 2-3 o'clock near the timing mark plate. Please help with any ideas you may have.

Tomorrow, i was going to follow Denny's directions on how to turn-mark-turn backward-mark, then find middle on the balancer. But what i'm wondering is, would it be at all possible that the motor was assembled wrong? That is, (using a phrase from an earlier post) could the cam/crank be "out of phase"?

Thank you!!
Daryl

oh, and "yes", the vacuum advance is disconnected and plugged.

i cant remember if im right or not but i think u install the stop in the spark plug hole, rotate the engine with the degree wheel on the crankshaft, when it stops set the wheel and pointer to 0 then counter rotate the crank till it reaches TDC again then whatever the difference is from 0 to the counter rotated number, find the half of that number and that is your True 0 mark it and then retime

oh and make sure that when u r degreeing that the wheel is securley tightend down

I just swapped cams in my 400 and it runs great. Your cam is installed correctly, no question. The outer ring on your harmonic balancer has probably slipped on you. Common problem. If so it's trash, get a new one. If you use a piston stop and find zero tdc and your dampner doesn't line up to zero tdc, then your dampner ring has slipped or your timing pointer is attached in the wrong place on your front cover.

Originally Posted by K5BlazerGuy

I just swapped cams in my 400 and it runs great. Your cam is installed correctly, no question. The outer ring on your harmonic balancer has probably slipped on you. Common problem. If so it's trash, get a new one. If you use a piston stop and find zero tdc and your dampner doesn't line up to zero tdc, then your dampner ring has slipped or your timing pointer is attached in the wrong place on your front cover.

Don't know how relevant this would be, you're responding to a post from May---hopefully the dude has resolved these issues by now!!!!

So far the TDC has been determined and I guess a pointer was added to point to TDC when the crank was rotated to it. Now by using a timing tape the balancer can be degreed. Attach the timing light, remove the vacuum advance hose and plug it. Run the motor to max advance, probably around 3000 rpm and set it at about 30 deg. Now go back to low idle. You should see an rpm where no further movement of the timing happens or where it just begins if you are going up in rpm. Observe this number on the tape. Subtract this number from the 30 (or what ever you used) This will give the amount of advance in the distributor.

Now you have a set point which is the max rpm before mechanical advance starts. You can set the static timing at this speed. What ever number you choose. The other way is to set the total timing at a speed where all of the advance is in. Say 3000 rpm. Set the total desired at this speed or greater. Either way you must leave the vacuum advance plugged. It will be around 15 degrees additional. Some units are adjustable. The vacuum advance is primarily for MPG. When you tromp on the gas the vacuum advance retards to its 0 point leaving you with your mechanical advance.

One more thing. I spoke with MSD just recently and the man told me to get a cheapo timing light as some of the new ones are so sensitive the will pick up all or most of the multi spark duration and give incorrect timing value. For a change cheapo is better. IE. the cheapo does not pick up the multispark length.