Help Setting my timing.. Carbed 302
- Thread starter POWER302
- Start date
MrKwik
Founding Member
The way I do it is to use a dialback light and rev it up till about 3k or whenever it stops advancing and set the total timing. I have the MSD billet plus on my 92 hatch and it doesnt have any vacuum advance and the same thing with the distributor on my Nova so thats the only way I know how to set it. I dont claim to be any kind of timing wiz but it seems to work for me. I think I have the 92 set at 36* total. It pulled harder at 38* but didnt want to start too well when it was warmed up so I backed it down a little. Depending on your combo some cars run better with more or less timing and like I said Im no expert so I cant give any sceintific answer as to what your magic number might be.
If you dont have access to a dislback light, you can disconnect the vaccum line and set the inital and go from there. Start at like 12* or 14*. If it pings at 14*when you jump into it, back it off till it stops. Some cars will tolerate more than others. My 95GTS wouldnt take more than 8* initial without pinging on premium. My 86 is set at 15* and runs fine on the cheap stuff.
If you dont have access to a dislback light, you can disconnect the vaccum line and set the inital and go from there. Start at like 12* or 14*. If it pings at 14*when you jump into it, back it off till it stops. Some cars will tolerate more than others. My 95GTS wouldnt take more than 8* initial without pinging on premium. My 86 is set at 15* and runs fine on the cheap stuff.
MrKwik
Founding Member
I would try backing it down some. Do you know where the total is at now? The vacuum line I'm talking about is if you have vavuum advance. I have never ran a vacuum advance distributor without the advance hooked up which it sounds like thats what you are doing, so I don't know if that reacts the same as a mechanical advance only distibutor. I do have a couple of mechanical only aftermarket ignitions and on those you can change the advance curves in them. You can set the amount of advance and when it comes in by. I have played with that a bit but not enough to give any real advice there. But if your using a factory distributor with no vacuum, I would just use a dialback light to set the total because I dont think you can easily play with anything else on that kind of setup.POWER302 said:
I just looked at your garage and realized you are running nitrous on that car. So dont take any of my advice since I have never tuned a nitrous motor. I would probably start with a lot less timing that you would for N/A unless you have a timing retard box or something.
txstang84
15 Year Member
if it's a pain to start when it's hot, it may be too far advanced...but like Kwik said, I've never tuned a N02 engine either, there might be another thread on here somewhere about that...
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txstang84
15 Year Member
...i guess you can always try tuning it "by ear" for initial, and verify with a timing lite...at least until it's easier to start, gopher's also got a point with the possible heat soak though
