My engine builder locked my timing in at 36 degrees. When I asked why he just said that it was better that way. Can anyone tell me why and the pros and cons af locked out timing versus using some sort of advance?
I think what he means is the timing is set at 36* inital and the spout is left out. I have heard some others run this way.Dont know if it is helping or hurting performance though.
Not a good plan. The computer is much smarter than your mechanic, or at least the engineering team that designed the computer is smarter.
The computer varies spark advance using air temperature, engine temperature, air density, RPM & engine load as factors. Lock the timing and some apsect of performance will suffer. The car will be hard to start and tend to kick back at the starter when the engine fires.
Locked timing will work on engines that run at a narrow RPM range, like an aircraft engine, water pump, or generator. Car engines run the RPM range up and down a wide range, 650-5400 RPM for a stock engine in good shape. No one fixed spark timing will work good througout all that range.
i am in agreement with Jrichker.
that said, i have heard of folks running it locked-in (in your case, without vacuum advance, i assume)....but those folks often have a retard controller in the cockpit (no, that does not mean a device to control me while i ride shotgun ). that way, they can retard timing for start up, etc. i think Big Bernie runs locked in timing with his S/C'd set up (i could be wrong, but that is my recollection).....
good luck.