Trying to set my timing

brianj5600 · Oct 11, 2007

Sounds like too much advance. Housing needs to go counter clockwise.

65fastbackresto · Oct 11, 2007

I may have misunderstood something then

I thought when I turned it clockwise it retarded the timing, cause it makes it hard to start. When I turn it counterclockwise it gets real easy to start but pings....

Straighten me out here please, I`m missing something.....

BullittStangV8 · Oct 11, 2007

If im not mistaken..too much advance can make it harder to start?

Also, what timing light are you guys running with MSD boxes/ignitions? I've read that the MSD boxes can mess with certain timing lights..

SoCalCruising · Oct 11, 2007

Yeah, not all lights will work with a multispark box. On the other hand, they stop multisparking when you add some throttle, then it will read correct. I use an old analog light from Performance Distributor, although my digital light works ok with a little RPM.

65fastbackresto: will you please stop driving the car until you get a light on it? And, no, there is no formula for best timing for your heads. I have 34 degrees for AFRs from an engine builder who has built hundreds of 302-based strokers using those heads. Set yours at 34 degrees and drive it. Then try 36 degrees and drive it. If you can't tell any difference, I would put it back to 34 degrees, considering todays gas.

65fastbackresto · Oct 11, 2007

Yea I quit driving it

matter of fact, that scared me pretty good today, when I got home I pulled the plug wires off and the dist out so I cant drive it till its fixed.

I`m heading to get a light at sears, will it tell on the box if its capable of multispark reading?

Oh, I think I figured out the retard issue, it was me.....and the car.....because of me..........

D.Hearne · Oct 11, 2007

65fastbackresto said:
drove it for about 4 miles, it got up to 215 degrees and it sounded like the valves were clattering when the motor was under a load, the more load, the more clatter. It didnt start clattering like that until the motor got warm or I wouldn`t have done it. Anyone have any ideas?

You've got either too much advance or not enough octane or both. Back off the timing, speed up the curve if you have not already and fill the tank with 93 octane Chevron premium. You might also have a too lean mixture as well.

D.Hearne · Oct 11, 2007

65fastbackresto said:
I thought when I turned it clockwise it retarded the timing, cause it makes it hard to start. When I turn it counterclockwise it gets real easy to start but pings....

Straighten me out here please, I`m missing something.....

Clockwise advances the timing, you're turning the cap terminals toward the counterclockwise spinning rotor, in effect making it spark sooner.

65fastbackresto · Oct 12, 2007

I got a light last night

Hope it works right, it a $50 Craftsman Inductive light that you hook around spark plug wire number 1. They had a nicer one for $70 and it had a dial on the back, but I chose the simplest one being as I`m gonna have to figure out how to work this thing to.

On the bright side of all this though, last night I was just looking for something to do on the car and found about 2 drops of brake fluid on the prop valve, I fixed that, stood on the brake peddle HARD for about 30 seconds, and found another leak on the other side. of the car.

Danny, I`m gonna button this thing down at zero like you suggested and start from there. If I understood you right, start with 12 to 14 degrees base advance, and change the spring on the MSD so it`ll come in sooner, but leave the 20 degree stop on the dist so it wont go past 34? Sound right to start with?

And its getting a full tank of 93 tommorow, but I have to drive 11 miles to get it. After I get it timed today I`m gonna ride it around close to home to make sure it dont do what it did yesterday again.

65fastbackresto · Oct 12, 2007

Update, something went wrong

rewired car this morning, started it up, everything was going good, had the motor running fairly smooth. Motor was at an idle and Temp got up to about 180 and I had the base timing between 10 and 12 degrees and was revving the motor up to make sure the centrifigal advance worked, and it does (it went up to about 26 degrees at about 2200 rpm and I didnt push it any furthur.

about a minute later the car dies (didnt sputter or spit, like you turned the key off)and when I crank the motor over blue smoke blows from the exhaust pipes. (I was under the hood so I didnt get to see which pipe or both or what).

Anyone have any ideas?

Problem seems to have occured about the time the thermastat should have opened I think, if that helps.

geostang351 · Oct 12, 2007

Hmmm. Blue smoke=oil burning. New can of worms.

65fastbackresto · Oct 12, 2007

I did a compresion check

Hum...no more blue smoke, it was just the first initial startup (failed startup, I think this is when the ignition failed) after it quit running that it did it.

So I tried a compresion check, 125 to 150. So nothing real bad down there. It was running rich, wonder if it could have flooded itself out and then tried to burn the excess fuel on the next start up? I had thought maybe it dropped a valve or something.

It still wont start, but its something in the dist, coil has fire to the dist, but no fire to the plugs. I`ll look into it later.

65fastbackresto · Oct 14, 2007

Anybody?

Could it have flooded itself out and done that?

I still cant get it to start. But its kinda weird, after it sits for a day, it tries to start the first time you hit the key, for about 5 seconds, then nothing. I think I may try a vacuum advance dist instead of this mech advance, maybe that`ll help.

D.Hearne · Oct 14, 2007

You might also try a fresh set of spark plugs, once they get fuel fouled, they won't fire for ****.

jeffnoel · Oct 15, 2007

Agreed with DH pull the plugs and see what they look like. If you do switch to a vac adv dist make sure the vac adv is disconnected when setting your timing.

65fastbackresto · Oct 15, 2007

This thing is really making me mad

I have some sort of firing problem, I have spark going into the coil, but none getting to the plugs. I called MSD tech line, they said it was one of 4 things.

1. Bad ground. I have 3 ground straps on this thing. And I messed with these saturday to no avail.
2. Rotor bug. Its new with dist and looks fine.
3. dist cap. Also new and looks fine
4. spark plug wires. Also new 8.5mm MSD wires

I kninda think there may be a problem with the magnetic trigger in the dist, but thats just a guess at this point.

brianj5600 · Oct 15, 2007

Are you using the original (pink) wire to power the ignition? It does not carry full voltage when a load is on it. If you test it w/o load it will show battery voltage, but once a load is on the wire it drops to around 9 volts.

65fastbackresto · Oct 15, 2007

LOL, I already crossed that bridge

Good eye though. I ran the MSD power remote wire to a toggle switch under the dash.

jeffnoel · Oct 15, 2007

65fastbackresto said:
I have some sort of firing problem, I have spark going into the coil, but none getting to the plugs.

Going into the coil or coming out of the coil to the distributor?

Which wires are you using from the MSD to the distributor?

Have you looked at the plugs to see if their fouled?

65fastbackresto · Oct 16, 2007

jeffnoel

I have fire from coil into dist, but nothing out of the dist.

Plugs look ok, but I am getting another set to be sure.

I am using the magnetic trigger wires from dist to ign box.

jeffnoel · Oct 16, 2007

What type of plugs? MSD doesn't recommend using platinum they prefer copper.

Trying to set my timing

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