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vacume advance

3K views 13 replies 3 participants last post by  Gus's 40 
#1 ·
I am running a msd pro billet with vacume advance I set the timing at 36 degrees total and when I hook up the vacume advance it jumps over 40, is this normal? or will it cause some detonation? its in a 383 chevy flat top two valve relief with aluminum 64 cc heads
 
#2 · (Edited)
Disconnect the vacuum advance and plug the vacuum source. Then see how it runs.

The initial timing advance should be set at 11-13 deg. BTDC with more than 9.8:1 compression ratio. I am assuming that your engine has about 9.6:1 static compression ratio so try 18 - 14 deg. BTDC if the static compression ratio is from 9.0:1 - 9.7:1.. The initial advance setting has more to do with detonation than the intermediate advance rate.
 
#3 ·
I was guessing my static compression is around 10.5 with flat tops and .010 piston to deck with 64cc heads I set my initial timing at 12 degrees with the bushing I have in it makes the total around 36 it seems to run real good but was just curious when I hook up the advance why the timing jumps so much
 
#4 ·
It appears that your vacuum advance is giving you 28 degres or more advance. That is a lot of advance. if your initial is 12, mechanical is about 24, (36 total minus 12 initial) and your vacuum is 28, this gives you 64 degrees with vacuum advance. Too much! you probably need to limit your vacuum advance.
Initial plus mechanical = 34-36. Initial plus mechanical plus vacuum should equal 48-52.
 
#7 ·
Yes, with rpms high enough that all mechanical is in. Initial (@idle) with vacuum advance hooked up will depend on whether you are using ported or manifold vacuum for the vac adv. Using ported vacuum the initial should be the same whether vac hose is hooked up or not."
Using manifold vac, the advance reading at idle should equal your initial plus vac adv. Which are you using?
 
#11 ·
Check a GM vacuum advance canister. It will have five numbers stamped on the mounting plate on each side of the push-pull rod. The set of 3 numbers indicates the last three digits of the part number. More important are the set of two numbers which indicates the maximum centrifugal advance allowed by the vacuum mechanism in distributor degrees.

Remember this: Distributor degrees x 2 = crank degrees. Maximum allowable advance is usual from 10 to 13 distributor degrees and is stamped on the vacuum canister mounting plate; or 20 to 26 crank degrees + initial advance = total advance. I would estimate that 80% of the people who have modified engines in their cars with double hump engines equipped with triple thumper camshafts don't even know what the initial advance is and don't know how to find it. That is because their engines cannot idle below 1000 RPM in order to check the initial advance with a timing light.
 
#12 ·
the cam I am running is a 480 lift 292 advertised duration 230 at .050 108 lsa I have the vacume advanced connected to the ported side per msd, when I timed it it idles about 900 rpm for the initial but with the vacume advanced plugged I just focused on the total and ended up with 12 initial it seems to start good and idle fine. I am just worried with the vacume advance hooked up that its too much
 
#13 ·
thanks f-bird'88 I just read the link jaw22w sent and was very helpful, I forgot to mention it is a auto trans with a 3000 stall, the engine starts good and from idle to wot it revs fast and smooth with no hesitation or sputtering it does seem to flatten out around 5500 some times, and if I am cruising down the hiway at 3000 rpm then mash it it does hesitate a little then take off. I am also running 3.90-1 rear gears, street tunnel ram 2 500 eldebrocks
 
#14 ·
thanks f-bird88 for the info, I have my total timing set at 36 the initial is 16 and I hooked the vacume advance up to manifold vacume then re set the carbs it helped allot. I was getting a stumble from cruising speed on acceleration and the plugs were pretty light colored so off the edelbrock manual I went up two stages on mid and wot put the next lighter springs in and what a difference, it really woke it up and idles much cleaner and the plugs look good also.There is no more hesitations and seems run real good, on some of the stuff I read they say to go rich then back down to a lean condition to dial it right in but I am not sure I should mess with it any more it seems happy where its at
 

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