[tigerhapp]

I haven't timed a car in 40 years. I just bought a new digital timing light. I know how to hook it up, and I think I should plug the vacuum, set rpm at 3000 and hopefully see 36 btdc. The light has a button that allows me to change the advance or retard degrees on the light, but I'm not sure what to do then and the instructions are not clear. Is anyone familiar with this type of new timing light and the 350 sbc settings (rpm and degrees)? The engine is in a 1933 ford, so I don't have a car manual. The engine is early 80's.
Thanks,
Doug

 

[lluciano77]

Find out what your mechanical advance is. To do this, cap the vacuum advance.

Paint a white line on the zero degree mark on your balancer. TDC. Now, slowly spin the engine until the timing stops advancing. While you are doing this, turn the dial on the timing light in order to keep the light flashing at the timing pointer. You will need to keep increasing the numbers on the light. The number that the light stops moving at is your mechanical advance.

Whatever this number ends up being, subtract it from 34. If it was 24o for instance, your answer will be 10. That means you want to run 10o initial advance using the timing light.

Initial advance + mechanical advance = total advance

When you find out the initial required set the dial on the timing light for that number. Turn the distributor either way while the light is on that number. You want the white line to line up with the pointer again.

That will dial in your initial advance and your mechanical advance. Get that first. And then we can work on the vacuum advance.

 

[tigerhapp]

timing 350 sbc

OK thanks llluciano77, I will get that number and then post again. If the instructions on the light had been that clear, it would have been easy.

 

[lluciano77]

Let me know if you have any more questions. I am pretty good at dialing in distributor curves too. That is where all the efficiency is.