TIMING QUESTION

[JEFF69Z28]

HAS ANYONE TAKEN THE SPRINGS OFF THE WEIGHTS IN THE DISTRIBUTOR OR DO THEY HAVE TO BE ON.
WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO SET TIMING IN A SMALL BLOCK CHEVY.RIGHT NOW I HAVE MY SON REV IT UP TO 3000 RPM AND SET IT AT 38 - 40,AM I DOING IT CORRECTLY?
WHY WOULD MY PLUGS BE BLACK AFTER 10-20 PASSES.
406 CID,750 HOLLEY,MSD 6AL 2,SINGLE PLANE HIGH RISE INTAKE,64CC/220 INTAKE PRO LINE HEADS/CAM IS 296 DUR./510 LIFT.JE FLAT TOP PISTONS/4340 CRANK/6"H-BEAM RODS/7 QUART OIL PAN.ALSO WHY IN THE hE11 IS MY BREATHER CAP BLOWING OIL OUT OF IT UNDER HARD ACCELERATION.

[us7race]

If you take the springs and weights out of the distributer then you need to keep it from moving..lock it out, otherwise your timing will be all over the place. If this is a factory HEI then 3000 most likely isn't enough, but if you lock it out you can set it as low as you can read it accuratly. Plugs can be black for various reasons like rich idle mixture, too much jet..
Are your valve covers baffeled?

[JEFF69Z28]

VALVE COVERS HAVE A RUBBER GROMMET THAT HAS A TYPE OF BAFFLE IN IT.DISTRIBUTOR IS A MSD 85551 PRO BILLET TYPE RIGHT NOW I HAVE THE SMALLEST STOP(BLACK)BUSHING IN IT AND THE WEAKEST SPRING'S.JETS ARE 75 FRONT AND 80 IN BACK.I THINK IM GOING TO GO TO 72 FRONT AND 78 REAR AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

[bjuice]

Square them jets and make sure you have some jet extenders

also lock that distributer out you need full advance right then and there on a drag car.

ya got a power valve in that carb?..if so block is off and go up 4 to 6 jet sizes to compensate.

[JEFF69Z28]

PLEASE EXPLAIN THE, SQUARE THE JETS.
BLOCK THE BACK POWER VALVE ONLY,CORRECT?
AFTER THE DIST.IS LOCKED OUT DO I STILL SET THE TIMING THE SAME WAY AS FORMENTIONED?

[bjuice]

Sqauring just means same jets in front and rear...try this before blocking off power valve..if ya still running rich ya may have to look at block off power valve..
when you lock your timing at whatever full advance you desire. it will remain locked at that position, you will not have to bring the rpm's up to get it to advance..

hope this helps.

[fishman1]

Sqauring just means same jets in front and rear...try this before blocking off power valve..if ya still running rich ya may have to look at block off power valve..
when you lock your timing at whatever full advance you desire. it will remain locked at that position, you will not have to bring the rpm's up to get it to advance..

hope this helps.

But you will have a problem starting your car as it is full advanced, you need something to retard the timing for starting of the car....there is start retards that wil retard your timing while you start the car and at 1400 rpm will be totally advanced......sorry for butting in just makes life easier with a start retard box

[johnracer]

Starting probably won't be a problem with corrrect timing. I'd bet that a 406 with a cam that small won't want more than 34-36 degrees total. JMO.....
Johnny

[mopar1962]

I think you should rev it til you stop advancing to actually see where total timings coming in at. I would shoot for total on a drag car to fully advance by 1200 rpm on a dual purpose 2000rpm, should have no trouble starting.Thats giving you 60% more spark advance and the engine will respond. gobble freaking gobble :shock:

[JEFF69Z28]

MOPAR PLEASE EXPLAIN YOU PROCESS...
THANK YOU.

[mopar1962]

hey jeff, ill give it a whirl. First off ya need an adjustable timing light. have someone sit in the car and rev the engine until the balancer stops moving, note the rpm.attach the light and have a friend hit the pedal at the rpm the balancer stops moving while you adjust the knob to this rpm.Its ok to rev it a lil higher to make sure total is all in, not ok to set total if advance is not all in.look at the number on the light, this is where total is coming in at,lets say ya want 36 degrees as an example,you want total timing, 36 degrees, to be all in at by 2000 rpm for a dual purpose car and around 1000 to 1200 in a race car. there shouldnt be any need to remove the springs,its time to test and tune the distributor by using lighter springs and stop buttons in your case. if ya dont have the buttons or springs give jegs a call and they will deliver next day. running the msd you should be able to get away with .060 gap on the plugs. engine should respond nicely, hope this helps.

[dparker]

On locking your distributor. Pull the cap. Take the dist. out of your engine. Take the spring and weights off the dist..Take the dist. gear off. Loosen the nut under the weights. Then lift center part of the dist. and turn it 180 deg. Put it back in and tighten the nut again. You should be able to see that the plate where the rotor goes no longer has play. Reinstall the gear and put the dist. back in and you've locked your advance. Unless you've got a ton of compression you shouldn't have to run a timing retard at start up. I'm sure they work great but my engine starts great without one, with the timing set at 38 deg.

[JEFF69Z28]

MOPAR,
IF I UNDERSTAND YOU YOUR SAYING TOTAL TIMING BY 2000 RPM.RIGHT NOW I HAVE BEEN REVING MY MOTOR TO 3000 RPM AND SETTING THE TIMING AT 36 DEGREES,I SHOULD BE REVING TO 2000 RPM AND SETTING MY MOTOR AT 36.AS YOU CAN TELL IM KINDA NEW AT THIS. :?:

[mopar1962]

naw jeff,if ya just set total at 2000 or 3000 rpm ya still dont know when total is coming in. first you need to know what exactly you have to start. Lets use 36 degrees total by 1200 rpm as an example. set the light to 36 degrees and basic time the engine,now have a friend sit in the seat and watch the tach while you keep the light on the damper. slowly increase the rpms until the balancer appears to have stopped moving,take it over 5000 rpm just to be sure you dont have a slow curve. Now note the rpm that the damper appears to have stopped moving ,this is TOTAL timing.you want to shoot for 36 degrees by 1200 to 2000 rpm depending on the application. once ya do it a few times its really simple and this assumes your not running a vacuum line from distributor to carb. hope this helps because its free hp,take care