Timing
I ♥ Acer
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,845
From:
RE: Timing
ya you can use a vaccum gauge and your ear and the nerves in your hand to feel how the motor is running the best way is to find a car that is set and hold the motor and feel how its running then remember how that feels and feel for that when you hand is on the distributor cause the bad thing about a timing light is
a) if your harmonic balancer is off your screwed
b) timing chains stretch and stuff wears so the timing light doesn't accomodate for that
but i use mine when timing to see where i am sitting at and to check my advance it is a very handy tool
a) if your harmonic balancer is off your screwed
b) timing chains stretch and stuff wears so the timing light doesn't accomodate for that
but i use mine when timing to see where i am sitting at and to check my advance it is a very handy tool
Foghorn Leghorn
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,923
From: I reside in a near constant state of amazment.
RE: Timing
I you use the technique that Gothand suggested, which I do, when you test drive it make sure you are at WAO throttle. Keep advancing the timing until it pings and then back it off a hair. An old mechanic friend of mine told me that this was setting the timing to the power curve of the engine. Another technique I used to use on my old 68 firebird that worked pretty well was to adjust the timing at idle until I reached maximum vaccum and then back it off 2"Hg. Crude but effective
Foghorn Leghorn
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,923
From: I reside in a near constant state of amazment.
RE: Timing
To advance the timing on a Ford small block, rotate the distributor clockwise. Advance it a little bit, and take it for a spin. Stand on it (ie. WAO) and listen for the pinging. If it does not ping, stop, advance it a little bit more. Repeat this process until you hear it ping. Once you hear it ping, retard the timing (counter-clockwise), floor it, and listen for the pinging. You want to do this until you reach that fine line just a little bit below the "ping point". You DO NOT want the car to ping under full load. Nothing to it.
Thread Starter
4th Gear Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,413
From: florida
RE: Timing
ORIGINAL: fastbackford351
To advance the timing on a Ford small block, [sm=smiley25.gif]. Advance it a little bit, and take it for a spin. Stand on it (ie. WAO) and listen for the pinging. If it does not ping, stop, advance it a little bit more. Repeat this process until you hear it ping. Once you hear it ping, retard the timing (counter-clockwise), floor it, and listen for the pinging. You want to do this until you reach that fine line just a little bit below the "ping point". You DO NOT want the car to ping under full load. Nothing to it.
To advance the timing on a Ford small block, [sm=smiley25.gif]. Advance it a little bit, and take it for a spin. Stand on it (ie. WAO) and listen for the pinging. If it does not ping, stop, advance it a little bit more. Repeat this process until you hear it ping. Once you hear it ping, retard the timing (counter-clockwise), floor it, and listen for the pinging. You want to do this until you reach that fine line just a little bit below the "ping point". You DO NOT want the car to ping under full load. Nothing to it.
Banned
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 956
RE: Timing
Loosen the distributor, Start engine. have someone bring the engine up just above the max on the vacuum advance or centrifugal advance, say around 2000. Move the distributor one way until it starts to sputter a little, Mark the spot, move it the other way until it starts to sputter a little. mark the spot. In the middle of those two marks is a real good place to be without a light.