Well, I just read thru 12 pages in my "timing" search and didn't find any answers to a carb'd engine timing question.

Here is my problem...

Since the weather is getting cooler at night my car has been a real animal to start in the morning. One day last week the car just would not start, it would sputter once or twice then nothing. So my boss came over and turned the distributor a little and it fired up. All was good until this morning. It got down to about 50ish last night so I knew I was going to have fun getting it going this AM. Well, it wouldn't start. Had to get a ride to work. This afternoon I messed with the timing and finally afer about 2 hours got the car to run. Decided to go to the store a couple hours ago and the car runs like crap now. I'm sure the timing is not where it needs to be. I just need to know what it should be..lol. I'll list some specs of my engine if it matters...

Comp cams XE294, part# 31-254-4
Fox lake stage 1 heads
Crane gold rockers
Vic jr intake
BG 650 silverclaw carb
MSD billet distributor
MSD digital 6
Mallory coil
Ford racing wires

as far as I know all the parts have less than 1000 miles on them.



Thank you in advance......

 

Not positive about the 85, but most 5.0 have the base timing set at 10 degrees before top dead center. you need to get a timing light and set yours properly and the starting problem should go away.

 

i WOULD ALSO ADD YOU GET A BETTER BATTERY SO THE ENGINE TURNS OVER FASTER....ALSO TRADE IN THOSE PLUG WIRES THEY HAVE SOO MUCH RESIST IT ISN'T FUNNY

 

Its probably not a timing issue, you need a choke for getting the car warmed up on a cool morning.

 

The battery is a one week old Optima red top. That was the first thing I bought after I got the car.

Yeah I know a choke would help with the cold starting but I was hoping to get by with the car until the end of october. Then it will sit in the garage all winter. I'd hate to buy a new carb and just for another month. [:'(]

I still think the timing is not positivly correct, just needed some sort of base to start with.... thanks guy for the replies.

 

I was gonna ask if its a manual or auto choke. I used to go through this with my Holley 650 in my Nova SS. I HATE Holleys! They suck. Get an Edelbrock. Much better if you ask me.

 

Well you implied the car only acts up when its cold... and you have no choke on your carb... you do the math

 

Yeah, why didn't you say it didn't have a choke in the first place???? This will make it harder to start but not impossible, so I still think your problem is with the timing or somewhere else in the ignition system.

 

Well base timing is 10*, you gotta check this with a timing light and (if you have one .. not sure) the spout connector removed - if its a vacuum disptributer you will need to cap off the vacuum line to the distributer.

If you can't set the ignition timing then how can you tell me you think thats the problem and not the choke - when you've already said the car is getting hard to start now that the weather is getting colder. Well let me tell you that 50* weather + no choke = good luck getting it started and running long enough to warm up before the battery goes dead.

 

Wow guys... all I wanted to know was a ballpark timing measurement. I know the car will be hard to start when it's 40* outside because of the lack of a choke, already did that math.


Here is the reason I think it's the timing. The guy I bought the car from said he just put the distributor in "and didn't get a chance to dial in the timing". Reagardless, I took it to a guy tonight and he showed me how to tune the carb a little and we set the timing. He said it was all out of whack, both the air/fuel mixture and the timing were off. He said it should start alot easier now that the fuel isn't puddling in the intake. Tomorrow morning we shall see.