All Small Six 200 timing

[Adam Eriks]

I have a 200 and I’m wondering why it wants to be at 28 degrees initial timing. (I’ve already checked that the harmonic balancer hasn’t slipped) any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[awasson]

Are you saying that the initial timing before vacuum advance or any mechanical advance is 28 degrees? That seems excessive. What’s the state of the engine? Is it stock, cam’d? All in, I can see the engine at speed using 28 degrees advance but not for the initial setting.

How are you measuring your advance? Are you using a timing light with a dial on it or have you added additional marks to the balancer so you can see 14, 28, 42, etc.?

A stock engine with stock carb, distributor and stock camshaft should be happy with the initial timing at around 6 degrees to 12 degrees but that’s at idle with the vacuum canister on the distributor disconnected.

Most performance camshafts want a bunch more timing.

 

[Adam Eriks]

To the best of my knowledge it is a stock motor I’m using a timing light with a dial and it is 28 btdc with vacuum advance disconnected at idle

 

[Otto]

Since you have a light with a dial, what is the reading at say, 1500, 2000 rpm? With vacuum disconnected.

 

[Adam Eriks]

It stays the same throughout the whole rpm range with the vacuum disconnected. Correct me if I’m wrong but this distributor doesn’t have mechanical advance

 

[wsa111]

What year car is it??
Take a picture of your distributor. Does the carb. have a spark control valve?
If you need a performance i have several DS11's in the small six section of this forum. Bill wsa111

 

[Adam Eriks]

I’m new to forums how do you post pictures

 

[awasson]

I’m new to forums how do you post pictures

I think you need 5 posts before you can post photos.

When it's idling at 28° BTDC, it must be stumbling a bit, as in I can only suspect that it would be misfiring from time to time. Are you detecting that?

What happens when you bring the timing down to about 12° BTDC? I'm sure you would need to increase the throttle if it idles too low but that is in the range of where the stock engine should be timed.

I have heard that the dial type timing lights can give you erroneous results but I haven't used one myself. I added marks additional at 14, 28, 42 and I use a regular timing light.

You can also put a vacuum gauge on the manifold vacuum and adjust the timing for the best vacuum at smoothest idle. Then check and see where you are at.

 

[Adam Eriks]

Ok to update for whatever reason it is working good at 14 degrees initial timing I don’t know what was going on before but all seems to be well. Thank you everyone who helped me out