I'm noticing something weird with my '66 200... Idle isn't great at 12-14 degrees initial timing, and overall performance isn't that great either considering the amount of work I've done to it, so I hooked up a vacuum gauge and started turning the distributor to see where I would get highest vacuum - and the engine kept getting stronger and stronger until I hit about 45 degrees! I took the car out for a drive today with it set at 25 initial, and didn't get any pinging. I was weary about setting it higher, but I have a feeling it would have felt better if I did. It seems like my timing readings can't possibly be right, but I pulled the #1 plug and watched the piston to verify my timing marks are correct, and it looks good. This is with a stock DSII distributor from a '78 Fairmont.
I went back to re-calculate the C/R with my modified large log head, and if I used the equation right, I'm at 8.67:1. For some reason I thought the stock was 8.7:1 and I was ok, but the shop manual says 9.2:1, so I'm actually pretty low.
Could it be that my low compression is throwing the amount of timing advance I need way off?? It doesn't seem possible that over 25-45 degrees initial would even work, let alone be better...
A little engine background, it was recently rebuilt by a shop bored .030 over but otherwise stock, and they put a COMP 260h cam in. I put a DSII distributor in with an MSD 6a controller, headers, and then I swapped the stock head with a large log head with a direct mount Autolite 2v.
Any ideas? Am I safe driving with that high timing??
I went back to re-calculate the C/R with my modified large log head, and if I used the equation right, I'm at 8.67:1. For some reason I thought the stock was 8.7:1 and I was ok, but the shop manual says 9.2:1, so I'm actually pretty low.
Could it be that my low compression is throwing the amount of timing advance I need way off?? It doesn't seem possible that over 25-45 degrees initial would even work, let alone be better...
A little engine background, it was recently rebuilt by a shop bored .030 over but otherwise stock, and they put a COMP 260h cam in. I put a DSII distributor in with an MSD 6a controller, headers, and then I swapped the stock head with a large log head with a direct mount Autolite 2v.
Any ideas? Am I safe driving with that high timing??