Timing

mluck

Well-known member
My question is...I installed a new dizzy..pretty much timed it by ear as I have always done in the past..cleaning out the garage I found a timing light.so I want to check it..what I don’t understand is 12degrees tdc...looking at the timing marks..if 0 is tdc..which is at the bottom of the marks..do I move the dizzy up until I hit 12.
 
You have a nice build.
Your distributor is a mystery. You need to know how much centrifugal advance you have?
Initial advance of 12 degrees is not the best for proper performance & driveability.
However since you have a mystery distributor you do not know what you have.
Who knows what your distributor has as far as vacuum advance.
Where did you get your distributor from????
I recurved a Mallory unilite about a year ago. Was it yours??
I will be glad to help you but what you have is a guess.
You need a distributor curved for your application both centrifugal & vacuum. Bill
 
mluck":1let2xtr said:
My question is...I installed a new dizzy..pretty much timed it by ear as I have always done in the past..cleaning out the garage I found a timing light.so I want to check it..what I don’t understand is 12degrees tdc...looking at the timing marks..if 0 is tdc..which is at the bottom of the marks..do I move the dizzy up until I hit 12.

Ok, yes 0 is TDC (Top Dead Center) this means the # 1 Piston is at the "Top Of Its Travel" (the highest point) on the Compression Stroke. To make the best power out of the engine we will want the Ignition Spark to lead the piston so the flame front has the correct amount time to start burning and create the power to push the pistion down the hole. In this case it's 12 degrees BTDC (Before Top Dead Center). Mark your Dampner Mark with some chock or paint it White so you will see it easier. With the engine ideling and the Distribitor vacuum line disconnected turn the Distribitor untill the mark lines up with the 12 degree mark on the timing tab. Hope that's of some help, Good luck :nod:
 
You need a dial back timing light to really see what you have. You may be stuck with 12 degrees depending on your centrifugal total.
36-38 degrees is the desired total without vacuum @ 2700-2800 rpms.
 
Way to confusing to me....all I know that I removed the Mallory unilite,wires,coil and installed a hei dizzy...this car has never and I mean never ran this strong...so for now I’m not going to mess with it..but I do wonder if everything was properly dialed in..what it would feel like.
 
mluck":12byh77u said:
Way to confusing to me....all I know that I removed the Mallory unilite,wires,coil and installed a hei dizzy...this car has never and I mean never ran this strong...so for now I’m not going to mess with it..but I do wonder if everything was properly dialed in..what it would feel like.
If you installed the HEI out of the box you are leaving HP, Torque & drive ability on the table.
Your centrifugal advance is way off & so is your vacuum advance.
I know because i had to redo everyone i sold.
You also need the oiling mod done on your HEI. Bill
 
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