[JACK_BURTON55]

Hey freaks! lol i did a search but could not find exactly what i was looking for. I recently rebuilt my carb, runs great. Now i want to adjust my timing and try to get the most out of my motor.

I was talking to a cheb guy who lives in Canada, he said to loosen the bolt that holds the distributor down a little until i can rotate the distributor. He said to rotate it counter clockwise to advance the timing until the motor pings while brake standing. I told him that ponchos rotate the opposite of a chev( is this right? i just recently read it in the Pontiac engines are different thread). so clockwise for pontiac? He said do this until in pings and then turn it back just until it stops.


If it is possible to do it this way and get some more HP out of the car im down. Advice??

[J_JAMNIK]

Chevy is clockwise, REAL engines are counter-clockwise. Trial and error is the best way to set timing, but it does take some time and is dependent on the distributor weights and the vacuum advance if you have one. Going deeper, some weight sets allow more advance than others, lighter springs let the weights advance at lower RPM, a vacuum advance could allow for more (or less) advance due to the size (length) of the vacuum actuated rod slot, and to what vacuum source the vacuum advance is connected to. Most power engines sacrifice the gas mileage by bypassing the vacuum advance and just use the weights to advance the timing.

[Kenth]

Use the factory settings and parts and you and your car will be happy.

Using "racing settings" and aftermarket junk parts on your otherwise original car and you will have head ace and gray hair in no time.

Building and learning how "to get the most out of your engine" is a long process wich may have its start with buying Jim Hands book "How to build max performance Pontiac V8´s"?

[steve]

get a timing light and you will eliminate a lot of guesswork....IMO

["QUICK-SILVER"]

Clockwise to advance IS correct.
TOO much timing is as bad as to little. The car may not have any take off power at all.
Get(beg/borrow/buy/whatever) a timing light and check the timing like you're suppose to. The distributor may have something wrong with the advance, to the point where setting timing doesn't help. You can check that with a timing light.

Once timing is set, with a light, use the light to try different settings. Just a couple of degrees at a time till you find where the engine runs best.

The low compression 350 may not ping, brake torqueing, no matter where you set the timing. The engine wont turn enough RPM's for the centrifical advance to work right.

GET A TIMING LIGHT and it doesn't have to be a fancy one.

Then post back for help, you'll get a lot more then.

[old66tiger]

get Jim Hands book....Good start. He goes through ignition tuning pretty well.

[chiphead]

Adjusting timing based on audible detonation and no timing light is how you do things when you don't know anything and can't afford a timing light. Often, low compression engines won't make a sound while beating themselves to death. Overadvanced timing shows up as hard starting, kickback, loss of power and/or overheating. You may not hear anything, but detonation can be present.

Factory HEI has a limited amount of advance. Usually, just twisting distributor until you get 34* of timing at 3000 results in WAY too much base timing. So you've got to play with weights, springs and center plate to get it all dialed in.

Shoot for 12-14* of base timing and 33-36 degrees of total timing by 3000 RPM.

[amcmike]

Originally Posted by JACK_BURTON55

I was talking to a cheb guy who lives in Canada, he said to loosen the bolt that holds the distributor down a little until i can rotate the distributor. He said to rotate it counter clockwise to advance the timing until the motor pings while brake standing. I told him that ponchos rotate the opposite of a chev( is this right? i just recently read it in the Pontiac engines are different thread). so clockwise for pontiac? He said do this until in pings and then turn it back just until it stops.

That is a really dumb way to attmpt to "optimize" your ignition advance. My advice... don't take anymore tuning recommendations from him.

["QUICK-SILVER"]

JACK BURTON55,
I wouldn't mind helping you with the car, but you're on the wrong side of the state (too far away) for me to help. Maybe you can find a closer PYer that can help you get it straightened out.

Looking at last sentence in original post "im down".
I'm sure the 350 2bbl with auto and 2.41 gears wasn't REAL powerful to start with. Has something happened and all of a sudden got weaker or broke?

[JACK_BURTON55]

ok ok, enough Jack Bashing! lol im trying but still new to engines and working on them. I was born 6 years after the last 301 was put in a car so cut me some slack.

I have Jim Hands book, great book but a little too advanced, doesn't get into much detail on actually adjusting the timing.

OK i need a timing light, but you guys are telling me that adjusting the timing wont possibly make power? stock specs are best?? well werent the stock specs set for emissions mostly? am i wrong? there has to be a better setting.

QUICKSILVER, right now im over in statesboro GA just west of savannah, i hope to be back in acworht GA later this spring. Perhaps we could get together then? id love to work on ponchos with another pontiac guy. nothing but chevs around here

[jonmachota78]

Jack,

Your performance setting has been listed:

Originally Posted by chiphead

Shoot for 12-14* of base timing and 33-36 degrees of total timing by 3000 RPM.

Again, you can't do that by ear. Need a timing light, a tach, and a helper to hold the rpms at 3000 while you adjust for total timing (with vac adv disconnected) (don't wear a tie while doing this)

Jon