Hei questions timing

[billy]

Stock 1969 318la
Carter 2bbl
1 wire hei
dont think i understand what to do to adjust a hei distributor.
Set the timing with vac advance plugged.
Then connected the hose and drove a bit.
It had more balls with the points.
My distributor didnt come with instruction
From my reading online it looks like i need a timing tape
And set timing hot idle 700rpm at TDC
But thats all i got
It's snowy so i am indoors trying to learn

 

[Bamamav]

Just set it by ear Billy. Turn the distributor until you get the highest RPM idling with the vac advance plugged off, then back off of it a bit and plug the advance back up. You may have to go back up or down a little if it's hard to crank, I prefer it to be a tad high instead of too low. As long as it doesn't kick back against the starter or spit out the carb, it should be fine.

 

[billy]

Just set it by ear Billy. Turn the distributor until you get the highest RPM idling with the vac advance plugged off, then back off of it a bit and plug the advance back up. You may have to go back up or down a little if it's hard to crank, I prefer it to be a tad high instead of too low. As long as it doesn't kick back against the starter or spit out the carb, it should be fine.

Willdo commander!
(Smartly gives cubscout salute)

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

Billy, make sure you have full BATT voltage to the HEI, good plug wires and .035 - .040 plug gap.

I agree with Bama and have timed many without access to a light.

I believe you're falling short on total timing, especially given your spec @ 0° TDC. (I doubt your ignition provides more than 22° advance, which would leave you 10 - 12° light, IMO.)

Advance your timing like Bama said and drive it. You can also leave the vacuum connected and drive it. Add timing in small increments until it pulls hardest. When you've gone too far, you'll lose power and need to back it off a touch...

.

 

[hankthebigdog]

I defiantly agree on gapping the plugs for the height at close to 40. Don't sound like a big deal, but sure makes it perform better.

 

[akatao]

as the DR said I'd go .040-.045 and use a 10 guage wire for feed

 

[billy]

Gapped 40
10 ga wire
More to come

 

[Oldphart]

You've already got some good advice but I wanted to add my $.02. In my experience you can either keep advancing it until it pings then back off a bit or set the total advance to 34 - 36° at 2500 - 3000 rpm. Both have worked for me but checking total advance also let's you confirm that your advance mechanism is actually working. They sell different springs for the advance mechanism to yield different advance rates.

To me the big thing is to make sure you don't leave it advanced so far you get detonation or ping.

 

[smallfoot]

I think Dr Crank mentioned having full voltage at the distributor. If your original set-up was points, did you remove the ballast resistor? I'm not even sure if Mopar had them[S, but that would have been the ceramic piece in the ignition wire route to the coil. You remove that from the wiring and run the wire straight thru...I believe it was used to lower the voltage to a regular coil for longevity. Not needed on HEI.

 

[Old Iron]

Top dead center is incorrect.
With a nonadjustable timing light, 8 to 10 deg at idle, vacuum unhooked.
Unless you have an adjustable timing light or timing tape on the harmonic balancer, you won't be able to check/set total timing.
Without a timing light, I like to leave the vacuum hooked up, run the engine up to 2500 to 3000, advance the timing until it starts to miss then, back the timing off till the engine runs smooth.
Drive it and make sure the engine doesn't spark knock/ping under acceleration. If it does back the timing off until it quits pinging.
Everyone has their way of getting the job done.

 

[Perfectly Flaw'd]

Any of you guys ever set timing with a vacuum gauge?

 

[Old Iron]

No but, I have set the carb with a vacuum gauge

 

[Perfectly Flaw'd]

No but, I have set the carb with a vacuum gauge

Right on. Had a veteran mechanic I worked with years ago tell me adjusting timing to peck vacuum was spot on. Just wondered if anyone else ever heard that.

 

[smallfoot]

Vacuum is a good indicator on whatever you're setting. That's my preferred tuning method on a chevy...

 

[akatao]

small foot has a good point that dodge has a ballast you need 12 volt and at least a 12guage feed I use 10 just over kill

 

[billy]

40 gap
No ballast
10 at idle
I pick up a timing tape tomorrow
I have
Timing light
Dwell/tach meter
Vacuum gauge.
What is an extra variable is since my front axle does not have locking hubs anymore but has the original full time splined hubs
Theres a lot more rolling resistance so it's hard to judge performance

 

[Blue Eyed Devil]

Is it a garbage Chinese distributor off eBay? Since it didn't come with instructions I'm just guessing.
If so, there's a good chance it was bad before you took it out of the box...

 

[billy]

Is it a garbage Chinese distributor off eBay? Since it didn't come with instructions I'm just guessing.
If so, there's a good chance it was bad before you took it out of the box...

Yep!actually it's from Australia but i dont know anything else

 

[billy]

I found this
http://automotivemileposts.com/garage/v2n8.html

 

[billy]

http://automotivemileposts.com/garage/vacuumgaugereadings.html