TA Performance 290-94H cam

Where is the best initial timing area for this cam?

 

Gonna depend on several other variables, mechanical or vacuum advance? Compression ? Etc but at least 14°

 

Its Machanical 10:1 compression

 

Thank you for the fast answer

 

If your running mechanical advance the initial timing will be greatly effected by the amount of swing your distributor has. Some swing 12*, some 15*, some 20*. If you have total at 32 and yours swings 20 then the initial will be 12, but if it only swing 12, then it would be 20.

I would guess most ppl would idle that cam at 800, or 1000 even and by then you might be getting some swing........

What distributor are running. Some like msd and mallory have alot of control over swing rates, when they start, and limits

 

I’m running a MSD and the bushing is blue so my swing as you say is 21 degrees, I might have to drop a size in bushing because I need to be at 32-34 degrees and 14+21=35 soooooooo I’m gonna try it at 13 for initial timing to see how that sets if not I will change it

 

It has the bushings also that will provide different curves

I think black is the fastest, been years so we I had one

 

Now what do you mean the fastest?

 

Ok got it, I have a timing light that has rpm, advance timing up and down. I turn my timing light to advance timing and then I turn up the advance to 32 degrees and then I turn the light to rpms and rev it up to 2500 rpms then I hit the button for advance timing and my timing mark is at 0 degrees at 2500 rpms. I let the car idle at 800 rpms and set my light for initial timing and the light reads 11 degrees, so am I doing it right?

 

That is correct, my distributor has the blue bushing installed. My advance is fully ingauged at 1900 rpm, is that too early because of the cam I have TA Performance 290-94h

 

Ok thanks, but I still need to get the timing to 14 degrees meaning I’m gonna have to change the bushing to the green which is 23 degrees. Thanks again guys for steering me in the right direction.

 

Ok I will do that, THnks again

 

Yea the 14°is just a minium # I would expect you to be able to use, if its 20° or more and starts easy and doesn't detonate then run it

 

I will start at 12 and work my way up

 

The pic is from msd site....the colored bushing effects how much swing you get......the springs change when you get it. Look at how just changing 1 spring from lighter to heavier drastic slows the curve down. I think the dist comes with all these.......if not the kids not that pricey. Only down fall to change the bushing the dust needs pulled, most of the way stripped to easily change the stop bushing .

Plus you can see if running 2 light spring's at 1000 you already have about 7 or 8 degrees of swing. So if your reading 14 there you only have 7 initial.

With the blue stop bushing your going to get about 22 degree of swing........so when all......if 2 light springs are used should be all in by 2000, I always check at 2500, then 3000 just to verify I don't gain any.... but if all in and total is 32......you only have 10 ignitial.

If your looking for 14 ignitial and 32 total all in by 2000, you would need the purple bushing and 2 light spring..... the more ignitial your motor needs the more you need to restrict the swing with bushings to keep the tial down. There is even aftermarket bushing that can be had as low as 10 degrees swing I think.

The more ignitial timing you can run normally the smoother a more will run and the cooler the egts are since your burning the fuel in the cylinder not in the exhaust. But the more ignitial you run the harder it is for the starter to roll the motor over.