Power Timing your Buick V8

Larry is this weight issue also for street and highway driven cars? Frank

 

Hi Larry, I have a quick question re: total timing advance for stock GM distributors.
I'm working on an L89 396/375 BBC (I know lol) but this is a good friend of mine.

I'm trying to iron out some general issues with the car as I believe a few, lets say "unqualified" individuals have been monkey around with it.

With the timing issue, it appears to be getting far too much total advance (52.2*) all in at 2500 rpm
It's a stock original GM date coded points distributor. I set the initial to 10* for now, but believe the factory spec calls for 6*

Is there a stop for the centrifugal advance weights in these factory distributors? Not too familiar with the "old" points set up any more. That much advance set alarm bells off in my head. In my GS I run an MSD billet and have it locked in at 34* tops. Maybe it's missing a stop bushing or something?? TIA

Jim

 

Thanks Larry appreciate it

 

Dang, now I have to chime in. My MSD initial is jumping all over the place on a timing light. What to look for. No vacuum leaks that I've found, yet. Shooting for 14/32 with Black bushing (18*). Total is at 36 but at 2600 rpm on the Holley Sniper EFI Hand Held. It will settle solid on 7* initial but anything above that is jumping. Went at it with a vacuum gauge to max manifold vacuum at 8 - 9 in. Another 'learn' drive coming up. Should have taken software engineering in college.. lol.

 

Idle is about 700 - 750 w/manual trans. Don't see timing coming in before 1500 rpm but goes to 2600 to all in (on the HHH). I like your idea tho' and will give it a try.
Timing control not available with MSD 6AL unfortunately. I wonder if a new box would allow it, without changing the MSD distributor? I'll ask the Holley folks.

Thanks Larry.

 

bought myself a dialback timing light.
at the factory 10 deg initial vac plugged she ran to 37 or 39 total (memory!)
pulled her back to 9 deg initial and now got 35 total.
thatll do for tonights dragstrip test n tune session till I can get Terry to recurve the dissy.
took her out on the street and nailed the throttle both in Drive and up through the gears Low Second Drive and no pinging.
Running our Aussie premium unleaded.
I'll throw a can of VP Fuels Octanium in the tank at the strip just for a bit of insurance
Mickey Thompson ET Street SS on the rear she wont break traction at 31psi
Ill work the pressure to the track.
Be interesting to see what she runs.
Love my Stage 1

 

Well thought I blew the auto trans on first tun. Then second run tried to get us through but worked put why?...massive wheelspin

 

What do you mean by "blew the auto trans"? You seem down on horsepower. Your 1/8 mile speed should be at least 85 MPH+ and 1/4 mile speed about 20 MPH more than that with your combo. What kind of torque converter are you running? That might be holding your 60 ft time back. With the ET Streets you should be able to get below 1.8-1.9.

 

Got it, thanks. But, even a basically stock low compression '71 455 Stage 1 should run better than that with ET streets. My totally stock '72 Stage 1 with 98,000 miles went 100 MPH with just a re-curve and carb jetting. (on street radials). He has some things to work out.

 

Stock converter (and staying that way)
Zero experience with driving this car down 1/4
Zero experience with ET Streets.
Zero exp. driving an automatic.
First 2 attempts the car broke traction shortly after leaving the line. (31psi in rears!)
Nervous as #&*¥!
After the first 2 tractionless attempts I came up for a third attempt and after a burnout (which I didnt do on the first 2 passes) the starter stopped me for dropping green coolant.
Sent me back to start of staging lanes to fix it.
Overflow container lid had seperated and was dumping coolant, we fixed it by draining it and washing everything down with my drinking water.
Dropped rear pressures to 21psi and then had a full hours wait to get back to front of staging lanes so many cars on the night......
Ate a burger (hadnt eaten all day)
Day before this my missus terminated our 6 year relationship so I had a lot of stuff on my mind besides getting the best time out of an unknown car.
Sorry fellas Ill try to do better next time.. . ..

Ps very tired and stressed when I did the initial post so didnt explain stuff real well at all.

 

Yeah....sorry...can we move it?

 

Thanks but not Ist time at track had over 200 passes in my 4 speed 351 Ford on street tyres..
First time in a Buick