Need help with Timing

[79MaliCrazz]

I'm trying to help a friend put his motor in correct timing he has a Chevy Caprice sbc 305 with a electric 600cfm Holley an edelbrock intake, headers and a HEI distributor.I unplugged the vacuum advance hose from the distributor.I adjusted the distributor till the timing mark on the pulley got to 0 degrees then I bolted down the distributor clamp and reconnected the vacuum hose back to the distributor.Now after i did that the car rpm went up and i checked the timing and the timing line on the pulley was way to the left if you are facing the front of the engine so what can be wrong should i adjust the idle to lower the rpm any help would be great I don't know much but learning how to do it from reading and watching videos.

 

[cutlass79]

sounds like its 180 out .u have to set the timeing mark at 0 when the motor is at top dead center and form there u do the timeing to about 6 befor top dead center

 

[checkinpox]

you have the basics right. unhook the vacuum advance, make sure to plug the vac line. adjust the timing line to zero. then find the sticker on the car that states what the car should be timed at. probably around 4 degrees. move the distributer till the proper timing is achieved. tighten the distributer. reattach the vac. adjust the idle to spec. should be about 600-750rpm in drive. the spec will also be on the stick you found the timing on. with the vac advance on the line will be nowhere near where you set it becuase it advances the timing as soon as its hooked up. especially if the rpm rises.

if it was 180 deg out the car wouldnt run. period.

 

[79MaliCrazz]

you have the basics right. unhook the vacuum advance, make sure to plug the vac line. adjust the timing line to zero. then find the sticker on the car that states what the car should be timed at. probably around 4 degrees. move the distributer till the proper timing is achieved. tighten the distributer. reattach the vac. adjust the idle to spec. should be about 600-750rpm in drive. the spec will also be on the stick you found the timing on. with the vac advance on the line will be nowhere near where you set it becuase it advances the timing as soon as its hooked up. especially if the rpm rises.

if it was 180 deg out the car wouldnt run. period.

Ok ill be doing this today ill put it to 0 then ill adjust it to spec thanks.I also thought at 180 the car wouldn't run as well.

 

[cutlass79]

you have the basics right. unhook the vacuum advance, make sure to plug the vac line. adjust the timing line to zero. then find the sticker on the car that states what the car should be timed at. probably around 4 degrees. move the distributer till the proper timing is achieved. tighten the distributer. reattach the vac. adjust the idle to spec. should be about 600-750rpm in drive. the spec will also be on the stick you found the timing on. with the vac advance on the line will be nowhere near where you set it becuase it advances the timing as soon as its hooked up. especially if the rpm rises.

if it was 180 deg out the car wouldnt run. period.

Ok ill be doing this today ill put it to 0 then ill adjust it to spec thanks.I also thought at 180 the car wouldn't run as well.

ok iv heard many people say a sbc wont run or even firs a 180 but wrong yes a sbc will run and even drive at 180 out.a buddy of mine drove his 84 gp for over a year fireing at a 180 it ran like sh*t!!! and back fired eveytime he hit the gas. but sill went down the road enf to get him where he needed to be after it wormed up .he went to a 2 dif shops in thay bouth told him it was 180 out in iv seen many sbc run at 180 out . i fixed it for him and hes been drivin it for over a year now

 

[checkinpox]

I would agree that a sbc could run 180 out but most would not be driving their car if it ran 180 out, but he said that the car increased in rpm and didn't mention any backfire. So i would say it's not 180 out. Could possibly be a tooth out.

 

[79MaliCrazz]

Ok I guess it can run 180 out but in my situation the car does not have any back fire it just idled higher when I connect the vacuum line back on.

 

[cutlass79]

Ok I guess it can run 180 out but in my situation the car does not have any back fire it just idled higher when I connect the vacuum line back on.

it could be bout about 90 out then .just bering the motor to #1 tdc start it up let it sit till its at running temp hun hook ur hei vac line and turn the dis till ur timing mark lines up its better to ues a timing gun but u can do by ear if u can find a timing gun.

 

[richp85elco]

make sure you plug both the vacuum adv. canister and the port on the carb...are you hooking up the vacuum advance to manifold (full) or ported? if you had it to manifold the timing would advance and your engine might run better with more advance which would make the rpms increase

 

[FE3X CLONE]

Why would you need to plug the vacuum canister? The source of the vacuum is the engine not the canister.

If your idle is increasing when you hook up the vacuum line the your running vacuum canister off full manifold vacuum which is strongest at idle and drops to zero at WOT. If you hook the vacuum line to ported vaccum (above the throttle blades) then your idle shouldn't increase since the vacuum signal is zero at idle and increases with engine rpm.

You may try experimenting to see which your engine likes better.

Ultimately you'll likely have to adjust your idle speed to compensate for the new timing advance.