Okay, so plug the vacuum port, and see where the mechanical advance is. If it's 34 BTDC then I'm good, and I can plug the vacuum canister back up and feel out how it behaves.
New engine no start issue
- Thread starter Buford T. JuSStice
- Start date
- Status
I am not familiar with MSD's Streetfire line but did the distributor come with any little springs and different size and color advance bushings?
MSD distributors (billet) use a bushing to set how much mechanical advance comes in and the different weight springs adjust the RPM on how fast they come in.
It did, but they're buried somewhere in the empire of dirt that is my garage. However, they do sell them for fairly cheap separately, and if I'm not mistaken they have them at local parts stores too so if I need to change them out it shouldn't be a huge deal to get them. Knowing my luck, I'll find the ones it came with shortly after I buy a new set, but it couldn't hurt to have two sets... especially since I have another one of these distributors on my '87 B-Body Caprice lol
https://www.jegs.com/InstallationInstructions/100/121/121-8362.pdf
It says they come with 22 mechanical, so the stops would need to be installed.
It says they come with 22 mechanical, so the stops would need to be installed.
I'll double check the card the engine came with when I get home from work. If I can get away with it, I'll step it down to 12 BTDC static timing instead. Right now it's in between 13-14, so 1-2 degrees retarded shouldn't hurt it, but 2 degrees advance could result in pinging at higher RPM.
I just read the Blueprint instructions to set the timing on your engine. They say to plug the vacuum line and bring the rpm up to 3500 rpm and set the timing at 34°, idle the engine down then bring it back up to 3500 rpm and check the timing is 32-34° and then check the initial timing with needs to be between 10 and 16°. They also say you need premium gas for this engine
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2...es_Installation_4-12.pdf?11518363283130774143
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2...es_Installation_4-12.pdf?11518363283130774143
Yeah, it's got 93 Octane in the tank now. When I get home I'll retard the initial timing down to 12 degrees and double check at 3500 RPM.
Funny because the card that the engine came with didn't mention 10-16 degrees, that makes things a lot easier.
Funny side note though, there are times I wonder how the hell I got so far building this car lol. Sometimes I feel like the turtle that got put up on top of a fence post.
I mean, I went to school for automotive and had some experience working with my Uncle, but I've never done this much before, and I'm basically learning how to do everything as I do it. I've almost had to unlearn just as much as I've learned because doing is obviously different than reading about it in a book and then having a 30 minute instruction from a teacher on how to do something, and schools don't teach you anything on how to tune an older car at all. Everything I thought I knew about that I learned from my Uncle, and it turns out he only knew about how to set base timing on the distributor and set the idle mixture screws. Granted, he knew how to set dwell on a point system as well, but that's not a factor here.
I mean, I went to school for automotive and had some experience working with my Uncle, but I've never done this much before, and I'm basically learning how to do everything as I do it. I've almost had to unlearn just as much as I've learned because doing is obviously different than reading about it in a book and then having a 30 minute instruction from a teacher on how to do something, and schools don't teach you anything on how to tune an older car at all. Everything I thought I knew about that I learned from my Uncle, and it turns out he only knew about how to set base timing on the distributor and set the idle mixture screws. Granted, he knew how to set dwell on a point system as well, but that's not a factor here.
There are two components to the 'all in' numbers - rpm and total timing. The rpm that all of the mechanical advance is in by is determined by the springs installed. The lighter the springs, then the quicker it will come. Usually the two lightest springs will have it all in by 2800-3000. Here's the important part : when checking the 'all in rpm' you need to rev the engine past the desired rpm number you want to so as to confirm that it is truly all in, and then record the rpm at which the mechanical advance stops advancing <= is ULTRA critical, otherwise you'll have the possibility of detonating this thing to death.
To set the all in timing number you must turn the distributor to attain the preferred number. You check this with he engine turning at or above the all in rpm.
As described by several, if you set the all in at 34 degrees, and then let it return to idle (below 850 rpms - also ultra important), then subtract the idle number from the all in timing number and that difference will be the amount mechanical advance supplied by the distributor. From here I would go and drive it with vac can still disconnected and make some WOT pulls to verify correct operation and no detonation (pinging). Then hook the vac can back up and readjust the idle screw to attain correct idle rpm and drive again with a couple of WOT pulls to confirm no pinging.
For an experienced guy, this entire process of checking the initial and all in timing takes about 90 seconds to check.
Good luck - Jim
Thanks, Jim.
Sounds like I'm almost there, I've just got to put everything I've learned here together and get it done. Hopefully after doing it one more time I'll have a pretty good idea of what I'm doing and I can go back and apply what I've learned to my old '87 Caprice. That car my Uncle and I tried tuning and all we ended up with was a car that could idle really well, but choked out the instant you put any throttle to it. Albeit, HE rebuilt the carburetor and decided he was going to put bigger jets in it to "give it more performance" so that might have something to do with it too... BUT that's another thing entirely lol
- Status
Similar threads
