5*-10* used to work when these engines were running on leaded gas. Using 10% ethanol is the main reason you need more timing. The aftermarket cams have a bit more ramp built into them than a factory cam and that will require more timing. Not enough timing running on 10% ethanol can cause over heating.
It sounds a little crazy but throwing timing at it until it starts to ping (spark knock, pre detonation) then backing it off a bit is pretty much the rule of thumb now days. You'll find that doing this will just about put the timing at the numbers we've been talking.
And that's my "Wall of Text" for today Mr. Pusser
It's certainly something to spend a lot of time on experimenting, if one is so inclined...and I reckon we are or we
wouldn't enjoy the dang hobby so much, eh?
Ok, in reverse comparison here
D), I don't run any fuel with ethanol in it unless I just have no choice. Even my
newer rides just do a lot better on the no-alky diet and return better fuel economy on the straight stuff, so that's
a no-brainer, especially since it's available locally.
It ticks all the boxes for me - better for the cars and the mileage, better for the power and I get a tiny bit of satisfaction
thumbing my nose at another fed mandate.
Yes, the GTX runs
noticeably hotter when I'm stuck buying ethfuel. Yuck.
I'm also running the old school Mopar purpleshaft cam, a little more conventional in comparison to modern, no doubt
better cams available now - but it came in the engine and I've always loved the sound, so it stays.
Your reference to supposed modern rules of thumb of "crank it up until it knocks" ain't so new at all - heck, that's
always how the shadetrees did it. I can remember my dad playing with 1930's cars and not even using a timing light.
Give it all the timing it would take until it rattled, then back off a couple....
That's always how I knew when to say when with the older 440's I played with, too. I'd start at 10BTDC, DC electronic distributor installed, then sneak up the timing until she rattled, then back off.
Worked like a charm - until this particular engine.
I've had the initial timing way up there, pushing 18-20BTDC and I haven't heard this one rattle yet.
Must not have any compression at all....
Yep, I'm happy at the moment with this engine responding to the same old bag of tricks for me, at least until all
these storms get out of here long enough for me to drive it some and test.
I AM concerned that I thought I saw a tiny bit of oil around the top edge of the MSD coil, though - looked almost
like the crimp seal along the edge was leaking a tiny bit?
That can't be good!
Finally:
Thanks for catching my "Buford" reference, my friend.
Self-effacing humor is something I enjoy doing, for whatever reason.
