Ignition timing

[Sonny]

My ‘78 360 has 15* initial and only 27* total rev’d up. So 12* built in. It’s a new remanufactured cardone dizzy. How do l get to 36* or so total? It has the odd spring with the large end and the small spring. Am l headed towards an MSD dizzy and ignition box to get there?

 

[snakeoil24]

No! The stock dizzy has a limiter plate. Look at the plate and rotate it you will see a stop that prevents it from going any higher. You have to remove it or grind it off. If you don't have the limiter then you have to change springs which you can order from mancini or from Richard Eherenberg the writer for Mopar magazine.

 

[PurpleBeeper]

The distributor you have is fine. I haven't looked inside a small block distributo in a while but something is limiting the mechanical advance. Springs (in almost all cases) only make the mechanical advance come in faster/slower. I guess you "could" temporarily remove the larger funky ended, bigger spring as a test to see if your total advance stays the same or not. If your total is still 27, then you have to modify the limiter plate snakeoil is talking about. If the total advance goes way up, then you could change spring (or springs). Other thing would be to advance your distributor if the engine still runs right. Total advance = Initial timing advance + mechanical advance. Snakeoils idea is probably correct, but I would play around with initial timing first (running premium gas to avoid spark knock). I normally run as much initial timing as I can and then limit the total timing (not reduce the limit) + not all engines will run their best at 36 degrees total.

 

[Xp29h]

You mentioned msd. Like stated what you have is fine. If you go msd it will be work too, not to mention pretty hefty price tag. If you go with the billet dizzy you can use a variety of springs to help you get where you want. Unless you've been there a few times, changing the spring isn't the easiest. The ready to run dizzy has a really hefty price tag and I haven't used one so I don't know about that one. So, my point, going msd will work for sure but isn't necessarily going to be the easy fix. My 2c..

 

[HALIFAXHOPS]

Cardone usually sets up the dist to fit many applications so it has the average curve in it, There are a ton of factory advance cams available out there and the limiter plate does just that not add to the curve. That is the total at the crank? With a vac advance? Really low. The numbers on the advance cams are dist degrees so it is double at the crank, really need to see what is in there now, can just be binding somewhere, not unheard of.

sounds like you want 26 or so mechanical and 10 or so vac, springs do not change the total just when the mechanical gets there and the large one is normal Mopar.

 

[dvw]

Before you did anything, try 22-24 initial. If it's low compression it'll probably like it.
Doug

 

[lewtot184]

you probably need an 11 degree advance plate but may have a 9, or less. all you have to do is increase the length of the slot. every .015" increase in slot length will add 2 crankshaft degrees.

 

[Sonny]

Cardone usually sets up the dist to fit many applications so it has the average curve in it, There are a ton of factory advance cams available out there and the limiter plate does just that not add to the curve. That is the total at the crank? With a vac advance? Really low. The numbers on the advance cams are dist degrees so it is double at the crank, really need to see what is in there now, can just be binding somewhere, not unheard of.
View attachment 545422
sounds like you want 26 or so mechanical and 10 or so vac, springs do not change the total just when the mechanical gets there and the large one is normal Mopar.

My numbers are straight without vacuum advance. Performance seems sluggish at 15/27. Can it really take 20-22 initial?

 

[Cranky]

My numbers are straight without vacuum advance. Performance seems sluggish at 15/27. Can it really take 20-22 initial?

If your engine is stock, most likely it will take it. I've gone way higher than that before on the initial....

 

[HALIFAXHOPS]

My numbers are straight without vacuum advance. Performance seems sluggish at 15/27. Can it really take 20-22 initial?

Give me all the specs, dist #, year engine and trans I will look it up for you as stock.
Hoppy

 

[Sonny]

Give me all the specs, dist #, year engine and trans I will look it up for you as stock.
Hoppy

1978 360 with 904 trans. Don’t have the dizzy number. Thanks

 

[Sonny]

Before you did anything, try 22-24 initial. If it's low compression it'll probably like it.
Doug

Doug. The 22* initial works great! Thanks for the tip!
Sonny

 

[dvw]

Doug. The 22* initial works great! Thanks for the tip!
Sonny

Now if you are brave you could file the slots, it may even like more. It would be based on ability to crank easily but most of all detonation.
Doug