Properly timing my 1967 Satellite with a rebuilt 360. Any tips on what initial and all in timing should be?

[tonyp25]

So from what I read on previous posts most small blocks run well around 12-14 initial 34-36 all in. I haven’t checked the timing yet but it’s running a little rough. Idling at 1100rpm, stalling out when put in reverse and stalling at stop lights. So there might be some carb tuning that needs to be done but would like to figure out the timing first. Since it’s not original to the car just wondering what you all thought.

I was told this engine was rebuilt with the following within the past year:

-Roller Rockers
-Aluminum intake
-Holly Electric Choke Carb
-Proform Distributor
-MSD Ignition
-Jones racing accessory drive kit (one wire alternator and steering pump)
-Carter racing fuel pump

With a 3:23 positraction rear (that I noticed kicks into second gear right around 11mph which seems to soon)

Also for what ever it’s worth I’m running it on normal gas from Costco.

 

[toolmanmike]

Each different combination needs different timing. I would start with 15° initial with a total of 32° Any more than 32° and you may get some detonation.

 

[toolmanmike]

And yes, it needs more transmission throttle pressure if it's shifting 1-2 that early.

 

[moparedtn]

If you know who the engine builder was, it wouldn't hurt to consult with them either....

 

[R413]

36 degrees is a good start. Definitely don't want any pinging.
Do you know the compression ratio?

1-2 shift at 11 mph. but how far is your foot on the gas pedal when this happens? This might be normal for it.

Have a helper floor the gas pedal and the throttle pressure linkage should be all the way back, no more movement there.

 

[Belvedere408]

I have a blueprint 408 stroker 375hp iron head. I run my initial at 10, total 34 @3500 per blueprint instructions. Have a fire core vacuum advance distributor that Halifax set up with my engine specs. 3:23 rear gears A833.

 

[Geoff 2]

The single plane intake isn't going to help idle quality......
I presume the engine has a bigger cam....hence the 1100 rpm idle.
You are very smart to want to dial in the timing FIRST; most do not get 'it'.

Here is what you need to do for idle [ initial ] timing:
- vac adv disconnected & plugged
- engine idling, in gear, rpm as low as engine will tolerate
- starting at about 12-14*, turn dist slowly to advance timing. Rpm will increase & idle will get smoother [ how did I know that? ]. Keep advancing until you have highest rpm/smoothest idle.
- now check the timing. Could be as much as 40*.
- report back for next step
- see below as an example of what the correct idle timing does.
- I would go to your local marina with the Holley & see if anybody needs a boat anchor.... Install an Edel 600 AFB.

 

[Geoff 2]

And....

 

[RemCharger]

Both carbs will make poor boat anchors.

 

[Geoff 2]

Holley is heavier, will sink to the bottom faster....

 

[R413]

The single plane intake isn't going to help idle quality......

- I would go to your local marina with the Holley & see if anybody needs a boat anchor.... Install an Edel 600 AFB.

Love this one. LOL

 

[dvw]

You know its funny about Carb opinions. At one time or another I've used them all. They all will work when clean and properly tuned. Some do a better job for a given use. Anybody that thinks Holley's go in the trash hasn't done a lot of heads up racing unless they were limited by carbs rules. Need to know more about the combo in question here. Carb #, Cam, compression,
Doug

 

[Don Frelier]

Do you know if the torque converter was changed?
If it's a factory original it may be a fairly low stall.
Do you need to hold the brake pretty firmly in gear?
I'd try and lower the idle speed.
You should consider an air/fuel gauge to see where your mixture is running.

 

[AR67GTX]

Do you have a dial back timing light? If so I would set it to 34 degrees, plug off the vacuum advance if it has one, warm up the engine, throttle it up to where the timing stops advancing and rotate the distributor until it reads 0 on the timing marks (actually 34 degrees advance). Then let it back down to idle and readjust the dial back until it reads 0 degrees again and look at what the advance is on the timing light - that is your base timing setting to use at idle in the future to set timing.

Two caveats. First, if the advance doesn’t stop advancing by about 3200 rpm’s, stop and install lighter advance springs in the distributor to get full advance in no later than 3,000 rpm. Second, the advance springs that get your full advance in between say 2800 and 3000 rpm, may be so light that you are getting some advance coming in at that high 1100 rpm idle. So if you later manage to get the idle back down to a lower rpm where the centrifugal advance is holding at 0, then you will need to go through the procedure again to re-establish your new base timing setting.

If the car runs fine without pinging on your gas of choice then you can experiment with bumping the timing up to 36 total to see if it will handle that. If it pings at 34 degrees then you can drop it back to 32 or 33 degrees to see if that takes care of it.

This will at least get you started. After that you can get further into the distributor to look at the amount of centrifugal advance set up in it and if you want to try to reduce it to allow a higher base timing setting. Or if too little centrifugal advance is causing such a high base timing setting that you have starter issues (probably not likely) then you can explore increasing the centrifugal advance.

But I certainly agree with the others that that single plane intake and most likely the carb setup are going to be a problem on the street. A relatively heavy car with a 3.23 axle, Torqueflite (stock converter?) and small block engine just isn’t likely to work well with a single plane intake on the street.