Timing Questions

[Gregor]

I have all my ignition parts installed and I am ready for my first firing of the engine. I have a Ford Motorsport Dizzy with no vac advance, a Duraspark II box, with it wired up with the starter retard. Is it ok to run with a locked timing on the street? My engine combo is really mild. Or should I get a better ignition box or a vac advance dizzy. I have never played with locked out timing, only having EEC doing all my timing advances.

What would I set the timing to?

302 short block, SD cam (stock '87 Mustang), GT40P heads milled .010, 1.6 rockers, Weiand Intake, 600 CFM carb, Duraspark II box, MSD Coil, FMS 9mm wires, Ford Motorsport Dist with no Vac advance, just a mag pickup and autolites 764 plugs.


Thanks for any help on this. I have been wondering if I have the right parts. And dont really want blow my engine up or burning a piston.

[Prince Valiant]

For such a mild cam, you're hurting yourself quite a bit...solution though isn't to get a new ignition. Get a much bigger cam. :D

Locked timing is fine on the street with a big cam and retard box as you have, or ignition cut-off switch so as to make starting easier.

If you're set on keeping your cam, I'd certainly go with a vacuum advance distributor...it'll run much better on the street.

[Gregor]

So a dizzy from a 85 Mustang would be good. Since I need a non iron gear for the roller cam.

[DurtyKurty]

Are you certain your distributor doesn't have a mechanical advance? The reason I ask is because with the motorsport distributors, if you don't have a vacuum advance, you usually have a mechanical one. (unless it's an efi specific one)

Stock Ford duraspark distributors have a mechanical and vacuum advance.

[DRK]

+1 on the motorsport dizzys being either or.

Yes you can lock it out. I'd start around 30-32 degrees on prem. fuel and go from there. I wouldn't worry about burning it up down low, it would probably have all the timing in before it came up on the converter anyway. Also I didn't look up the plug but I would start with a stock heat range and go from there.

If the heads are stock they don't flow and I wouldn't even consider a larger cam, depending on gear, stall, and weight, I 'might' retard it a few degrees if you still have the cover off. It would probably make a 5 more HP with 1.7s, 10-15 more with a OTS cam, and maybe 20 with a custom cam, nothing spectacular.

[juicedimpss]

locked distributor on the street works well if tuned properly. I would also start with about 30* and see what the car wants from there.

[Gregor]

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x109/gregor53402/th_Picture013-1.jpg (http://s186.photobucket.com/albums/x109/gregor53402/?action=view&current=Picture013-1.jpg)



There is no advance on the dizzy. Mech or Vac. So I did a little searching on the net and found that this is a FMS part made by MSD. I got this with a bunch of other parts. So I used it.

[DurtyKurty]

You can't see the mechanical advance in your picture because it is located below the metal plate.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_rgIYZTqpQ8U/S3dN3Owhh0I/AAAAAAAAASU/t1vHQoTc6sk/i536.jpg