Whats up. I just finished my new motor. I got it running and was having trouble with the mechanical advance on my hei dist. I couldnt get the timming to come in when i wanted it too. So i locked the dist out. Now after doing so the only way the car will start is with the timming at 0 deg. And sometimes it still doesnt start. I pulled the valve cover off and verified that number one was at top dead center with both valves closed and that the timming mark was correct. Also the dist was dropped in correctly. Its weird becasue you would think if the car actually had 0 deg of timming there is no way it would run. When i went to the track the first timming i was in the staging lanes and checked the timming and noticed that it was at 0. So while it was running i bumped it to 30 deg and shut the car off. Well i was the next car to go and it wouldnt start so i just turned it by hand till it would start and lock it down there. I made a pass and it went 13.31 at 105. I came back and check the timming and it was at zero deg. In my opinion there is no way a stock headed l98 can run 13.31 with 0 deg of timming. So is there any way that by locking the dist out could make it read funny or is it possible that my car just runs that good with no timming any help would be greatly appricated. I really want to spray it but i really would like to no what the timming is first I dont need any mistakes.


Matt

 

I'm not sure what "timming" is.... sounds like something I'd catch my little brother Tim doing?

But since you've got all this talk about the distributor and stuff like that in your question, I'll go out on a limb and guess that you're talking about "timing".

Sounds to me like your crank damper, the part that has a mark on that outer ring that's only dimly and loosely associated with the crank by a blob of spooge, doesn't agree with the fixed timing tab. Specifically it sounds like you have a 1:30 damper mis-matched to a 12:30 timing tab.

Meaning, whatever your light is "telling" you, is about 35° wrong, more or less.

 

You're right- there's no way you'd be running bottom 13s @ 105 with 0* of timing advance. Something's funny. Like maybe you forgetting to set your dial-back timing light to 0* instead of 32*.

 

First off sorry about the spelling error. Anyways do you know where my timing tab should be for an 89 350 car. Mine is on the driver side at about 2:00. And i have used 2 different timing lights. So its not that. Thanks again.

 

Should be at 12:30.

Sounds like that's your problem.

Forget the lights; just do it the RIGHT way (since it's not "stock" and therefore you don't know where it "belongs" anyway...). Set it to where the car runs the best.