Hey All,

I am setting the timing for the first time in the 66 Val today. It has a 79 engine in it. I have a couple of questions I was hoping to get answered!

-I assume I disconnect the vac advance and plug the hose while making the initial setting. Correct?

-How many degrees should the initial setting be on this engine?

-The plate that shows the timing marks was rusted over the years. After I cleaned and painted it, the only mark I can read is the 0 mark. Does anyone know what increment the graduations on this timing plate were? It is on a 1979 motor with the little round tube sticking through it where you could put the timing probe in it.

Thanks guys!

Chris E.

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-76 Cordoba, 360 4bbl
-68 Valiant, 273 2bbl
-67 Dart /6 4bbl, Leaning Tower of Power!!!

Stock motor? If so what I do sometimes is just leave everything hooked up and advance it to the point where it pings and then back it off to the point where it no longer pings under load.Those marks are generally just a guide and every motor has it's own sweet spot so you have to find it and this is a way to do that.Once you know how much advance it likes then you can take note and always come back to that in the future.

Where to set the timing initially will depend on which distributor you're using. Yes, the vacuum advance hose gets disconnected from the distributor and plugged.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

using the old points dist from the original 66 motor

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-76 Cordoba, 360 4bbl
-68 Valiant, 273 2bbl
-67 Dart /6 4bbl, Leaning Tower of Power!!!

I have the same cover on my '79 engine, you will need a dial back timing light or a digital one since the graduations aren't like the older timing covers (so far it looks like the '20' mark is pretty close to 10BTDC)...

FYI,

-D.idiot

5° BTDC is a good initial setting with the '66 distributor. Engine idling at 650 rpm, distributor vacuum hose disconnected from the distributor and plugged. This is assuming your timing mark on your crank pulley accurately represents TDC when it is opposite the 0 line on the timing tab.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Thanks for the help guys. I never did get the timing done yesterday. Ugh!!! Seem as though I am still chasing carb demons.............

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-76 Cordoba, 360 4bbl
-68 Valiant, 273 2bbl
-67 Dart /6 4bbl, Leaning Tower of Power!!!

Is tht a '68 2dr post sedan in the photo? Love it! I have always liked that car. You don;t see many of them, expecially with the factory trim all dolled up the way that one was. We should get together some time. Where in Western Maryland are you?

Sam

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One thing I have always wondered about is the disconnecting of the Vac advance hose. Why. Isn't there no vacuum on this hose during idle and therefore there shouldn't be a change between the timing with or without it, right? (inregards to setting the timing) On the vac pods that are adjustable. Is the adjustment adjusting the amount of vac timing or when it pulls some in?

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67Cuda,FAST EZEFI,340cu,CR=10.25,RollerCam&Rocker (XR268HR,#20-810-9)(#1622-16)(EddyRPM#60779,#7576), (MSD6AL,#6425) A904, GearVendorsOD, 8 1/4,3.55:1, ClassicAir

Bren,

It adjusts when the advance starts, not the amount. The part# number on the can or number on the arm indicates the amount of advance.

Using a 3/32 allen you can adjust the advance to where you can plug it in and unplug the vacuum line and see zero or little timing change. For me that is about 3 turns.

For reference, at idle with my cam I am at 18 pounds vacuum. So there is no advance from 18 pounds on down. Then you have it set right on. You don't want the vacuum advance to kick in too soon or it could over advance and surge or when the engine is too hot, causing it to ping. At cruise I run between 15 and 22 pounds. At 15 pounds vacuum that puts me right at 30 degrees timing, 18 pounds puts me about 45 degrees. Letting off slightly say 19 to pounds takes it on up 52 degrees.

Hope this helps.

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Aggressive Ted

http://cid-32f1e50ddb40a03c.photos.live ... %20Swinger


74 Swinger, 9.5 comp 254/.435 lift cam, 904, ram air, electric fans, 2.5" HP2 & FM70 ex, 1920 Holley#56jet, 2.76 8 3/4 Sure-Grip, 26" tires, 25+MPG

Just as a point of order, vacuum is commonly measured in inches of mercury ( in. Hg ), not in pounds. 30 in. Hg is a "perfect" vacuum.

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David Kight
'62 Valiant Signet, White
'98 Dodge Dakota
'06 Jeep Liberty

Growing older is unavoidable but growing up is strictly optional.

Just for clearity- if I pull off the vac advance and NOT plug it, would I have a vacuum leak AT IDLE?

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67Cuda,FAST EZEFI,340cu,CR=10.25,RollerCam&Rocker (XR268HR,#20-810-9)(#1622-16)(EddyRPM#60779,#7576), (MSD6AL,#6425) A904, GearVendorsOD, 8 1/4,3.55:1, ClassicAir

I take it your still running the Holley four barrel Bren.

The only way to "Know" would be to plug a vacuum gauge into the line and measure it. Depending on where the butterfly is in respect to the port at your idle setting, you may have vacuum present.

It's not supposed to have vacuum on the port at idle.
It will depend on where your secondary idle is set. When I first set my 390 up, I had no mixture control in the idle circuit. The secondary idle was set too low. This caused the primary idle to be set high enough to unmask the port and uncover the transfer slots. I had to take it back off and reset the secondary plates.

Each carburetor can be a little different. According to Holley, the secondary idle should be 1/2 to 1 turn in from contact. The 600 I've got is about 1/2 turn, the 390 was almost a full turn. (Check the installation instructions for your list number!)

Hope that helps.

CJ

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

Bren,

Basically there are two types of distributor vacuum ports. Both are the same diameter. One is for full vacuum and the other is a ported vacuum.

Use the one that is higher up on the body from the bottom plate. That is the ported vacuum.

Like Ceej said, if the throttle plates are too far open even the ported vacuum port will have some vacuum.

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Aggressive Ted

http://cid-32f1e50ddb40a03c.photos.live ... %20Swinger


74 Swinger, 9.5 comp 254/.435 lift cam, 904, ram air, electric fans, 2.5" HP2 & FM70 ex, 1920 Holley#56jet, 2.76 8 3/4 Sure-Grip, 26" tires, 25+MPG