It sounds like you are still trying to set the timing essentially by vacuum, then adjusting without really having a baseline to start with, no? Yes, the engine will let you know if you went too far doing it that way, but when it does, you have indeed gone too far. Even a little retarded (as an example) will not sputter, but that couple of degrees retarded will cost you power without poor running. When it sputters, you are really killing the power.
Timing, turn the distributor to the bb in the flywheel. If this is a 57 motor and 57 flywheel, that is TDC. So you will get 24-28 degrees of mechanical advance at say 3500 rpm (12-14 degrees advance at the distributor at 1750 distributor rpm for a typical 2403 distributor, X2 at the motor). So that is your baseline at tdc. If you look at the sun charts you will see that the 55 motor (which was slightly different than the 57 motor) sets it at 5 btdc. 56, same, 59, same. So if you want to tinker, get a dial back and add 5 degrees tdc. You dial the 5 on the timing light and move the bb to the pointer, the dial back light compensates for the the 5 degrees. Its the easiest way I know to be accurate. So with say 24 - 28 degrees from the distributor and 5 degrees initial, you have 29 to 33 degrees advance total. The vacuum advance does not play a part in this calculation.
From here you can add 2 degrees, then 2 degrees using the dial back light. Otherwise you are just moving the advance forward until it pings and then backing off. A old method for sure, and one that often works, but sometimes, its too much advance even though its not pinging.
The other thing, its counter clockwise on the distributor to advance the timing, just to be complete.
Last edited by Dragsix; 05/19/2025 8:04 PM.
