The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Timing Help Really Needed

Hey 55 1st Sub, There are several ways to get you in the ball park. With the engine fully warmed up, advance the dizzy counter clockwise (the way the vacuum advance pulls it). Just snug the lock and road test it. listen for engine ping under load in high gear.If it pings, retard the dizzy a little at a time.What you want is the most power,easy starting hot and NO ping under load with the crap gas we get to use.You can tweak it some with the octane selector slot.Let me know how you make out.

PS Just looked at your pics and that is an advance type timing light.That measures your total advance (both vacuum and mechanical) by running it up to 1500 rpm and turning the dial until the timing marks line up on your engine at ZERO.Then you read your TOTAL advance at the back of the light. I wouldn't use it for your 261.

Won't the dizzy turn independent of the vacuum advance? Loosen the screw that clamps the vacuum advance to the dizzy and it should turn easy. If it starts and idles, then put a vacuum gauge on it and adjust the timing with the gauge. Advance to max vacuum and then back off a bit. Drive it and see if it "pings". If it pings the retard just a bit and drive it some more. Under moderate load no pinging. Under a big load you might get some pinging, not a lot but some. That would be about right. Then put on the light and see what you have. A 261 should have a lot of torque compared to a 216 any way.

It's late and I am not all here. If the grease cup is hitting the block then you might need to move the wires one position CCW and reset the initial timing not too hard. Let us know how it goes.

Hy 55 1st suburban, Please put a vacuum gauge on the engine and tell us what kind of readings you get at idle, driving on the flat, and driving up hill.

Hy 55 1st suburban, Please put a vacuum gauge on the engine and tell us what kind of readings you get at idle, driving on the flat, and driving up hill.

what method are you using to advance the distributor?
are you only using to octane sensor? or are you loosening the clamp and turning the distributor body?

set your dial on the back of your timing light to 0 and see if your initial timing is correct should see the pointer on the ball

if you want to advance 5 degrees set the dial to 5 advanced then point at timing light and you should see pointer on ball.

is your distributor moving when you give it gas?

when was the last time you checked your valve lash?

I don't have experience on your engine, maybe a 261 owner will chime in. All the settings will be in the shop manual for your year engine.

On my 235 I set the octane sensor to 0 and time it with the pointer on the ball.

I check my vacuum gauge. Then I loosen the clamp on the back side and advance it by Turing the housing counter clock wise while watching my gauge and getting the highest setting. In my case 20. Then tighten the clamp. (Idle set at 400rpm)
Fine adjustments also made the the carb mixture screw.

This is just an example, I'm running pertronix ignition. But the procedure should be similar.

My timing light has a dial also. So to find out where I'm at I just point the light at the pointer and turn the dial till the ball lines up.

3B suggestion will help diagnose your problem. I use the port for the wipers to attach my gauge.

As was posted turn the dial on your light to zero. Now it should act as a regular timing light (provided that it works).You can use #1 or #6 plug wire and you will see the ball and hash marks (in degrees) in the window.If you don't see any marks and the fact that you never got your engine to ping using my method tells me you are one tooth off (if you run out of dizzy travel) In that case you can move your plug wires one hole to give you more travel.Hope I didn't confuse you more than help you. One thing all 261's have is power when tuned properly.