250 HEI conversion...with locked out timing!

[66Submarine]

Finally decided to put the HEI I had to use today and stick it in the '71 250 that's currently powering my DD truck.

Install was obviously very easy, with only a couple wires needing to be made up. I hit the key and it lit right up, so I went to adjust the timing; set it to something like 12º as a starting point. All good so far.

But then I hit the throttle with the timing light on it--NOTHING! No mechanical advance at all. I popped the cap off again and it turns out the mechanical advance is apparently stuck beyond belief for some reason.

First thought at this point? Something like: "Damn it...guess I'll just have to stick the old distributor back in for today."? NOPE!

More like: "What's this no-comp turd run like with the timing locked out?"

I marked the balancer with a paint marker where something like 36º would be and cranked the timing in. My father actually picked up the timing light as I was doing it, but I think he told me to stop at something like 32º (I'll need to verify my mark and put a light on it again, but I think that was it).

The result? It actually seems to run great like this! It'll start to spark knock slightly at about 1,500RPM when lugging hard at WOT, but above that it's fine--and even below that you have to pretty much be at WOT before it does it (this is obviously using 87 octane).

Thought some of you guys might find this entertaining/interesting.