What I did this weekend (so far) and suggestions for timing - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

chevychic · 06-29-2003, 04:17 AM

I haven't posted much about my truck lately so here's an update.

I got my cracked frame welded up last week. Man, I didn't realize just what a difference that would make! I can actually drive in a straight line down the road!!
I'm going to be ordering the brace from Off-road designs in July to finish up the steering box area.

Then today I installed my new distributor. It was a tough choice, I was going to go with the MSD ultimate HEI kit but since I'm running all stock, I didn't figure I'd need it for awhile. What I really wanted to do was to replace the entire distributor to get rid of any and all problems my old one was having. The MSD was more than I wanted to spend, so I went with a Summit Racing brand HEI. Ordered it Wednesday and it was on my porch Friday morning!

I ran into a couple of minor problems when installing it. On trying to start the truck it would backfire out the carb so I did some researching on chevytalk since our search doesn't work right now....and found my problem. I was off 180°...Reset the engine to TDC, then couldn't get the distributor to sit all the way down so I had to fiddle with the oil pan thingamajig so the distributor would sit in with the rotor where it needed to be.
Started it up, set the timing to the specs in my manual and was ready to cruise. What a difference! My miss at idle is completely gone, and I'm expecting to have fixed my miss at high rpms.

Will know for sure in a couple of days.

Hopefully *fingers crossed*, this will be the last of my troubles for awhile so I can actually afford to do all the other stuff to make the truck nice.

What do you all run your timing at? I've seen opinions vary with the majority being between 8° - 10°. My Chiltons says 4° which seems low. I set it at 8° for now but wanted some ideas of what I should set it at to get optimal power and mpg.

Thanks to any of you that had posted or responded to posts on the other forum...without seeing all the threads about everyone else's troubles, I would've had to swallow my pride and actually ask someone what I did wrong!

82 Silverado 4X · 06-29-2003, 10:05 AM

Sounds like you are getting somewhere. I now have mine set at 8 degrees BTDC. I used Mike Irvins approach from his website (HEI TUNING SECRETS) to set my timing and only needed to make a few minor adjustments to it for my particular truck and the octane of fuel that I want to spend money on each week. Factory ignition timing settings are based on your engines factory internal components and the type of trans you have. Emmissions requirements also play a big part in where the factory chose to come up with their recomendation. Fuel quality and price for it in your area will be the deciding factor in how much advance you can run without pinging.

I started at 14 degrees on mine just to see if it would take it but it was way too much as I eventually found out. Try 10 degrees advance to start and see if it pings under full load. I moved mine in 2 degree increments until I found where it was just starting to ping when I was lugging the engine hard.
Good Luck

*racedvl* · 06-29-2003, 10:29 AM

I hope that you have better luck with that dizzy than I did. I'm glad I put that one on my 86 when I sold it.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...threadid=35127

sbc350gearhead · 06-29-2003, 11:01 AM

82 silverado's tuning tips are good for a beginner and I would advise you you follow them while tuning your distributor. If you are dialing in the mech. advance curve, then you need to go about things a bit differently. I run 18 degrees initial in my Z, but I run 93 octane and I have a stick.

*mike reeh* · 06-29-2003, 03:01 PM

glad to hear you got it going heather! degrees of advance is going to vary greatly from motor to motor.. since yours is bone stock, its probably going to be around 10 degrees or less.. My truck with exhaust and intake (otherwise fairly stock) LOVES a lot of advance.. your best bet in my opinion, is set it to about 8 or 10 degrees and drive it.. go up a hill, in high gear, full throttle.. listen for pinging.. see how the engine starts.. if theres no pinging, and the starter has no problem cranking the engine, advance it a little bit.. like 1/8" to 1/4" at the vacuum advance canister.. then try again.. when you start to get pinging, or problems cranking the engine, back it off a little bit. leave the distributor clamp tight so its not going to move by itself but loose enough to where you can adjust it on the side of the road if needed.. hot weather and different gas might give you different results too, its just a matter of trial and error..

keep us informed! especially about that long range driving problem you were having.. im anxious to know if its fixed or not

mike

**swervin ervin** · 06-29-2003, 07:34 PM

Heather,

you just flat out never quit amazing me.

You just fixed something a lot of men don't know how to do.

Just curious, but does you husband feel inferior?

chevychic · 06-30-2003, 01:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by swervin ervin
Heather,

you just flat out never quit amazing me.

You just fixed something a lot of men don't know how to do.

Just curious, but does you husband feel inferior?

Thanks Mike

I love a challenge and this truck has been just that. If I didn't have it to tinker on and fix, I would probably drive myself nuts...or break something just so I can fix it

j/k

It also cures my need for always having to have some sort of project to work on. I've always got to have something to work on or do. If I don't, I'm miserable.

I have to admit, I'm feeling pretty good about what I've done to this truck since I've had it. Any help I had was either here on the internet or phone and next to no help in person (which is fine most of the time...I'm pretty much a loner when it comes to getting things done)

No, my husband doesn't feel inferior

He comes out and helps me bump the engine or brings me a drink, hand me tools, etc. Then goes to work and brags to all the guys about how I work on my truck.

79BIG10 · 06-30-2003, 06:17 PM

Glad to see you get it going Heather. Looks like you find a problem and fix it fast

. I would brag as well about you working on your truck. I was bragging about my wife when we got teh new engine in my truck from the pasture. Hopefully with my new project coming up she can help me again and brag some more.

What's the next project for you to work on?

tazman · 06-30-2003, 10:22 PM

good job I wish I could get my wife involved- the only thing she say's is " why buy something that old" keep up the good work

navybear70 · 07-01-2003, 02:19 AM

I agree about the Accel's. Mine was fine before the engine fire. Now the thing is just junk. I'm holding off as long as I can, but I'm gonna need a new one soon.

chevychic · 07-01-2003, 02:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mike reeh

keep us informed! especially about that long range driving problem you were having.. im anxious to know if its fixed or not

mike

Well Mike,

I drove it long distance yesterday to the lake up in the mountains. Lots of hills, rough gravel road, had it under load often and it did awesome.

Just to make sure that it did ok on the freeway, I took it out about 45 miles down the interstate today to a different town and not a problem!! Looks like my problem is definitely fixed

Tom · 07-01-2003, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by navybear70
I agree about the Accel's. Mine was fine before the engine fire. Now the thing is just junk. I'm holding off as long as I can, but I'm gonna need a new one soon.

Accel? She got a summit HEI, not accel

I warned her about those junk arse accel POS distributors long ago. My accel replacemtn HEI didnt even make it 25,000miles

06-29-2003, 04:17 AM	#1
chevychic Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Chanhassen, MN Posts: 1,061	What I did this weekend (so far) and suggestions for timing I haven't posted much about my truck lately so here's an update. I got my cracked frame welded up last week. Man, I didn't realize just what a difference that would make! I can actually drive in a straight line down the road!! I'm going to be ordering the brace from Off-road designs in July to finish up the steering box area. Then today I installed my new distributor. It was a tough choice, I was going to go with the MSD ultimate HEI kit but since I'm running all stock, I didn't figure I'd need it for awhile. What I really wanted to do was to replace the entire distributor to get rid of any and all problems my old one was having. The MSD was more than I wanted to spend, so I went with a Summit Racing brand HEI. Ordered it Wednesday and it was on my porch Friday morning! I ran into a couple of minor problems when installing it. On trying to start the truck it would backfire out the carb so I did some researching on chevytalk since our search doesn't work right now....and found my problem. I was off 180°...Reset the engine to TDC, then couldn't get the distributor to sit all the way down so I had to fiddle with the oil pan thingamajig so the distributor would sit in with the rotor where it needed to be. Started it up, set the timing to the specs in my manual and was ready to cruise. What a difference! My miss at idle is completely gone, and I'm expecting to have fixed my miss at high rpms. Will know for sure in a couple of days. Hopefully fingers crossed, this will be the last of my troubles for awhile so I can actually afford to do all the other stuff to make the truck nice. What do you all run your timing at? I've seen opinions vary with the majority being between 8° - 10°. My Chiltons says 4° which seems low. I set it at 8° for now but wanted some ideas of what I should set it at to get optimal power and mpg. Thanks to any of you that had posted or responded to posts on the other forum...without seeing all the threads about everyone else's troubles, I would've had to swallow my pride and actually ask someone what I did wrong! __________________ *ChevyChic* 86 Chevy K-10 If I can't be a good example, then I'll just have to be a horrible warning. "You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think" - Christopher Robin

06-29-2003, 10:05 AM	#2
82 Silverado 4X Genuine Chevrolet Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: South West Pennsylvania. Posts: 582	Sounds like you are getting somewhere. I now have mine set at 8 degrees BTDC. I used Mike Irvins approach from his website (HEI TUNING SECRETS) to set my timing and only needed to make a few minor adjustments to it for my particular truck and the octane of fuel that I want to spend money on each week. Factory ignition timing settings are based on your engines factory internal components and the type of trans you have. Emmissions requirements also play a big part in where the factory chose to come up with their recomendation. Fuel quality and price for it in your area will be the deciding factor in how much advance you can run without pinging. I started at 14 degrees on mine just to see if it would take it but it was way too much as I eventually found out. Try 10 degrees advance to start and see if it pings under full load. I moved mine in 2 degree increments until I found where it was just starting to ping when I was lugging the engine hard. Good Luck __________________ George 82 Silverado LWB 4x4 350 SM465 NP208 77 Chevrolet Blazer Chalet 400 TH350 NP203

06-29-2003, 07:34 PM	#6
swervin ervin You get what you pay for Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Cherryville, NC Posts: 4,798	Heather, you just flat out never quit amazing me. You just fixed something a lot of men don't know how to do. Just curious, but does you husband feel inferior? __________________ Mike 1985 Chevy C-10

06-30-2003, 06:17 PM	#8
79BIG10 I'm back with 2nd truck! Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 3,775	Glad to see you get it going Heather. Looks like you find a problem and fix it fast . I would brag as well about you working on your truck. I was bragging about my wife when we got teh new engine in my truck from the pasture. Hopefully with my new project coming up she can help me again and brag some more. What's the next project for you to work on? __________________ 1979 Chevrolet Bonanza Big10 "Tootsie Roll" 1985 Chevrolet Silverado (wife's) Member of the Southern Bowties Club "Don't underestimate how sexy a fat man who drinks to excess can be." Homer Simpson

06-30-2003, 10:22 PM	#9
tazman Registered User Join Date: May 2003 Location: laughlin nv Posts: 47	good job I wish I could get my wife involved- the only thing she say's is " why buy something that old" keep up the good work __________________ tazman member of Mojave Street Rods

06-29-2003, 10:29 AM	#3
racedvl Account Suspended Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Woodstock, IL Posts: 7,020	I hope that you have better luck with that dizzy than I did. I'm glad I put that one on my 86 when I sold it. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...threadid=35127

06-29-2003, 11:01 AM	#4
sbc350gearhead Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Columbus Ohio Posts: 1,413	82 silverado's tuning tips are good for a beginner and I would advise you you follow them while tuning your distributor. If you are dialing in the mech. advance curve, then you need to go about things a bit differently. I run 18 degrees initial in my Z, but I run 93 octane and I have a stick.

06-29-2003, 03:01 PM	#5
mike reeh 5 day ban, learn to behave. Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: san diego, ca Posts: 684	glad to hear you got it going heather! degrees of advance is going to vary greatly from motor to motor.. since yours is bone stock, its probably going to be around 10 degrees or less.. My truck with exhaust and intake (otherwise fairly stock) LOVES a lot of advance.. your best bet in my opinion, is set it to about 8 or 10 degrees and drive it.. go up a hill, in high gear, full throttle.. listen for pinging.. see how the engine starts.. if theres no pinging, and the starter has no problem cranking the engine, advance it a little bit.. like 1/8" to 1/4" at the vacuum advance canister.. then try again.. when you start to get pinging, or problems cranking the engine, back it off a little bit. leave the distributor clamp tight so its not going to move by itself but loose enough to where you can adjust it on the side of the road if needed.. hot weather and different gas might give you different results too, its just a matter of trial and error.. keep us informed! especially about that long range driving problem you were having.. im anxious to know if its fixed or not mike

07-01-2003, 02:19 AM	#10
navybear70 hometown heroes! Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ewa Beach, HI Posts: 487	I agree about the Accel's. Mine was fine before the engine fire. Now the thing is just junk. I'm holding off as long as I can, but I'm gonna need a new one soon. __________________ 2009 Silverado 2wd, 121k as of 04APR13. I love my truck 29 days out of the month. The payment is due on the 30th... Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more, you should never wish to do less. -Robert E. Lee "Never give up ground you've already taken." -Unknown



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