Ignition timing

[Gilles Blais]

I am assembling a 289 5-bolt. It has a hydraulic comp cam (specs at work)and F4B manifold. It comes with the dual-point, mechanical-only advance distributor which the owner wants to keep. I have two questions:

1. What is the static advance set at? My stock 260 2-barrell is set at 4 degrees but I read that a 289 HIPO with mechanical advance distributor is set at 10 degrees. Is that right?

2. The harmonic balancer’s degrees are unreadable: TDC is clear but I can only guess how many degrees corresponds to the the distance between the other timing marks, each spaced approx. 0.17in apart. Do you know how many degrees are usually between each timing mark?

Gilles

[Gerald Porsch]

Use a timing light that you can move the dial and keep it on 0 and it will show total timing on the dial.
But who would still be using a dual point dist. 🙁 nobody is going to take the cap off to see if you have points.

[Joel & Karen Griffin]

Set it at 10 deg inital there should be enough marks on the dampner, like jerry says use a light.
but what I would do is put a Petronix kit in the dizzy and or get a Petronix dist. hands down its a
better deal than the dual point.

Joel

[Roger Nyberg]

IN THE OLD DAYS AT THE DRAGSTRIP WE USED TO SET POINTS WITH A MATCHBOOK COVER. MIKED OUT AT .016 . THEN WE’D SET THE TIMING. ADVANCE THE DISTIBUTER TILL THE ENGINE BINDS UP AGAINST THE STARTER. RETARD THE DISTRIBUTER TILL THE ENGINE TURNS OVER AND STARTS, LOCK THE DISTRIBUTER DOWN AND YOUR SET TO RACE. IF THE ENGINE KNOCKS UNDER LOAD EITHER USE ETHYL OR RETARD THE TIMING TILL THE PREIGNITION KNOCK STOPS.

ROGER

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