timing

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cuedog10

Active member
Joined
Sep 30, 2019
Messages
25
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Location
Tennessee
My Car
1972 Mustang Mach 1
I have a 351C with an Edelbrock intake and 600 cfm carb. It has a comp cam, 32-224-4. .519/.224 intake and .519/.224 exhaust with electronic ignition and 40000 volt Pertronix coil. Can anyone tell me the timing should be?   Thanks in advance.

 
May be mistaken, but didn't we go over this before? The subject of timing comes up a lot and there are many opinions on what is best. What distributor type, brand and setting. There are many variables, but the end game is to obtain a timing setting that gives power throughout the rpm range without spark-knock. Spark-knock can be caused by many factors including too much advance, high compression, wrong fuel octane.

While you mentioned what intake and carb as well as cam, you didn't say what distributor you have.

Personally, I like to keep it simple, no HEI, MSD or even Pertronix distributors. My choice would be a good remanufactured stock Autolite/Mastercraft distributor with the slot plate that will give 20 degrees on the crank or at a max, 26 deg. then set initial to between 10 and 16 deg. depending on your engine, for a total of 36 deg. mechanical plus 4-6 deg. of vacuum advance. If not a stock dizzy, then for sure I'd go with a DuraSpark curved for the engine in question.

As for electronic modules, I have had good success with the Pertonix Ignitor II with the matching Flamethrower II coil. Add to that a GOOD set of wires and distributor cap and (my preference) Autolite 25 plugs.

Please come back with as much information as possible on your engine, compression ratio, heads, closed chamber or open, i.e. whatever you can offer to help members like Hemikiller or DonC amongst others, get you where you want to be with your car.

Geoff.

 
As Stanglover mentioned this is a subject that has been hashed over a dozen different ways. But it is one that you must understand if you want the max performance out of your engine. To much to soon and detonation occurs. To little up front and you think you have a 4 cylinder. You are looking for the Goldilocks range in timing. Most engines have a timing total of 36* but can vary by a few degrees on either side depending on the build. The only true way to find your optimum timing is on a dyno. The idea is to get to your total by about 2500 rpms but managing how you get there over the rpm range. The following link will help answer the bulk of your questions and teach you a few tricks along the way to give you that top performance out of your 351.

https://www.fordmuscle.com/archives/2000/03/timing/

Another good video on recurring your distributor is at https://www.badasscars.com/index.cfm?ptype=product&product_id=447&category_id=13&mode=prod

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Saying you have a 351C doesn't tell us much. Each year of the 71s, 72s, and 73s have different pistons and/or heads, as do 4V and 2V carburetors. The compression ratios are different for each use and year. Did you change the timing chain? Did you install the cam straight up or retarded or advanced?

As such, your initial timing will change, as will the total timing.

 
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