Ready to shoot my 273

RedFish said

I think with electronic ignition and todays puppy pee fuel a lot of the factory specs dont apply.
I'm tickled pink with the way my 67 273 runs today but it wasn't easy getting here. Combination of crappy chineese ignition module ( blue box )
Bowl vent on the 73 model Carter 2 brl not opening, etc.. I found only 2 exhaust valves about .003 over spec. All others were just right. Another plus is The new FelPro rubber valve cover gaskets dont leak and there isn't any RTV on them at all.
Final setup is chrome box ecm, 19 btdc at about 900 rpm hot and in neutral. Vacuum advance disabled.
The curb idle adjust screw is hardly touching the stop. It wont idle any lower.
Bottom line, Keep screwing around with it. It might take a while but you'll find its sweet spot. Good luck

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Yep that is what it takes, keep screwing around with it. Just be sure you don't go over the 35 degrees total timing that will cause damage. And the way to make sure of that is to set that first and leave it alone. I always set my 273 and 318 engines at 28 total and leave them there. But a 340 & 360 like that full 35 degrees even 36 in some cases which I call pushing it so I just set them at 35 and no more and at least they keep on running while I can fix the other things. And once that total timing is set you can note the initial and also hook the vacuum advance up because it cant hurt the engine. I like vacuum advance on the street because it keeps the torque from launching the car and the tires from burning:burnout: Tires cost allot now and well street is street and strip is strip. Not to mention cuts the gas cost virtually in half.