Initial timing question??

1969383S said
Why do folks make this so hard?

Give it all the advance your particular combo can handle without bucking on the starter to fire and idle good! Now you have initial!

Every combo needs something a bit different!

Check it with a light and tape and such if needed and record.

Next get a total with your light and tape for at whatever RPM it takes to get it there. Record it!

lastly limit your dizzy for such to 34/38.

Yup. Guys like us were welding up and filing out distributor slots in auto shop in high school. Then there are some guys on here who are self professed geniuses and give all their advice straight out of manuals and using computer formulas.

Me? I'd much rather go with the concrete, hands on experience like you describe. Setting timing until you get spark knock, or until the starter lugs....whichever comes first and then backing off about 2* is a great short cut without a light method.....and it works! Plus, fact is, on most street builds using stock compression, you cannot have too much timing to hurt anything. I've run them at 20 plus or minus initial with 41-43 total with 8:1 static and camshafts in the 230 @ .050 range. You almost cannot GET that to spark knock. Sometimes old school is the quickest fastest method to get what you need......but some people on here just have to show the whole damned world how smart they think they are.