Timing tips

Yep, it's 18 degrees at top end. I think it can probably take more, but I've just been careful to creep my way up there since I know the ring lands on the stock 5.7 pistons are known to be a little weak to detonation and I'm running lower octane. I'm guessing it can probably take 20 or more, but I wanted to start small and work my way up. 18 is also close to what the factory table used around peak torque at least. The MSD tables run up to 17 or so around 3500 and then drop 15 the rest of the way out. The factory table ramps to 18 around 3000, dips to 16 for 1000 rpm or so, then ramps back up to 24 at the top end. The EFI Source table runs right up to 23 at 2500 and pretty much carries that all the way out to 6500, dropping 1 degree along the way.

The factory rating was also 345 hp @ 5400 rpm and 375 ft-lbs @ 4200. I know my cam and intake are likely going to move those peaks around though. The short runners on the intake would have me thinking the rpm band has moved up though I'm less sure about the cam, so I'm thinking that's one reason the dip in the factory table really didn't suit my combination well. The flatter timing of the EFI Source table seems to be a better fit. I've only ever dyno'd the car once with the previous MSD setup. It was nothing special, only making something like 280 hp and 290 ft-lbs at the tires. Torque actually peaked pretty early at 3250 or so and power was around 6000. I don't remember what timing and fueling I had at the time, though I'm guessing they were on the conservative side. I've also had it at the dragstrip once and threw a few extra degrees at it between runs. I'd have to try to find the timeslips, but I think my best time was something like 13.5 or 13.7. Don't remember the mph off the top of my head though.

And regarding the intake, yeah, when I first had it on the car I had it with a carb. There weren't many carb intakes on the market when I did my swap originally, and it was the more affordable option. I never did get the carb to run well with it. It would cruise okay, but a full throttle stab would just make it fall on its face. I had a Carter AFB on it and was going to try changing to a double pumper setup thinking that the extra fuel shot might help, but I ended up converting back to fuel injection when I got my Megasquirt setup used and super cheap. I had already sold the stock intake at that point though (ironically the guy I sold it to gave me the tip on the Megasquirt as he knew the guy selling it). I bought the bit to drill the injector holes and took it to a buddy's house who had a mill and we chucked it all up and set it up for injection. Runs much better now for sure.