Thermoquad........Ok AJ, WHAT NOW?
Well, Yes, you can set the timing anywhere you want to, with the T-slot exposure anywhere in the 020>040 window as
@Bewy already mentioned. So long as;
Rule#1, you don't get a tip-in sag, and
Rule#2, so long as the trans doesn't bang too harshly when shifting from N/P into any gear, especially reverse; I don't care about the clanging sun-shell, rather I care about the sprague, which the clanging shell is telling me she's taking the hit; and if the rpm is already too fast, see rule #3, you can't hardly shift into Manual Low before the sprague gets it. and the U-joints, and the ring-gear, and the axle splines.
Rule#3, so long as the idle-speed does not get to be too high on you.
Rule #4, so long as the engine does not stall/near stall, when going into gear, which usually indicates that the T-slots are dead, cuz the throttles are too far closed.
But here's the main thing;
#1, you cannot expect the engine that you are going to put this TQ onto, to require the same settings as whatever it is currently installed on; and the cammier the new engine is, the more different it will be.
#2, The engine absolutely does not care what the idle timing ends up at. and there is no good way to run an auto-equipped streeter with a TQ at optimum idle timing, which could be in the mid to high 20s; You can try to tune there, but it just requires too many other band-aids, to not break the rules, which is just not necessary. Unless you have a manual trans, there's just no good reason, IMO, to run any more idle-timing than what satisfys the rules.
#3, the first time your engine cares about timing is at stall-rpm, and the second time it cares is at "all-in".
#4, All-in can be at whatever rpm it takes to avoid detonation. If you cannot find a happy spot, and the engine turns into a lazy dog; then take the darn thing apart and fix it.
And the Second thing is this;
Since I know I can tune a 292/292/108 cammed 360 with a manual trans, to idle all day at 5* advance, and it will pull itself at 4>5 mph, with no help from the gas pedal; ....... Since I know that, I see no good reason to try to run big IDLE-advance numbers.
You just have to fix your doggone distributor to have the right timing numbers, at stall and at WOT-Power, to satisfy your particular engine. It's just not that hard. Then let the idle-timing be whatever it will be to satisfy the rules.
For a streeter with iron heads and no quench, this usually requires a two-step ignition curve; the first goes from idle to stall, and the second from stall to whatever rpm is free from detonation at WOT.
For instance; I have a manual trans so I may have a lil more freedom. My curve goes from initial timing of 12*at Idle, to end of first step at 28*@2800, and from there "all-in" is not until about 3400, which is 32>34*.
This lets me run 87E10 full time with the
Dcr approaching 9.0 to 9.3. @ 930 ft elevation here in Manitoba.
Yeah I could run other curves, and more Power-timing but why? The speed limit here is 65 mph, and the 367 boils the tires all the way as it is, what would I gain from 5 hp more at 5200rpm?
If your engine can't take the usual 36* at 3400, then don't try force it on her. If it takes to 4000, and only accepts 32* or whatever; then so be it. Give her only what she wants, when she wants it.
And then, like I said, if the engine is a lazy-dog, it's probably got a chamber mixture issue, or a chamber temperature issue, which you are most likely gonna have to take apart to fix.
Edit
>If the throttle at idle becomes too far closed; As it will with too much idle-timing;
1) Starting a warmed up engine will become more difficult; and
2) the engine will not properly recover, after the throttle is stabbed and released; the rpm falling too low, and
3) with a typical stall convertor, it will want to stall when put into gear, and
4) the car will drop the nose and decelerate too hard on a closed-throttle downshift. The transfers will dry up, and then, when you get back on the gas, nobodyhome.
>If the throttle is too far open at idle, as it would be with a big cam and no idle-air bypass;
1) the engine will hang after the throttle is stabbed and released, the rpm coming down slowly, and
2) the exhaust will stink at idle, sometimes enough to burn your eyes.
> you can control your idle power with timing. Lots of timing, means the throttles will be nearly closed, thus the transfers will be lean, and in compensation, you will increase fuel delivery from the mixture screws. Now it idles.
But this usually causes two problems, maybe three.
a) it may introduce the tip-in sag, and
b) your low-speed AFR, is now full-time rich, cuz of where you set the mixture screws, and
c) the engine will want to stall when put into gear, for lack of air/airspeed from the nearly closed throttles, and lack of transfer-slot fuel.
> your engine will be way happier if you set the transfer slot exposure, even a hair rich, and leaning the mixture screws as may be necessary, and then controlling the Idle-speed with idle-timing.
> you can set the timing first and try to tune on that, but man you are gonna waste time.