Base Timing Questions
10-12 deg initial works well with pump gas on a normal compression engine and stays out of the kick back zone. I've experimented with full manifold vac advance and it does run very well until you open the throttle, then the quick timing swing causes a stall, so I settled for normal.
The total timing is how much the distributor can advance internally. How much and at what rpm is set with a timing light. Setting timing based on the indication at 3000 is ok if the total is limited to around 34, because it will put the initial at around 10 btdc or just set the initial the normal way at idle. To be fully advanced by 3000 rpm and have a pump friendly initial with no kick back when cranking, the distributor weight travel must be limited and the springs must be soft enough to allow them to extend to the limit by 3000 rpm.
EDIT: Revised my pic trying to show the methods. Very general.
10-12 deg initial works well with pump gas on a normal compression engine and stays out of the kick back zone. I've experimented with full manifold vac advance and it does run very well until you open the throttle, then the quick timing swing causes a stall, so I settled for normal.
The total timing is how much the distributor can advance internally. How much and at what rpm is set with a timing light. Setting timing based on the indication at 3000 is ok if the total is limited to around 34, because it will put the initial at around 10 btdc or just set the initial the normal way at idle. To be fully advanced by 3000 rpm and have a pump friendly initial with no kick back when cranking, the distributor weight travel must be limited and the springs must be soft enough to allow them to extend to the limit by 3000 rpm.
EDIT: Revised my pic trying to show the methods. Very general.