The Dodge Challenger Message Board

anyone know or has a opinion on timing on one of these.....have it fired and runniing.....starting good no...problems...no hesitaition.....jut want to make sure im running the best i can?......ive heard 32 degrees area on this......??????? anybody suggestions thanks...

by the way im running a mechanical mp billet dist with no vacum advance?......how does this change things for me as far as setting the timing

ive had it running too and driven it.....just want to dial it in so too speak.....its starting fine with no sluggish ness or anything....im assuming the timiing is decent since it starts so easily????

73challengerguy wrote:by the way im running a mechanical mp billet dist with no vacum advance?......how does this change things for me as far as setting the timing

If in doubt read the instructions.

Try this with the black advance stop bush. One light and one heavy silver spring.
Put your total to 36 degrees at 3000rpm. If you get any "pinking" under load back off two degrees.

That should be ballpark.

73challengerguy wrote:.im assuming the timiing is decent since it starts so easily????

Nope. That don't mean a thing. Your initial could be anywhere between 10 degrees retarded and 25 degrees advanced.

dave-r wrote:

73challengerguy wrote:.im assuming the timiing is decent since it starts so easily????

Nope. That don't mean a thing. Your initial could be anywhere between 10 degrees retarded and 25 degrees advanced.

like dave , i go by the ping under load,just cause it starts doesnt mean much, msd makes an advance knob if you will, it is inside my ash tray, and i can advance 15 degrees,or back it off if i hear a ping , as our fuel changes quite a bit from summer to winter, i highly reccomend this msd timing unit , or im sure someone else has one too!, also where i live the altitude changes alot so i can adjust for that also!

I wonder if he has a factory or aftermarket degreed Damper? The factory has 10 degrees or so either way,(BTDC-0-ATDC), a dial back timing light sure helps with stock Dampers! (Daves 36@3000 should be ideal or almost there)!

its a fluiddampner after market
BUT i think i made a big mistake when i set this thing up .....i brought it up at tdc on the first cyl on the PASS SIDE!!!!....then set the rotor and dis in and plugs and wires.......but it did start up fairly easy with a lil rotation of the distrib!???????......so how does that effect everything...and why does it start so good and run?....im cornfused....lol

That is #2 cylinder which fires just before #1. So you probably set it with a good deal of advance for #1.

so dave what does that mean to me?????....hurting the car?......will run alot better once i straighten it out?.......i havent really got on it ...still breaking it in for 400 500 miles .....just a couple quick burps of the throttle......

It depends on how close to #2 it actually is. You would know if it was way too advanced because it would be pinking at any kind of rpm or when pushing hard or going up hills. Don't wory about it. Just time it and then tune your carb. Easy peasy.

thanks for the advice.....it isnt pinging....i really havent climb any major hills with it though.....so i gues i just start at scratch....working off number 1 this time...lol

Just put the timing light on #1 and adjust it. No need to start from scratch.

But fit the silver springs and black bush first.

even though i started everything off the wrong cylinder intially?....should i re do that?......i was told that it started cause i have a mech distrib?

Yes. Don't worry about it.

#2 is right next to #1 in the firing order. It fires just before #1.

Your correct timing is somewhere between #2 and #1 (#1 advanced). Which is why the car fired and ran.

Just make sure you put the timing light on #1 plug to measure what your timing is.

okay now im really confused,,,i know what u said guys but i wanted to completey understand this....so i tore everything out...plugs , dis....wires......valve cover.....turned motor over till timimg marks met at zero on dampner and tab......made sure i was on tdc with compr stroke......even checked the push rods to see if i could twist them and i could....so then i stuck my dist in and the ittermediate gear slot was in line with the cam ( just like my engine builder said it would)....so i set the dizzy in and started my firing order...rotor was basically pointing at number one ( FIRST HOLE ON DRIVERS SIDE)......put the wires on in firing order and NOW the car wont even start....WTF????....lol.....i dont get it.....i put it together wrong and it runs then i try to do it right and now it dont run.........help me!!!!.....

Told you not to pull it apart. All you had to do was time it.

Make sure the rotor is pointing straight at or just before #1 on the firing order.

yeah i know....im stubborn.....i want to understand it all....cause i didnt even check the compression stroke when i put it together...so i didnt know wher i stood.......the problem is when people told me to make sure the rotor is point at number one....i thought it was suppose to point at number on the block!!!!...not the dizzy....geez.....so i thinking im 180 out and thats why it doenst run now....