OK. First came "static timing" the truck by lining up the ball bearing. It works -- you can get the truck started and use it that way if you need to. This is the farm method. To get it to run better you take it out and drive it at 35mph and test drive to check for ping. Retard by twisting the distributor a bit until it goes away and you are done. Use it that way.
Next came along timing lights. Power from the battery and you get a light that blinks when you hook it up a clip directly to the #1 cylinder wire. The light blinks when the #1 wire fires the #1 plug. Makes it easy to see that ball bearing. and what moving the distributor does to it. A fancier version came along where you can just clamp over the #1 wire and pick up the electric signal you are trying to keep track of -- that's called an inductive pickup. Than came along an even fancier light with a dial on the back. You want to buy one of these if you get the chance. It can easily dial in the amount of advance you are looking for. First you check the regular timing the usual way, at idle. Then you move that dial to 28 degrees or whatever and crank to the specified RPM. You are looking to find the maximum advance. You can visually tell when you are there by looking at the ball bearing with the light. I'm no mechanic -- someone correct me or help fill in details if I'm wrong. (I have no idea about the crankshaft degrees). Thanks, Alan '50 Chevy 1/2 ton ----- Original Message ----- From: Steve To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, November 04, 2006 2:06 AM Subject: [old-chevy-truck] Re: Maximum Ignition Timing Advance --- In [email protected], "Steve" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "vwnate1" <vwnate1@> wrote: > > > > > > Steve ; > > > > That spec. is for the _mechanical_ advance part of your dizzy , > most > > also have some vacuum advance plus of course the ball bearing > timing > > mark is a few degrees BTDC . > > > > What you need to discren is : _total asvance , all in , of al the > > variables and this is easy so find , takes a specail tool though ~ > a > > timing light with the advance dial on the back of it ~ I use a > SEARS > > Crafstman inductive one I paid $50.00 for 20+ years ago and it's > > still going strong . I'm told they're on E-bay for abot $20.00 . > > > > Or , you can time it the way GM says to : warm it up and time it , > > take a drive , on flat , lever road in top gear @ 35 MPH , tramp > the > > foot feed to the floor ~ if you hear any ping , stop and retard the > > timing a tiny bit and try again ~ keep on doinf this untill the > ping > > stops and you're good to go . > > > > It's simple , not rocket science , it looks yo me like you're > > makiing this way too complicated . > > > > -Nate > > --- In [email protected], "Steve" > > <StevecolumbusGA@> wrote: > > > > > > Hello, all, I mentioned on a few accasions about the sometimes > > pinging > > > I would be getting when climbing grades, or accelerating too > > fast. I'm > > > using the Malory Unilite Electronic distributor---uses an > infrared > > > sender and receiver. No more dwell, no more pitted burned braker > > > points, none of that no more, I've been happy with it for about a > > > year. I learned here, but for anyone out there who may also need > > to > > > know here it is. I purchased the Unilite, I love it, everyone > has > > an > > > LMC book its #36-2929. Works great. You all who always read > know > > I > > > have a little irk with a pinging issue. > > > I purchased at Oreily's the advace curve kit, don't think LMC has > > it. > > > It comes with the various springs you can readjust the advance > > curves > > > to however you likings, I'm not messing with that. I'm not that > > > smart. But also it comes with the keys to adjust the maximam > > amount of > > > advance you are getting. LMC article says Malory has calibrated > > it for > > > the curves for normal driving conditions (springs). Yet I found > > that > > > you must yourself adjust the max on the advancement of time > > yourself. > > > The LMC book & Malory stuff with the Unilite doesn't inform you > of > > that. > > > I guess maybe I'm just not the smartest, I know a lot of people > > know a > > > lot more than me, but I try. My shop manual has specs for > > mechanical > > > advance of the distributor--it had a vacuum unit on the original, > > so I > > > guess the original did both vacuum and some mechanical advance. > > The > > > mechanical advance in the specs says 12 to 14 degrees max of > > > crankshaft whatever. Well the unilite has adjustment screws and > > the > > > kit advance kit has the keys to set the proper mechanical advance > > based > > > on my specs. My specs say 12-14 degrees. The Unilite was maxed > > out all > > > the way to 0 degrees. They don't calibrate and adjust this for > > you. > > > So it could advance way further than it is supposed to according > > to my > > > shop manual specs. I had to pull it out to loosen the hold down > > screws > > > for the advance plate, unfortionatly. One seemed to feel about > > 100 > > > foot pounds tight. Whatever, they appeared with my glasses on to > > be > > > 3/16 allen screws----so said Malory after a phone call, this > tight > > > screw. But found it was these crappy torx screws used for the > > hold > > > down 8-32, real small. Don't rely on who you call for info. > > Anyway > > > the adjustment is made, I only have to put it in tomorrow, it > will > > > advance at least 50% less than it was, you know I have been > > mentioning > > > the pinging thing in a few prior articles. I will soon see, and > > so far > > > I think I may have solved my own problem. Anyway, I'm boring, > but > > this > > > is out there for everyone to see. Steve -- > > > ColumbusGA,FtBenningGA,PhenixCity,AL----59 Fleetside Apache 235 > > > > > > > > Help me out with this timing light you have. I have an inductive > timing light I use. What about this wording >> about descerning or > what about easy to find values---tell my about the total advance you > say, and easy to find, I think I am just missing something in the > wording. Seems you say the timing light you have is different than > a regular inductive timing light ??? Sorry for my dumbness. I have > an inductive timing light,--seems you say yours have some significant > features --variable adjustments, that make you able to I think access > total advance values--to help you make correct settings ???? I'm > lost here, help me out please. I think you mean a special timing > light so I can make a much more accurate setting, of the correct > crankshaft degree setting for my engine ??? I'm just talking words > here, so straighten me out. See, I don't really know what I should > set my advance degree setting at. Because I am not so informed, but > I am capable of knowing what to do when told. With this timing light > you have can I determine the proper setting (degree of crankshaft > settings?? or whatever??) I don't really have an understanding of > what I'm really trying to do here, much less what it means, but I > want to have accurate & correct adjustments, I'm not sure if I'm > achieving this. I need to know how to get there. If you can tell me > make it simple at least at 1st, so I know what I'm doing. Or with > this light are you telling me there is a way how ????? If so, I'm > down the road to get one. What does your light do ?? It has some > variable settings, I don't know about this. Sorry I'm not the > brightest star in the sky, so, I know you know whats going on. I set > my timing advance limit based on only my 1959 shop manual listings. > Is there someway to find exactly what I should have it set at ???? > I think thats what I'm getting from you. Are you saying I can > determine the total advance, using this special timing light, thus > make proper settings, with these keys to make things right on my > distributor so advance is correct. See I have a plain old inductive > timing light, but I think I'm uneducated on what you tell me, I learn > more new things every day. Please give me the details of what this > would do for me, what it does, (total advance value, can I find that > out ??) So I can make the proper setting of degree value. If I can > do that it would be great. I'm just not up to this speed yet. Let > me explain something, I have repaired electronic robotic 48 volt > robocarier vehicles on my job when they fail, mostly circuit board > repairs, transistor 48volt chopper drives, so forth, fairly > suffisticated, yet outdated. So I will understand if you detail me > on what you have could help me out. I'm just uninformed. I think > there's something your telling me I don't know about. I know a lot, > but there's some things I don't know till I hear about. Fill me in, > can I find the total advance value, then use the advance value keys > to set my unilite to the proper setting ???????? That would be > great, tell me how if this is what you say, I think it is. Help, I > sure would appreciate it, just be simple, cause I think this is > something new to me, I may not know about. Sure be looking for your > reply and thankful for your input. Steve--Columbus,GA- > FtBenningGA,Phenix City,AL \ Nate, I had to read a few times, to try to get things straight, just a little to add, you said I need to find the total advance--you say it is easy to find---but I need a special tool--timing light for this- -- after my big long typing with all my confusion, tell me how this is done, and what I need to find. Maybe this is much simpler than this big article I wrote. Thanks please reply back STEVE Georgia- Alabama > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.409 / Virus Database: 268.13.27/517 - Release Date: 11/3/2006 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Ole Chevy and GMC trucks rule! To unsubscribe, send an email (with no subject, no body, just the email), to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/old-chevy-truck/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/old-chevy-truck/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
