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Old 08-05-2004, 08:39 PM
scottj scottj is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Crystal Lake, IL
Cobra Make, Engine: Everett-Morrison, 434 cid
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Quote:
Originally posted by mylesdw


scottj: I am intrigued as to how your set-up works. Do you mean you statically time the distributor to around 35 degrees and have no mechanical advance? I can't imagine how you would start an engine as that is surely way too much advance for cranking.
mylesdw- Yes it is is timed @35 deg Btdc, determined by dyno testing, and no mechanical. I have a start retard box from MSD, p/n 8984, that retards the timing 20 deg while cranking but I've never had to install it. It cranks fine with a 153 tooth flywheel and a Tilton high torque starter and has never popped back or run on.

I have similar engines, with 14:1 compression and an 8" starter ring, that will blow teeth off if it so much as hick-ups while cranking. I have to use the MSD retard box with that combination.

This is a standard circle track ignition system set-up. In that application we don't take a chance with ignition timing because 2 degrees too much will destroy the engine. By locking the distributor you eliminate any chance of a problem.

On my low compression street/track engine it just runs much better than a mechanical advance distributor AND I always know where the timing is.

Lastly, I do it this way because it is the only way my engine builder wants their engines set up.

Scott
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