Not a cobra, but I need some FE help

[Argess]

Back to timing for a moment, as you need to make sure that is OK before experimenting with fuel delivery.

On modified FEs, factory timing is usually out. But one fact remains, max timing is considered as 38 Deg BTDC. Here's how I set mine for first time evaluation (after that, I work on optimizing the initial advance and advance rate):

(Oh....works on points or electronic, but not computer controlled dist)

1/ With engine off, rotate crank CW with a "long" wrench until the timing marks show 38 DEg. Make sure you rotate CW so 40 Deg shows up before you get to 38. If you go past, keep going around again, do not go CCW as you'll get slop in the mechanism plus you could accidenlty loosen the crank bolt.

2/ Locate Cyl #1 ignition wire on the cap and put a small mark on the dist housing directly below cap #1 wire terminal.

3/ Pull the center wire from the cap. Inseert a sparkplug in the end and lay the plug on the engine where it can get a ground. BAsically, you will now have a sparkplug connected to the coil.

4/ Remove dist cap and move out of the way

5/ NOte rotor. It will point either towards the mark you made, or 180 Deg away. Doesn't matter which. Engine could be on compression stroke or exhaust stroke, but it doesn't matter for this procedure.

6/ Loosen dist and rotate dist about 1/2" CCW

7/ Rotate rotor button CCW as far as it will go and hold it there (max mech advance).

8/ With ignition ON, slowly rotate dist housing CW until a spark jumps at the sparkplug connected to the coil.

9/ Let go of the rotor and Double check it points more or less to the mark you made. You don't want to be off by 1 cylinder in sequence.

10/ TIghten down dist and put everything back together.

YOu now have 38 Deg adavnce max advance, but are at the mercy of the intial advance and timing curve whihc will probably be OK, but not necessarily optimized.

You can do all this with a timing light, but I don't like revving the engine to find max advance with no load on it.

Anyway, I suggest doing this timing thing first, then looking at fuel delivery, accel pumps, etc.