Best Way to set the idle mix on a 4160

[patrickt]

Ten degrees BTDC is a nice place to start. We're just trying to get the car to idle nicely, and not leak, then we'll graduate to having it drive nicely. But, since you mentioned timing, of course your total "all in" timing is what's important. I think you have aluminum heads, like mine, and my engine runs best with 35 degrees total advance. So, with my MSD distributor, I have the 25 degree bushing installed along with ten degrees initial timing to give me that total of 35. Ten degrees initial puts less of a load on your starter (which you just might benefit from). I use the light silver and blue spring combination to achieve the following curve. Notice how the advance comes in. This works very well for me and has for many years.

[steve meltzer]

OK, Got it all set up and running well. My base timing is 21, the total, 36. Got the Holley set up as Patrick suggested, with the idle set by the secondary adjustment. Because of the geometry of the Holley and its underlying Edlebrock intake i had to use a hex-head machine screw, not an Allen head, but it's easy to adjust with a 5/16 wrench. But, and there's always a "but", right? It still leaks from the intake. Gonna get some adult supervision to install next. arrgghh. s

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by steve meltzer

But, and there's always a "but", right? It still leaks from the intake. Gonna get some adult supervision to install next. arrgghh. s

OK, you mean it leaks from where it sits on the "China Wall," or where it mates up to the heads, or where the carb/TP mounts to it up top, or what?

[patrickt]

There's a current FE intake gasket thread going on over at FEpower, Looking for some advice on intake gasket

[Gaz64]

Originally Posted by steve meltzer

OK, Got it all set up and running well. My base timing is 21, the total, 36. Got the Holley set up as Patrick suggested, with the idle set by the secondary adjustment. Because of the geometry of the Holley and its underlying Edlebrock intake i had to use a hex-head machine screw, not an Allen head, but it's easy to adjust with a 5/16 wrench. But, and there's always a "but", right? It still leaks from the intake. Gonna get some adult supervision to install next. arrgghh. s

Have you got some pics of your leak?

Oil leak, or vacuum leak?

What bush do you have in your distributor to get 21 and 36?

Gary

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Gaz64

What bush do you have in your distributor to get 21 and 36?

Not MSD. Their black bushing is 18 degrees and that's the smallest one in the kit.

[Gaz64]

Originally Posted by patrickt

Not MSD. Their black bushing is 18 degrees and that's the smallest one in the kit.

Yes, I know 18 is their smallest.

There is a 10 and 14 available on the net, we made a 12.

Gary

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Gaz64

Yes, I know 18 is their smallest.

There ia a 10 and 14 available on the net, we made a 12.

Gary

Trust me, the good doctor ain't milling custom distributor bushings....

[steve meltzer]

OK, thanx for the info about the intake leak, which was immediately obvious after hard driving at the right rear "China" corner, but using a UV light + dye revealed oil leaking from the front, esp on the driver's side and from the rear not only in right corner, but across the middle. I'm just disgusted as I was very careful in trying to do this job. Does anyone ever use the cork gaskets they always supply for the ends? I never have, but jeez...

Timing: I have an MSD box (6 AL, I believe), a standard Ford FE distributor with the advance locked out and an MSD programmable timing computer (8981) now superseded by a the model 8680. s