Seeking suggestions for small block advance curve

[YerDugliness]

Thank you, Bob...your advice is always spot-on! The shim that offers the greatest mechanical advance is indeed 28*. I have (had???) a vacuum gauge and will use it for setting initial advance at idle...should I look for the highest vacuum reading or the lowest?

If I ever take the car to a drag strip it will not be to race, but to do testing regarding various adjustments...accelerator pump shot, carb jetting. timing and distributor advance, that sort of thing...although I suspect that some dyno time with a good tech might well yield more reliable results.

Again...thanks for all the help you have given me, not only on this issue but others, too. It is appreciated much more than you can imagine!!!

Cheers!

Dugly

[bobcowan]

Originally Posted by YerDugliness

TI have (had???) a vacuum gauge and will use it for setting initial advance at idle...should I look for the highest vacuum reading or the lowest?

Set it where you get the highest vacuum reading at idle. As the timing and vacuum changes, so does idle speed. So you just have to keep adjusting both at the same time until you get it right.

If you don't have a vacuum gauge, you can use a bowl of water. Set it on the cowl, and adjust the base timing and idle until the ripples in the water are the smoothest.

Dyno time with a good tuner will get the most accurate results with the least amount of effort. But if you know what you're doing, you can get good results with street and strip tuning.