Hot Tip for setting ignition timing

Jeff Stout · 09-28-2020, 10:05 AM

When using a stock balancer and you have 2 marks on it, one for top dead center and 1 for your desired total timing. Always know which one is which. My pathetic performance yesterday at Az S/SS event was due to setting timing at top dead center mark. I wondered why car started up so easy and I had to reset idle. Another lesson learned on how to slow a car down and lose a race. I think the heat got to me.

nhramnl · 09-28-2020, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Stout

When using a stock balancer and you have 2 marks on it, one for top dead center and 1 for your desired total timing. Always know which one is which. My pathetic performance yesterday at Az S/SS event was due to setting timing at top dead center mark. I wondered why car started up so easy and I had to reset idle. Another lesson learned on how to slow a car down and lose a race. I think the heat got to me.

Really simple solution that I've used for a long time... I clean the balancer really well (with Brakekleen), then find the timing mark I want (which, in your case, just has to NOT be the TDC mark) and I carefully "paint" the mark with White-Out. When the timing light is strobing, the painted mark just glows, and is impossible to miss. Hope that helps.

Jeff Stout · 09-28-2020, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nhramnl

Really simple solution that I've used for a long time... I clean the balancer really well (with Brakekleen), then find the timing mark I want (which, in your case, just has to NOT be the TDC mark) and I carefully "paint" the mark with White-Out. When the timing light is strobing, the painted mark just glows, and is impossible to miss. Hope that helps.

I will make tdc mark disappear today so to only have 1 mark for total timing. Your right, clean and fresh white out. I checked because of new MSD ignition was installed and wanted to double check.

bykr · 09-28-2020, 11:49 AM

Probably ran a little hotter than normal too.

jim hensley · 09-28-2020, 05:35 PM

those little white paint pens work well.

MRE 7171 · 09-28-2020, 08:48 PM

Jeff how much slower did your car run from your normal timing

09-28-2020, 10:05 AM	#1
Jeff Stout VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: phoenix Posts: 1,489 Likes: 66 Liked 706 Times in 283 Posts	Hot Tip for setting ignition timing When using a stock balancer and you have 2 marks on it, one for top dead center and 1 for your desired total timing. Always know which one is which. My pathetic performance yesterday at Az S/SS event was due to setting timing at top dead center mark. I wondered why car started up so easy and I had to reset idle. Another lesson learned on how to slow a car down and lose a race. I think the heat got to me.

09-28-2020, 11:49 AM	#4
bykr Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: SoCal Posts: 232 Likes: 274 Liked 167 Times in 81 Posts	Re: Hot Tip for setting ignition timing Probably ran a little hotter than normal too. __________________ Tim Schmackpfeffer 762 SS

09-28-2020, 05:35 PM	#5
jim hensley Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: columbia tn Posts: 50 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Hot Tip for setting ignition timing those little white paint pens work well.

09-28-2020, 08:48 PM	#6
MRE 7171 Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2018 Posts: 60 Likes: 41 Liked 127 Times in 26 Posts	Re: Hot Tip for setting ignition timing Jeff how much slower did your car run from your normal timing