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Wedge TR8 timing issue

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Cheapsnake

Jedi Trainee
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Stock 3.5l except for a mild Isky cam, Edelbrock 500 carb and intake, headers, all A/C and emmissions stuff removed. Manual calls for 5 degrees ATDC dynamic timing, but engine wants to die at that point so I've bumped it to around 10 degrees BTDC, which seems to be a more typical setting, if there is such a thing as typical. My pointer has never been monkeyed with that I know of so I'm assuming it's accurate. Engine runs strong and no signs of det so I'm assuming it's OK and would even bump it a few more degrees if I thought it was safe.

What timing are the rest of you 8 guys running?
 
David Hardcastle, Tuning Rover V8 Engines: 6degrees BTDC static, 32degrees BTDC reached at 4,000 rpm. I time mine at 32-34 total at full advance (4000 rpm).
 
Cheapsnake said:
What timing are the rest of you 8 guys running?
Click to expand...

Mine's pretty much identical to yours, except for a Mallory Unilite distributor, and per Woody's (The Wedge Shop) advice, I'm at 10 btdc. Seems fine, although there's just the slightest lag on acceleration. Will be experimenting with it soon.

Mickey
 
I have tried to time mine using the timing marks and never even come close. I have taken it to the local speeed shop who played and played and eventually told me the timing makes on the balancer are way off and timed it by making TDC with a paint mark. Woody told me the same thing, said find TDC mark it myself and time it.

I have gottne pretty good tuning it that way, I am sure it need refined but works well lately
 
It depends on your cam. Woody tells everybody 10BTDC at 800 RPM for street cars. I try to set mine at 36 degrees full advance on the race car. Full advance comes in early at around 3000 RPMs. I also set the idle up at around 1800 to avoid engine stalls during hard braking. Not exactly relevant for a streeter, but gives you an idea if your advance is working correctly.
 
my '89 rangie with aq 3.9 fi engine ran best at 12 degrees BTC. The previous owner had tweeked it some. I think you should experiment and see where it seems to run best.
 
I wonder if anybody's actually tuning to the book spec's. Probably not if they actually want to drive their car.

Tom
 
Timing with a vacume guage:
This is a trick I learned from an old time mechanic of many many years.
If you try this method make sure to have the engine at operating temp make all distributor adjustment at the recomended idle speed for your engine.

Note:
This method should be done with a Healthy, tuned engine, New points adjusted properly WITH A DWELL METER {not just gaped with a feeler guage} new or known good spark plugs and wires.
Carb or carbs that are working properly.

What you do:
Hook up a good acurate vacume guage to your intake manifold:
Loosen the distributor enough so that you can turn it while the engine is running but not loose enough that it can turn on it`s own.
Start your engine.
Advance the distributor until you reach full vacume

Note:
If you advance too far the vacume will start to fall off.

After you reach full vacume then retard the distributor one inch of vacume on the guage. {if at 17 inches of vacume retard until it reads 16 inches}
Then shut the engine off and restart it.
If it seems to be laboring to turn over {will seem like too much compression} then you need to retard just a bit more.
Retard just enough that you get a smooth turn over and start of your engine.
Tighten the dist. down and test drive
If you get detonation {ping} on acceleration you need to retard just a bit more. {go in small incraments until you achive a normal driving situation with no noticable "Ping"

I have used this method on engines that were "Modified" and the factory Ign timing specs were not satisfactory. I have also used this method on stock engines with good results.
especialy where the timing marks on the harmonic balance seemed to be somewhat misaligned or completely missing.

Note:
After you adjust your engine timing useing this method it is probable that you will need to re-adjust your idle speed
Kerry
 
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