Crazy timing setting
 

I recently rebuilt my 502 because of a blown head gasket.Upon setting the timing starting at 10 degrees btc and seeing the advance correctly by 24 degrees at about 2000 rpms .I have noticed that the motor seems starved for advance...In other words after warming the motor up, manually turning the distributor seems to make it run better than setting it with the light...I find the center as the motor is running at 2500+to about 3000 rpm range.It seems more responsive.When I checked the timing with the light it was at 15 degrees at idle .Is this normal ?I don't want to detonate too early. But it seems 39 degrees after advance at 2500+ is too much...Please advise???Could this have been why the motor with less than 50 hours after a complete rebuild have blown the gasket???

I would say with iron heads 34-36 TOTAL advance is tops AND RUN 93 OCTANE...

Did add new 93 octane fuel to almost empty tank...I'll back it down a few degrees...Thanks for the reply...

in a ideal world, running 34-36 at idle would be best and be able to pull it back as rpms increase...aka computer timing control...with some cams I run the dist locked @ 28-30, usually use a MSD box that has the 20deg start retart...

timing
 

I'll try that .I also am running an MSD Marine Box ,coil and distributor...it starts perfectly with only 1 or 2 pumps on the gas...idles perfectly after short warm up...

maybe it is starving as the electric fuel pump is only rated a 6 lbs and there is about 2 feet of lift...to the carb...My next step is to replace it with a 7 pound plus pump and regulator

Electric fuel pump PUSH better than they PULL, but if you have a pump that makes 6psi with no regulator than you're going to need to start planning on swapping it out for a higher flow pump b/c when you start running it hard that pump isnt going to keep up.

I've seen that the engine throttles back at 4000+ then pulling back the throttle ,it catches up but will not run WOT.I'll upgrade the fuel pump and regulator to a Mallory marine 110 ghp 7 psi Pro comp ,unless you recommend a larger one...or another brand.And thanks for the information...

As long as you dont plan on going crazy with motor mods like a blower in the near future, that pump should work fine. It hitting the RPM "wall" like that at 4000 could be where its starving for fuel right now.

You could also look at these pumps, the Holley blue will flow 110gph also, and is quite a bit cheaper. I have ran them on a car before and are kinda noisy, but down in the engine compartment with the hatch down I doubt you would hear it.

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