Well after long wait was takeing the boat for the first water run today at Doctors lake and I was trying to set the base timming the way Dennis Moore's book says to,Son had the weel, in gear 750-800 rpm and found the smoothest Idle and the highest vaccum was at 38*.Did I miss something here because I did say 38*on base? Did not try to find best total at WOT because I now am under proped and will try it when I can get a different prop and get the RPM back down 600RPM. Did set the base on 8*plus(thunderbolt IV module 24*) for the one WOT run I did make to find the RPM range and she ran great ,man it is good to have it running again.I guess I will eather get the V6 or the slow rize 20* module and run the numbers out that way.Anyone else ever done the water test for base and come up with such a high number?

If you are running the Mercruiser modules, forget about base timing as it is going to be where-ever your total advance (that you should worry about) leaves it. Base timing will not put your pistons in the oilpan... total timing will. If you have a problem with idle or taking off, you will need to get something like a MSD system that is adjustable, and if nessesary, lockable at a predetermined, fixed setting throughout the rpm range of the motor (mostly used with blower motors). Detonation is VERY hard to hear in Offshore boats, and chances are if you can hear it.... it's too late..

Well I guess I was just trying to get some feed back on the V 6 or the 20* modules.I went through Marc at Bam marine and he got me straight with the V6 module just did not think I would need so much base to make her idle smooth so now I can set my total and should have plenty of base and she won't feel like she is just about ready to stall at idle.

I know this is a really dumb question but sometimes the dumb questions are the good ones.

are you sure you were on #1? That reading is almost incredible.

just a thought
DAVE

#1 no problemlooking through Dennis Moore's book he says that on some modified motors it can be as high as 24*,well all I can do is ask and learn.

Maybe I am not understanding you. But are you saying you have your base timing set to 38* ??? If so, then what is it when the advance kicks in?? 58*??? That baby's is going to blow up like that. Your total timing including the advance should be 34*-36*, leave the base wherever it falls.

just a thought are you sure you didnt spin your balancer throwing your timing marks off

No, he didn't say that he planned to run a giganic advance at speed - in fact, he spoecified that for his speed run he backed off to 8/34.

I agree that you should get a TDC indicator and verify your timing marks. It just don't sound kosher.

I'm sure you're on #1, as any other would be a factor of 90* off. BUT please verify that your TDC mark is lined up with your true TDC.

The ring on your balancer may have slipped...

Thanks.It's a new motor from run's new but I will check TDC and verify the marks again.As I said Marc got me straight with the V6 module as I was looking at the curve on paper I did not take into consideration that it was plotted for a 6 cyl. and there was some math to do to plot it on a V8,so it looks like there should be about 18* at base and that should smooth out the in gear idle out a little more. 8/32 for high speed run