MPI Delco EST Distributor Timing
 

I fired up the starboard engine in the driveway today (sitting on the mounts) and went to check initial timing and found 16 degrees at 1k rpm. That was just the initial where I started. Increasing rpm did not advance timing. Dropping RPM for a moment showed the same timing on my advance timing light.

This is a MPI distributor being used without the MEFI 3 ECM (converted to carburetor). I have the pigtail going from the coil to the two-pin connector, and power/tach hooked to the coil.

Module is stamped 399 0C08.

I thought the module had its own advance curve, but I’ve heard other chime in mentioning a different module was needed. Regardless, it didn’t line up with any timing curve that I’m aware of unless it’s all in by 800 RPM. I may have seen it advance a few degrees while revving a little.

Do I need to switch out the module? Which one? I’m almost done with these things. I was great to have one light off!

Thanks.

Should I just set timing at 3k rpm and leave it? 9.6 509, AFR 325s… 34 degrees?

No one has run into this?

I did some reading elsewhere and found the modules can be finicky.

How much timing at idle is too much? So long as it starts without breaking my starter, I guess I’m good, right? Probably a dumb question because I ran my blower setup with timing locked at 32.

Yes, handful of us havee. I will look for links. My head vaguely remembers a bunch of timng in by 800rpm. Just another 6-8 in next thousand ir 2 rpm.
I did mine ,502mpi to carb, in mid Soeedwake days, so it’s been a while. Lol, 2003 or 2004 or 2005 or so ???

Yes... it's been quite a while ago. Back in the simpler days!

I'll fire up the other one this week and look for the same. The printed timing curve for the module does not read that way, but there can be a ton of variance with these (so I've read). So long as it is consisted, I can live with that. I'd be really upset if it found another 10 degrees somewhere and ended up burning down.

Look for est talk with me (SB) , Apollard (who did it too) and others….here and better yet, google for here….zOSO’s search sucks pretty bad, to out it mildly.

Here is one of such threads:
https://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/...gnition-2.html

That's basically what I'm seeing. I'll set to 33-34 on top and see how it works in the boat... if I ever get a chance to put them in.