Mystery #2: ignition timing is way off the mark
Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2010 2:59 am
Guys,
when I put my engine back together after repairing my water pump, I replaced the crankshaft pulley with a steel one from Burton (my original had chips in the edge). I ran a complete "find TDC" using micrometers and a degree wheel, and the marks on the pulley aligned perfectly with the marks on the front cover. So far, so good, eh? Now I put the dizzy (pertronix cast flamethrower dizzy) back in and set the timing on the 9 degrees mark. After a lot of huffing and puffing I got it running. However, when I stopped it, the headers were glowing red. I found that the timing was actually way retarded from where it looked like it was. I advanced the ignition to a point where it "feels right". It starts well, throttle response is great, idle is good and it stops with no after ignition and does not "ping".
The mystery is this: when applying the ignition lamp and dialing it back to TDC it reads an advance of 43 degrees. How is this possible? I know the Burton pulley is a little smaller than the original, but that should not matter.
Sorry for long winded post, but it is just so frickin' strange! Could the timing lamp have crapped out in some way?
when I put my engine back together after repairing my water pump, I replaced the crankshaft pulley with a steel one from Burton (my original had chips in the edge). I ran a complete "find TDC" using micrometers and a degree wheel, and the marks on the pulley aligned perfectly with the marks on the front cover. So far, so good, eh? Now I put the dizzy (pertronix cast flamethrower dizzy) back in and set the timing on the 9 degrees mark. After a lot of huffing and puffing I got it running. However, when I stopped it, the headers were glowing red. I found that the timing was actually way retarded from where it looked like it was. I advanced the ignition to a point where it "feels right". It starts well, throttle response is great, idle is good and it stops with no after ignition and does not "ping".
The mystery is this: when applying the ignition lamp and dialing it back to TDC it reads an advance of 43 degrees. How is this possible? I know the Burton pulley is a little smaller than the original, but that should not matter.
Sorry for long winded post, but it is just so frickin' strange! Could the timing lamp have crapped out in some way?