54 degrees total timing

[redd devil]

g,day,heres a question for ya,my 454 is running at 120F-135F at 4500 , showing 54 degrees total timing,seems to work good there doesnt appear to be pinging,Ive hung right over top of it and cant hear any problems, starts ok.I know ive got to bring up that temp,what i,m wondering is ,is it self destructing without me knowing it,what timing should i be at,what do you guys set your timing at.its factory gm hei,with a light sring kit.thks.....

[DOHARA]

OUCH!!! 54 DEG. TOTAL ADVANCE IS WAY TOO MUCH. DEPENDING ON YOUR MOTOR BEING STOCK OR BUILT YOU CAN RUN BETWEEN 28-36 DEG. TOTAL ADVANCE. I HAVE A SLIGHTLY BUILT 454 AND MY ENGINE BUILDER SAID TO RUN IT AT 32-34 TOTAL ADVANCE. JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT YOUR ENGINE LIKES, BUT 54 IS WAY TO MUCH. IS YOUR CAM ADVANCED? IF YOU HAVE A DIAL TIMMING LIGHT YOU SET THE DIAL AT THE TOTAL ADVANCE YOU WANT TO RUN LEAVE VACUM HOSE ON DIST. TO CARB, RUN ENGINE TO 3000RPM AND YOUR TIMMING MARK ON DAMPENER AND TAB WILL ZERO OUT AT YOUR DESIRED TOTAL ADVANCE THAT YOU SET ON TIMMING LIGHT. THATS THE EASY WAY TO DO IT. GOOD LUCK. DANO

[HAVNAFIT]

I would check the outside ring on the balancer to see if it moved on the rubber insulator.

[Havasu Hangin']

Originally posted by HAVNAFIT:
I would check the outside ring on the balancer to see if it moved on the rubber insulator.
I agree- I'm not sure it would run at 32 degrees initial, 54 degrees total. Mine is at 36 total, and I'm pushing it.
-Havasu Hangin' out
http://www.websitemonster.com/images/pimp.gif

[redd devil]

ok guys,thks for the advice,I,ve already lined up the timing mark on the balancer with "0" on the timing tab,the #1piston is defenitly on top dead center.so the balancer chks out,it has an edelbrock torq2 cam and matching single plane intake,instructions with the cam said to set at "0",which i did,it said to watch out for some timing chain set ups as they could be either adv or retard for emissions .so its also at "0",I spoke to edelbrock help line ,buddy there said he's got a guy in florida running the same set up with way radical advance as well,he could tell me why though,just said some engine setups let you get away with stuff like that ,I dunno ,I think I'm gonna double chk everything again,54 just makes me nervous,thks again...........redd devil

[BLOWNDRAGBOAT]

NOWAY!!!!! You have a huge problem with the way your reading the timing. If your running 54 deg of total timing, your motor would almost start detonating with application of load and thottle. If your reading 54 degree's what kind of timing light are you using? Is it a mechanical advance (dial on back of timing light)style? Also(its hard to tell without seing it myself) if your starting the engine without tearing up flywheels and starters and it seems to and the motor turns over without a surging pattern in the cranking cycle, and assuming your reading it right...No offense) then it would indicate that your initial timing is probably correct. That leads me to believe the problem is with your advance. I would recheck the advance on the distributor. I personally like all my timing in by 2600rpm. This makes a crisp and very responsive engine. I run 30-32 degrees TOTAl but I am also running blower motors. Natually aspirated motors like 32-36 as a norm. Your advance springs may have broke or theres 2 posts inside the distributor that limit how far the weights can swing which inturn limits your advance. If either one of these items (SPRINGS AND BUSHINGS) have broken it can cause your advance to continue until the weights swing so far out that they are hitting the inside of the cap or it kills your motor. Check the inside of the cap for telltale marks. Let me know what you find out.

[Jim]

If you are running a single wire early Hei you are probably running a vacume advance, disconnect it set your timming at 36 deg at 3,000 rpm and leave it off. Jim Brock

[redd devil]

Hey there,took my dist to a local speed shop 2day,they put it on their dist magic machine.its shows 14* at 2000,17*at 2500,20*at3000,full adv at 3250,this is with a new set of stronger springs,I was running the light springs from my kit but it appears they were not pulling the weights back,although the kit is new,cheap stuff i guess,live and learn,the vacuum advance is new, part # from something from early 70's that this speed shop puts on all their gear. So anyway it looks like there may indeed be a concern with my balancer as i did not use a piston stop to verify TDC when i chk'd bal,tab alignment,I'm dropping the dist back in tonight,if it still shows it wants to much advance I'll pull the balancer.ltr..redd devil.

[redd devil]

oh yeah forgot to mention the light im using is a ferret digital,good quality stuff...ltr

[mister460]

Make yourself a piston stop and VERIFY top dead center. Then check to make sure the balancer is correct. You can turn a motor back and forth 20-30 degrees and still think the piston is all the way up. No motor would run well with that much advance. Sounds like it's something simple.

[Clutch]

Hey Redd Devil. 54 huh? Well what all these guys are forgeting is what is your comperssion? My headcraft has a stock 454 w/headers if i run 34-36 the pipes glow red 3-4 inches out of the heads. My timing is 16 initial and has a 28 swing for 44 total.Also when i had the timing down low the motor ran real hot 240 at idle and 195 at cruise.Now it's150 at speed and will get to about 195 at a long idle.Low comp. can take more timing. Hope this helps.

[redd devil]

OK, sorry this took so long but,well you know,I chkd the piston tdc with a stop.ok there,I purchased a pressure regulator flow valve from pluming supply store,and installed a 195 thermo with a bleed hole and redid my cooling hoses now shes 160-180F and 20-23 psi at WOT.I went to the local junk yard and yanked out a GM dist,had to replace the vacuum advance,that was all, as its only for comparison,I put it in ,took her for a spin. Base timing 12*,total timing 32*,I'm thinking what the hell,I pull it back out to try the 54* dist assembly,after checking my rotor alignment of course,and cannot get the 54 degree distributor's rotor to point in the same spot,it goes a little this side or that side but not dead on,I reslide in old junkyard dog,bang right on the money,I repeat the whole process 3-4 times same results,so either the shaft or the gear has something screwy with it,of course I,m not sure where these parts came from orignally so maybe they're for some est bypass kinda set up or maybe the shaft is twisted or something ,i dunno for sure but I'm gonna shelf it anyway and build a new one.anyways long winded story but I thoght I'd let ya's know.....redd devil.