Another question...

[ETAModel]

Someone recently posted when climbing a grade to retard the spark for better performance.

I'm a total NewB to the A, and thought the spark needed to be advanced to max for road driving. I only retard to start the engine and then advance a little to smooth it out, then when in road gear (3rd) bring spark to max setting.

Am I doing this wrong? Should I retard the spark while climbing grades? There's no mountains here, but some pretty good hills.

Thanks

[Harpkatt]

Think about why you adjust timing in the first place. A given amount of gas will basically always take the same amount of time to burn. As the engine is moving faster and faster into higher RPM you need to ignite the gasoline sooner so its fully burned at the top the stroke. This is why we advance the ignition timing.

When the engine is under heavy load as in climbing a hill the engine is again traveling at a low speed so you would bring the timing back, or retard it some.

If you were to down shift and keep the revs high, I would typically advance the timing again.

[Oldgearz]

Harpkatt has it right. My coupe likes to drive with spark half way down. I only retard on hills if I hear pinging or there seems to be a lack of power.

[Patrick L.]

Total advance is 40º. I see no real reason to use that much. Once started I pull the lever about 2/3 down or roughly 30º. It also seems to like that the best.

As for retarding on steep climbs. With full advance it probably should be done, especially, if spark knock is ever heard.

Base timing and advance are added together for the total timing advance. Vehicles will be different because of variations in setting base timing and distributor linkage.

90 years ago manufacturers were still trying to figure out everything about this new automobile thingy.

[Bob C]

You need to read the Instruction Manual, see spark control on page 10.
http://www.motormayhem.net/wp-upload...ion-Manual.pdf

[johnneilson]

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Bob, you beat me to it!!
Start with the basics, otherwise you chase your tail.

John

[eagle]

Run it until it just starts to ping, then retard a click or two. The timing lever position varies too much with each car to say definitively how many clicks to run it or "half way" or whatever.

[700rpm]

I ruined a good engine by driving it fully advanced for general travel. I never take it below 8:00 now, and then only on higher speed for long runs. Now it’s usually about 9:00.

[ETAModel]

Thanks everyone, this is eye opening for me. I recall old timers talking about having both levers "pulled down like the ears of a mule ", so i figured that gave you max power and speed.

[TerryH]

Just remember what some already said about spark advance; how far you advance the timing lever depends on how accurately the car was timed. If it was timed incorrectly you might need more advance than normal. Most of us develop a “feel” for what position, or how much advance is right. There should be a “sweet spot” that you can find, where the car runs better and smoother, and more advance does nothing. If I’m driving around town on surface streets, in high gear, I automatically retard the spark some, then advance it as I speed up. I pretty much change it frequently……..second nature now. Also, in California we only have ethanol gas, and I have no issues with it. I do know it hurts the mileage slightly.

[redmodelt]

I put it this way, in a vacuum advance system when running free on the flats there is lots of vacuum, so the distributor is advanced, when going up hill there is less vacuum so the distributor is retarded. Your lever is doing the same thing by hand as that vacuum advance would be doing.