Ok, so I shot the light and found that the timing on my 69 pontiac is way over advanced (About 20* or so). Car won't start when its hot, so I was going to try and pull the timing down a bit.

So I went to adjust the timing, and I can't figure out how to do it. Can someone give me a crash course in basic timing adgustments on an older engine Points, vacuum advanced engine?

9/12/2006 1:49:19 PM

One bolt at the base of the distributor which clamps it to the block or intake manifold. Loosen it, rotate distributor against direction of rotation to advance timing, with the direction of rotation to retard timing.

And it only takes a very little bit of rotation to make a change. For every 1/2 degree you rotate the distributor, you are changing the timing by one full degree (dizzy rotates at half engine speed).

If you can't figure out which way to turn it, pop the cap off and have somebody spin the engine over or just loosen and turn a little bit either way while the engine is running and you're shooting the timing light on the marks.

9/12/2006 2:06:57 PM

So the whole distrubutor rotates, for some reason I was thinking it was only the cap.

Oh yea, and when you are adjusting the idle timing, are you supposed to plug the vacuum advance? Or leave it hooked up.

[Edited on September 12, 2006 at 2:13 PM. Reason : .]

9/12/2006 2:12:06 PM

Plug it (the hose, not the vacuum can). BTW, at idle is the ONLY time you adjust the timing. It's called setting baseline timing.

[Edited on September 12, 2006 at 4:29 PM. Reason : yeah boy]

9/12/2006 4:28:48 PM

dan basically covered it.you're not really rotating the whole distributor, just the top portion of the body around the shaft/rotor.

9/12/2006 4:30:51 PM

your engine is retarded

by the way, stock ignition timing on my 240sx is 20deg before top dead center (advanced). Just throwing that info out there in case your engine is supposed to be a bit advanced you'll have to look that up yourself

9/12/2006 4:55:53 PM

Some are that much but a majority of V8s will have hard starting issues when too far advanced...seems like especially the ones with a crossed firing order (18654372 or similar).

9/12/2006 4:57:40 PM