ignition Timing

[Jules]

Does anyone know the exact ignition timing and dwell for a 74 Buick 350cid engine.
I´m from germany and haven´t got any information about this engine.
I adjusted the ignition timing on 8 BCT and the dwell on 30 degree. Is this right? (sorry for my bad english)

Thanks
Daniel

[njlimbaugh]

Motor's manual calls for 4 deg. advance and 30 deg. dwell, but if it runs good at 8 deg. I'd leave it alone. By the way, there's nothing wrong with your English. It's much better than my German!

[Jules]

Thanks a lot.
I will try 4 degree and check if the engine runs well.
Do you know, where I can get a manuel for this engine? ebay???

[njlimbaugh]

Ebay always has manuals; also there are several dealers on the internet, but I'm willing to bet that the prices will be better on ebay. Good luck!

[buickapollo455]

get the book "guide to buick performance" by dove, the timing needs to be set to 32-36 degree before top dead. not 4 not 6, not 12. even 69 used 0 as a degree but buick performance designers made the 455 to do a 32-36 btd, follow directions now to rev motor to get fly wheel to stand still and new mark on harmonic balancer.

[BigRivy]

Apollo is talking about "total" advance not "initial" advance. Do not try to crank in this much advance on the damper by turning the distributor a ton. Most of this advance is built into the distributor. Mechanical and vacuum. Start your engine, unhook the vacuum advance hose from the distributor and plug it with something so you won't have a vacuum leak. Hook up your timing light and set the distributor to show the 4 degrees advance in the damper. Lock it down and recheck the timing to make sure that it didn't move while you were tightening it and if it's still at 4 degrees then you are good to go. If the engine likes more timing, say 8 degrees then give it a try and if you do not suffer any problems, such as pinging or bucking against the starter, you could leave it there. If everything in the distributor is working properly, mechanical advance and vacuum advance, I would leave the timing at 4 degrees and hook the vacuum advance to a full time vacuum source, not a ported one, and run full advance at idle. This will generally raise the idle speed which will have to be brought back down by turning the idle speed adjustment screw on the carburetor linkage. This will give you the benefit of the more timing at idle, that the engine seems to like, without the danger of too much total timing giving you any problems.

[buickapollo455]

6 degree bftd is the exact by factory manual for 74. but vaccuum off and plugged at 32-36 degree motor will have more power. see book told of earlier.