Timing question?

[1BAD68]

I've read a ton of stuff about timing and found that some people time by numbers and some time by ear.
My Charger has a 318 stroked to a 390 with a stock disributor thats limited to 34 degrees total advance.
When I set timing by the book my car is a dog, when I set it to 15 btdc is a little better. I decided to keep bumping it up essentially timing by ear and see how it does.
I'm currently at 20 btdc and have no pinging, the car runs great and off the line its really snappy so I'd like to keep going until I find where it will start pinging but never heard of 20+ degrees initial timing for a street car.
Am I overlooking something? I obviously dont want to destroy my engine but I'm about to bump it to 22 btdc and see how it goes.

[greenpigs]

Check this thread out towards the end.

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,70178.25.html

I run about 26 initial and go by vacuum, the more of it the better, till you don't see much of a gain then stop. If it starts easy and doesn't detonate you found the motors happy spot.

[1BAD68]

Awesome thanks

[1BAD68]

I got it to 25 degrees and it really woke up.
No pinging, still starts easy and with an easy push of the pedal all the way, its roasting the living crap out of my tires.

[greenpigs]

Now you need to hook that new found power up.

[firefighter3931]

Sure sounds like you found the sweet spot 

Good work ! 


Ron

[Purple440]

Isn't that hard on the starter?  I have mine at 18* initial and when it's hot after running for a while, the starter starts to "cluk" and doesn't sound too healthy.  I can push the initial past 20* and it's still picking up RPM at idle but I'm too scared to run it like that.

- Doug

[Al]

My idle is at 25 with no problems.

[1BAD68]

I just read in one of my books that recommends "for performance applications"
Set the idle at 2600 rpm and then set the timing at 32 degrees, then reset the idle back to wherever you like it.
I haven't tried that yet but it sounds logical. Has anyone done this?

[greenpigs]

  It might be, but thats a generic setting and your motor may not like it. Best thing to do is what you are doing as every combo is different and what works for me(8:1 CR 440)may not be what your 390 likes.