Mechanical Advance in a Bosch Distributor / How to Adjust the Timing Curve | Tech Tip 26

Centrifugal Distributor Advance & How To Adjust the Timing Curve. An essential, but often overlooked part of the tuning process. & want to know the best bit?? It's FREE! Yep, free. It may take some fiddling and some trial and error, but with a handful of basic tools & some patience, the results will be well worthwhile. Wrap your noodle round this one!
The Engine in this video is a Modified 2.0 Pinto (SOHC) Engine out of my 1978 Ford Capri. For more Information, Tech, & Maintenance Tips on this classic 4 - banger, check out this playlist: • Ford Pinto (SOHC) Engi...
Want to work out an advance curve for your engine? Check out this article by Dave Andrews:
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[@FastRust]

Need to know how to replace your distributors condenser and correctly gap breaker points? Check out my video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y36pg5p8gNJ7i9E

[@ThomasJoseph315]

If I remove the springs and bend the stops in completely,.... will that lock out my distributor? I am adding a programmable ignition.

[@johnlivingston9415]

This is the first time I’ve every seen instruction on adjusting mechanical advance curve! Well done! I have a little vintage Jeep group here in California and I’m recommending your videos to the group! Thanks

[@FastRust]

Thanks John, appreciate the kind words & the recommendation! Hope it can be of some use to you vintage Jeep guys. Have a good one.

[@stevegraham3817]

Sneaky trick - most battery drills have 3 speeds, somewhere around 500, 1000-1200, 1500-2000 rpms. The distributor runs at half engine speed so that equates to 1000, 2400, and 4000 engine rpms, so the initial tuning can be done on the bench. It won't be perfect, but at least it will give some visual cues for the ballpark starting point. Sneaky trick number 2, the drill can also be used to give a rough speedo calibration as well.

[@claymunsamy]

long awaited video amazing machine!!

[@FastRust]

Ha ha. Thanks Clay!

[@dinahmiteb.9687]

Thank you for doing these videos. Huge help!!

[@FastRust]

Great to hear, thanks 👍

[@PawnShopRockers]

Super Video! Well done and relevant information for everyone. I have to say the Capri has the coolest Fan Shroud / "Work Tray" ever! I must make one for my 1968 Ford. *Greetings from across the pond in the USA.

[@FastRust]

Hello back from the UK 🇬🇧 It really does, as long as you remember to remove all the tools before taking it out on a test drive (been there!) Which classic Ford do you have? Thanks. James.

[@PawnShopRockers]

@@FastRust Galaxie 500 / 2 door Sedan / 302 in "the bonnet" / room for a family of 4 or 5 in "the boot" / lime-mist green. *BTW... magnetize that shroud to hold forgotten items.

[@DW....]

THANK YOU> The clearest explanation I have seen. Much appreciated.

[@FastRust]

Great to hear! Thankyou

[@dennyrulos7370]

You're a lifesaver thanks

[@legebakken1]

Very helpful. Good video . Many thanks !

[@FastRust]

Thankyou!

[@gbparada]

Greetings from Brazil. I've got an '86 Chevette which has been converted from ethanol to gasoline, so the compression ratio will be higher and I'll be needing to adjust the timing curve. Your video helped me a lot, so thank you very much. Cheers, mate!

[@FastRust]

Thanks, glad it helped out! I wish I'd have known this trick back in day when I put a 1.6 head on a 2.0 block to up the compression. As it turned out it was way too high and I had to run base timing at TDC to stop it pinging under load! You live, you learn. Cheers. James.

[@billywhizz98]

Great video very well explained

[@FastRust]

Thankyou! Took some writing this one 🤣

[@johnmurphy4658]

Videos are great 👍 keep at it

[@FastRust]

Thanks John. Will do. Got a few filmed last week just need to pull my finger out and edit them.

[@JACKSPEED_TV]

Nice one mate, very well explained 👍

[@FastRust]

Thanks mate. Have you done this to yours since you installed head and wild cam?

[@JACKSPEED_TV]

@@FastRust No not yet mate, it's a bit over my head 😂

[@FastRust]

Naaaaaahhhhhhhh!

[@dinahmiteb.9687]

Great help matie

[@FastRust]

👍👍

[@Shahkhan-lp1ix]

waoooo so technical ❤️ im gona subscribe 🙏

[@FastRust]

That's what it's all about here! Thanks 👍🏻

[@panospapadimitriou3498]

you make things look a bit easier. . today for a man to keep up with distributors must be grandpa at least..!!!!

[@FastRust]

Ha ha. My girlfriend keeps telling me I'm an old man in a younger man's body. Maybe she's right!

[@panospapadimitriou3498]

@@FastRust LOL i got problems with my EX in that and for many years had the project out !!! big mistake register project for daily ... keeps you from finish it !!! but my brain was always fast charged ..!!!

[@MajorT0m]

Got mine running the other day so will get a video up when its not raining 👍

[@FastRust]

Nice one. Put a link up when you do.

[@MajorT0m]

@@FastRust Will do, got an old school Gunsuns Colourtune thing that lets you look into the combustion chamber as its running to set the mixture up too!

[@FastRust]

Whaaaaaat?!

[@MajorT0m]

@@FastRust 😂 yeah I know! it's a plastic tube with a glass base with an electrode in the middle. You basically get an extension to your spark plug and with a little mirror you can see down the tube to the glass plug and see into the combustion chamber whilst its running 👍 as soon as its the magical combination of not raining and not sunny I'll video me doing it.

[@FastRust]

Mind 💥. This definitely requires a video!

[@johngreenwood6162]

To determine the mechanical advance total when bending the weight limit stops place the rotor button on and use a half moon degree protractor from kids geometry kit and hold it over the rotor button to see how many degrees the rotor button turns when spreading the weights by finger. For Lpg vehicles around 7 degrees is fine which is 14 degrees on the crank.

[@alfatechniks887]

Hi bud, on the subject of state of tune, what is your set up. I’m considering now changing my mechanical advance, I need to know firstly my baseline but I’ve got a 2.0 pinto sohc like yours with a kent fr32 cam, 45mm Weber’s and a matched inlet and head, ported but standard valves. Would my inhibition time and advance be similar to yours?

[@FastRust]

It won't be the same as your cam profile is less aggressive than mine. If you look in the vid description there's a link to an article which will help you work out your ideal advance curve. It's mainly based around the duration of your cam.

[@FastRust]

I have an RL31 in mine with headwork

[@AWBElectrical]

Easier way to adjust it it all is do the rate first with springs, then pull the dissy out and through the window aperture you can tweak the limit posts with a screwdriver. Plus there is a point set for a Holden XU1 in Australia, these are drop in with a heavier spring allowing clean reving up to 7000rpm. Welding or grinding the tabs on the vacuum advance arm will allow adjusting of the max vacuum advance.

[@harrywalker5836]

7k,mmm,, must have rollers.screw in studs. like all real engines have from factory. . or your rockers would be thru the cover. plus, whats wrong with electronic. $60. no bounce. good for 20k.. 6500 every day with a std clevo, chev blow at 6000, . best old skool engine, 460c. easy cheap 550 hp..the LS v8, nearly got it right, almost.. still have the std diff in the xu.. ?..

[@danreynolds5692]

Is there a particular reason you've kept with the points and condenser system as opposed to electronic ignition? I'm now changing mine for an electronic pick up for reliability

[@FastRust]

Because I'm stubborn, basically! I like the simplicity of them, and they haven't let me down in the 10+ years I've owned the car

[@RiggersXR2]

Hi mate can you remember approximately how much you bent the stops inwards to reduce 10 degrees of movement, maybe 2-3mm?... I've marked my pulley and checked mine, it seems my total dizzy advance movement is 26 degrees - with it set to 8 at 1000rpm it's all in at 34 by 3000rpm.

[@FastRust]

Honestly can't remember mate, I struggle to remember what I did yesterday nevermind a few years back. It's just a case of trial and error. You can sort of see where I bent them to in the vid. That took off about 8-10 degrees of advance.

[@jimdonnelly5727]

Where did you find the springs and nylon bushings for your mallory distributor?????

[@FastRust]

I had a spare distributor I pinched them out of that

[@ziyakucuk4082]

👍

[@Eddieallenmeek]

Doe’s the mechanical advance centrifugal work when you change the points to a electronic spark system like lumention?

[@FastRust]

Yes works the same way.

[@alejandrocasas1455]

👍🏻

[@alonsodelvalle3838]

Really nice, what was your final setup? Degrees of Initial advance? and how many degrees the mechanical advance gives?

[@FastRust]

Thanks. Initial advance is around 18 degrees and then the mechanical advance adds another 20 so 38 total.

[@alonsodelvalle3838]

@@FastRust Thanks buddy, I really apreciate your answer, i try to do with mine i dont have DCOE’s only bike carbs so i hope it works for me also

[@Jonathan_Doe_]

If you want to keep the vacuum advance, how do you work out the maximum amount of advance it adds? Is it just a case of trawling the web for the original spec sheets?

[@ARockyRock]

you can check with a timing light by seeing what the static timing is and then revving the engine until max advance is achieved. you can then subtract the static timing from the max advance to determine how much advance is added.

[@paulkillick3419]

Hi, I have a 1972 MK1 Capri with the 3.0 Essex engine. My distributor looks like it’s come from a Sierra as it has a red cap, no vacuum advance and is electronic with an ignition module fixed to my inner wing. My question is the Weber DGAS carburettor vacuum is blanked off as the distributor has no vacuum advance to run a hose to. Ignition timing is set to 10° btdc. Presumably the Bosch distributor has mechanical advance so is it ok to drive a car that originally had a vacuum advance distributor that’s now had a Sierra distributor and ignition module or should I purchase a new distributor with vacuum advance so I can re connect it to the carburettor? The car is standard apart for the ignition changes which presumably was done during its time in South Africa. Thanks Paul

[@FastRust]

Hi Paul. Yes perfectly fine to drive with no vacuum advance. All this does is advance the timing when the intake is in 'vacuum' - which is either idle or cruise. This will give you marginally better fuel economy due to more efficient combustion.

[@paulkillick3419]

@@FastRust thanks for the reply.

[@theGasur]

Does all this apply to the electronic ignition as fitted to the pinto Sierra

[@FastRust]

The mechanical advance system is the same, but how you get to it is different. I think you have to remove the distributor drive gear in order to disassemble fully

[@PawnShopRockers]

I do have a thought in your situation. Why not just remove the vac-Advance from the distributor entirely? Just make a simple cover over the opening and and screws over the D-body. Cheers

[@FastRust]

Because the way I saw it at the time, the arm from the vac advance holds the top plate of the distributor in position. Without it I was worried that it could still move from vibrations and forces and affect the timing. Could be wrong but better to be safe than sorry.

[@shabaazhussain9112]

Gud day I'm having difficulty getting my dellortos carb 40s dhla balanced

[@FastRust]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fKC4gJaGjtZ3o7c

[@jodauth3319]

can't seem to get the dave andrews article up can you help?

[@FastRust]

www.s262612653.websitehome.co.uk/DVAndrews/timing.htm

[@FastRust]

That worked for me

[@Manuqtix.Manuqtix]

What if you have an electronic distributor. How does that work to advance the timing?

[@FastRust]

Electronic distributors i.e on the Sierra still rely on this weight and spring setup inside so adjustment is the same. How you get into the distributor is different though.

[@xx-mz2eg]

Is that a F91W clock mate? ;)

[@FastRust]

The one and only!

[@garypeatling7927]

Never thought of this be fixing motors for 50 years , do know old Ford distributor gives more advance than Bosch distributor going to try on Daimler v8

[@FastRust]

Yeah it's old school tuning for sure - no laptops and programmable ECUs here. The trial and error part can be slightly frustrating but it does get quicker the more times you have to do it! Good luck.

[@blkcoupequattro]

20' advance, 30' total???

[@joeteejoetee]

Technically, if you want to accutaly disable the Vacuum advance air pressure, you would not seal off one side of the timing diaphragm with a sealed hose BECAUSE doing that actually CREATES a Barometer controlling your timing based against the sealed gasses. #Logic

[@FastRust]

I take your point but in reality this isn't an issue. The bolt stuck in the end does not form an airtight seal so temps do not affect the timing on my car.

[@harrywalker5836]

@@FastRust pluis your in old bity, 3 degrees all yr..

[@STSmithable]

Do you not have hot start problems with so much advance?

[@FastRust]

No issues with hot, but cold starts can be an issue as it'll kick back on the starter. But since I fitted a new battery it cranks faster and generally isn't an problem

[@harrywalker5836]

its total advance, not initial,which is idle..

[@johngreenwood6162]

Small block Chev motors usually hate too much initial advance when hot. I used a kill switch that I would release once the motor was winding over to stop it knocking back.

[@rangerfortin1504]

👍🏻

[@FastRust]

Cheers Jimbo. Sorry about lack of diesel 🤣

[@rangerfortin1504]

Fast Rust I like it ! cos it’s proppa spanner time - proppa mechanics :) stuff you can do at home rather than £££ specialty

[@FastRust]

Not a laptop or ECU in sight 👍