Ignition Timing

[@rondiesel0599]

Your videos are awesome, no one explains things like you do. You make it understandable. keep'm coming!

[@tomchristianson]

You son of a gun, if I knew this 30 years ago I could have won more races. THANKS...

[@johnzuggster6718]

When I was young it was so hard to get info from anybody. Luckily I met a mentor. So I just wanted to tell you thanks for sharing that hard earned knowledge. All your videos are great, and I'm sure your helping a lot of youngsters.

[@smjones4238]

Great description of ignition timing. There are SO MANY people out there that don't have much of a clue about this, hell, you can't hardly buy a timing light anymore. Growing up on a farm in the boondocks (rural SD) with Hot Rod & Popular Hot Rodding magazine subscriptions back in the 50s to the 70s, I had to figure it out. Growing up now, it's in your laptop plugged in to the car. I appreciate both ways. Some of the nowadays people kinda glaze over when I ask them about their valve OR ignition timing. Great Video as usual, Thank You for caring n sharing.

[@UsefulEntertainment]

this video blew me away. I always knew how timing worked but never this in depth. just wow, thank you so much for your time and this channel. I definitely want to sponsor your channel each month. thanks again.

[@Myvintageiron7512]

Thank You

[@71plymouth.]

+Useful Entertainment

[@jjmccloud]

All this knowledge for free!!!! Man I wish I had KZbin back in the late 80s and early 90s haha. Great video brother thanks so much for your time!

[@BadLuckGarage]

Love your aircraft explanation. I would have never thought to explain it that way.

[@ck1insac]

I'm a rookie and this was a great video breaking down the basics!!!! Much appreciated.

[@dojmike]

I recently purchased a new timing light with a degree advance capability without really knowing why. I just knew I had to have it. With this video, I now know how to check my 350 in my 71 El Camino timing with the engine revved. THANK YOU!!!!!

[@Myvintageiron7512]

You bet glad it helped

[@albertoz28]

thank you so much u answered every question I had your the best!!!!!

[@Myvintageiron7512]

Happy to help!

[@explorer8888]

This an awesome channel with great content. I’ve been learning a lot from you and I appreciate it. This is the best explanation with the best analogy. I was wondering if you or any of your viewers has a good recommendation for non-detergent motor oil. Thanks and subscribed!

[@annex4904]

Amazing video. Thank you very much

[@Myvintageiron7512]

Glad you liked it!

[@chevcam92]

I always look to your videos for any and all of my info on engines, it's super informative and at the same time super easy to understand. Your info on how to understand your camshaft, the importance on degree ing the cam. Etc changed my whole understanding of engine building.

[@Myvintageiron7512]

Glad to help!

[@omarm5864]

Thanks! Very well descripted video sir!

[@Myvintageiron7512]

Glad it was helpful!

[@richardlucy3822]

Spot on directions!!!😎

[@matthewhummel6023]

Good explanation for the novice.

[@Myvintageiron7512]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Saileahgaz]

About a year ago I bought a truck. Its got a SB 350 and an SM465 manual transmission. Even since then, I've been searching far and wide for information that will help me tear it down and rebuild it. In terms of my mechanical knowledge... I'm starting at zero. But, I'm ambitious, so I'm gonna build a 450-500HP 383! Eventually. I've scoured the internet for information, and want to tell you that the effort you make to pass on your knowledge, is totally worthwhile. Thank you so much for taking the time. If I could drop by and work for knowledge, I'd be there every weekend wrenching away!

[@Myvintageiron7512]

Thanks

[@youtubered7856]

Saileahgaz Your comment on Myvintageiron passing on his knowledge is exactly how I feel about his no bs straightforward truth is definitely VERY MUCH APPRECIATED And I have to get on the Patreon website and support his efforts as knowledge is power. and it's not easy to get good technical knowledge!I would kill to be able to to work along side with this guy!Nothing like learning how to rebuild engines then getting hands dirty with the best in the business!!

[@jarnarvismapp7637]

Really enjoy the channel I have learned alot of things just watching. Having a issue with my 350 85 gmc c2500 after setting total timing it sound like the bottom end. But the rattle goes away if I just set timing back to initial timing

[@johntisbury]

Thank you, simply and well explained and then backed up by showing on a working engine. Perfect, helped to cement my knowledge around initial and total timing.

[@skretzer]

Thank You Thank You Thank You!!!! I knew nothing about timing or the timing light before this video and now I have a great understanding and feel comfortable enough to set the timing with a timing light. Very informative!!!

[@davsaltego]

A sincere thank you, professor.

[@jimclarke1108]

Excellent explanation, i set the timing on my standard holden 308 V8 (gm) about 10-12 BTDC and let the vacuum and centrifugal advance to the rest , it goes great. I FIND YOUR VIDEOS ARE BETTER THAN MY WORKSHOP MANUALS

[@frankdavidson9675]

i have a problem understanding how the spark can fire before piston has reached the top with out it spark knocking

[@Shane-Singleton]

I'm 37. I was born and grew up right during the birth of electronic fuel injection. And I love it. I really do. The thing about all the advances in technology, and this is true of everything, even smartphones, is that as devices get smarter we have to know and do less and less ourselves. I like to say as our phones get smarter we're getting dumber. I knew what timing was but I didn't know the reason why it was what it was until it was explained here. I'm not a mechanic obviously lol. But I've recently started wrenching on an old 79 Chevy pickup. So now it's relevant to me. Didn't have to worry about any of that stuff on my 2012 Camaro. The computer sorts it all out optimally. But knowing about timing, etc. as explained in this video has helped me gain a little more knowledge of how internal combustion engines work. And it'll help in my dealings with my pickup i'm sure.

[@126inasplit]

New subscriber! I'm 29 and currently working on the first vehicle my parents were able to give me. A '69 Chevy C-10 pickup. It's been sitting for 12+ years with no one touching it. I'm NOT a mechanic by any means (nor is my dad), so KZbin and google is my main source of information. I've been trying to get it to run correctly for the past couple weeks and am having one hellva time with it. You, sir, have had one of the most in depth, informative video I've seen over these couple weeks (and I've seen A LOT). I appreciate the time and knowledge you took to make this video.

[@Myvintageiron7512]

THX

[@Snailmailtrucker]

I've watched a lot of your videos MVI but this one I missed...FANTASTIC Info ! *YOU ROCK !*

[@philsalsbery9994]

You have explained ignition timing better than anyone I have ever heard it from. Now, I finally get it. Thank you!

[@Myvintageiron7512]

You Bet

[@tno187]

Thanks a lot! Watched and learned. Will apply to this to my SBC 350 soon. Greetings from Holland!

[@sheephunter6033]

Anytime I need information about my engine build I come straight to you. Thanks for all you do for us novice mechanics.

[@hp858]

Found your video on the Corvette Forum, great explanation of total timing and visuals. I'll recommend it to others, thanks.

[@Myvintageiron7512]

THX

[@mikeward2980]

You are absolutely incredible. Thank you Sir.

[@Myvintageiron7512]

I bet you say that to all the boys

[@charliecopeland390]

Thanks a bunch!! I have been out of the loop and did not pay attention to timing light technology. Technology is cool!!

[@jdawgjackson8176]

After weeks of searching videos, I come across this one. By far the best video that I found. You explain It in a way that no one else has been able to. I cant believe I just now came across your channel. I could learn so much from you. Thank you.

[@nicolasosteguin5440]

Very informative

[@Myvintageiron7512]

Glad you think so!

[@johnd5805]

I understood the basics of timing. Now I understand timing. Thank you.

[@Myvintageiron7512]

Your welcome

[@bigstuff52]

Outstanding...never stop these tutorials....thank you!!!

[@Myvintageiron7512]

Thanks you

[@shortysgarage3502]

I thought you explained it quite well. I have the same timing light myself, I bought it off an older gentleman at a swap meet who wished me luck figuring it out. Best $5 I ever spent . lol

[@voripeter]

This is great! I learn a lot of stuff from your videos.

[@greattribulation]

Thanks this was much needed, very good illustrations!

[@jayrodriguez9134]

I learned so much so quick. Quickest 27 minutes of my life

[@nascarmikeb]

beautiful explanation!!!! thank you so much!!!!

[@jrlaramore1]

Thanks, that's the best explanation that I've found

[@azteca088]

Great video, very well explained.

[@neilray8416]

Great video. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@GearheadExplorer85]

You sir did a fantastic job of explaining this. The airplane comparison made so much sense to me.

[@sotark77]

Great video for us beginners, thank you very much, I needed something like this to get a better understanding

[@ricklilly2277]

Very glad there's good instruction even after much time has passed, you know for me slow people,thanks dude !

[@timwest9300]

Perfect I love it

[@Myvintageiron7512]

thanks

[@blaker007705]

By far the most informative timing video I’ve watched, I actually understand this whole process...excellent job buddy!

[@Myvintageiron7512]

Awesome, thank you!

[@Chevyv8man1]

Thank you for the in-depth explanation on timing. I was trying to explain timing and advance timing to a co-worker and he just couldn't get it. I've been wrenching for over 45 years and understand it but, as you know, to explain it to a non-mechanically intelligent man isn't the easiest thing to do. It seams that every time you say something you have to stop cuz you keep falling into that rabbit-hole of inexperience. I had him watch this and now I think he understands timing (maybe) lol Now I have to try to explain how the vacuum advance distributor works to him (Thanks a lot) lol - later

[@wkracingpunjab7712]

wow. impressed Sir, thanks for your efforts. nicely explained.

[@multinjok]

Best explanation how ignition work. Thanks.

[@herbslusher4409]

Excellent session. You're a good teacher. Your analogies are great!

[@Myvintageiron7512]

I appreciate that!

[@charlie-dv7mi]

Absolutely, hands down best video on timing I’ve seen. So well described in detail . If you don’t understand timing now you should just move on to knitting 🧶 lol

[@Myvintageiron7512]

Awesome, thank you!

[@thomasldeanjr3337]

You said that this is basic. It isn't. It's a great explanation for something very advanced. Thank you!

[@dragonlips2005]

Thanks for putting this one out so quickly!! Awesome video as always!

[@Myvintageiron7512]

your welcome

[@therickashesoloband]

thank you for this video i been struggling to figure out my timing on my 283..... your the best

[@anthonywendt5834]

great video as always. a video on reading spark plugs would be awesome. like for timing, detonation, heat range etc. Thanks!

[@zltmlt]

Great video..very educational..Thanks for uploading.

[@brocluno01]

OK, old 2-stroke motorcycle tuner here. Build many 2-strokes. Almost all have you set timing at 1 ~ 1.8 mm before TDC. Depends on serious race motor with high idle, maybe 2 ~ 2.5 mm before TDC. Once I left the automotive world and started dinking with 2-stroke go fast bikes, it all became more clear. Does not matter if it's degrees or piston position in a measurable scale, it's all the same ... Just curious, what is the actual piston travel in inches or mm for a 350 SBC at initial timing ?? My guess is it's about 1 mm or so ...

[@thomasldeanjr3337]

Outstanding explaination! A spark in any given cylinder at 3000 rpm is every 25 seconds! wow!!!!

[@9Fahim]

i like the way you explain things. yours choice of words make it all flow together nicely

[@swpilot2494]

Awesome video, thanks!

[@nickwiese7415]

Well said kind Sir: I would like to add some distributor info. I found light grease to be OK on distributor weights & springs But not OK at all on the shaft or better said the inside of the top shaft. Light oil, singer sewing machine type, or 3 in 1 oil works. Then if the Rotor is loose, a small amount of lightweight body putty from your finger to the top inside of the metal shaft- then put the rotor on Quickly and let sit till it sets up. It has stayed snug for 6 six years and did pry out. good Luck, Nick Wiese

[@vitodelorto1796]

You explain things real well, and that was an easy to understand and comprehensive explanation of timing and how to set base and total timing. You should explain the scale on that very nice damper, that most people don't have, how to use that instead of advance feature light that most people don't have (including myself😂) and how to make your own 30° mark on a stock damper, to use the timing cover scale and set your total timing. The circumference of my damper ÷ 360 = 1/16". 30 of those makes 1 7/8". So it was easy to accurately make that mark on my damper. Now using the scale on my timing cover, I can easily and accurately set my total timing to 33°, or whatever, using my idiot light😂

[@MrFireman164]

Excellent!

[@JoDoDesigns2011]

makes perfect sense now, thanks (side note: DON'T DO DRUGS, I used to know this information )

[@tomyam7558]

After watch a bunch of video on youtube finally i understand igition timing on this video really thanks alot sir :)

[@Myvintageiron7512]

You Bet

[@BryanGushen]

Excellent video!

[@jackstandracing7400]

Great video! This will help a lot of people!

[@Barnekkid]

Excellent explanation, dude.

[@kylewoodward7078]

Great video! New subscriber, thank you brother!

[@youtubered7856]

Myvintageiron another awesome video thanks!

[@MichelLinschoten]

you deserve so many more subs !

[@danielb2145]

Thank you, that was really good.

[@joshuagibson2520]

So as a machinist I have to ask, how do you know your timing tab is for sure correct? What can I do to verify and calibrate 0 on my timing tab to to ensure 0 is really 0? Is that also why the #s are on the harmonic balancer? This and your cam video are the best education I've ever gotten on anything. Not just car related, but period. Thank you so much.

[@the4flatgarage]

It starts on the engine stand by finding true TDC of your #1 piston. I put the balancer on the crank snout, and mark "zero" on the balancer, no matter what it says on the tab or the balancer. I change all indicators to cater to my mark at zero. Stock balancers are usually 2 piece with rubber in between the outer and inner rings, if you will. And the outer ring can move throwing everything completely out of whack. So you have to mark both pieces to tell if there has been movement, because the inner ring mark will never move. High performance dampners like Fluidampner are one piece. Regardless of the factory marks, the marks you made on the stand are the marks you use for the life of that motor. No one answered you, so I did. MSD has timing tape that is very useful in this endeavor. Good luck.

[@ojfromchicago8757]

Thank you so much you make people like me life much easier 😎

[@TiClinSplat]

That last part with the strobe was so great! I really hoped it would work!

[@dojmike]

I've known this stuff for years, but it is always good to hear again with the details and specificity that you explained. It is always good to hear it explained with this level of detail. Thanks for doing all that you do. I never get tired of seeing SBC functionality. Thank you!!!

[@samfiorenzo6764]

Awesome explanation Especially for a novice,

[@filitamayo3786]

very good video. Thanks for all the videos you make.

[@Myvintageiron7512]

Your welcome

[@attitudeadjusted9027]

I'd love to see do a video on how octane allows for timing advance and the correlation between flame travel and flash point with the higher octane and how it creates a lean burn condition. Poeple seem to be confused about the higher the octane the lower the flash point (colder) which in some cases creates heat because there's not enough fuel. I don't seem to have enough patients to explain effectively those things and why you can run more timing the higher the octane. Love you vids and so do my boys. Keep up to good work brother!

[@attitudeadjusted9027]

Oh forgot throw in compression. Thanks!

[@attitudeadjusted9027]

And since we're old school why not throw in the dual point distributors!

[@TheDmgmonster]

So the mechanics of setting the total timming!? Does one advance the timming at idle then check the new advance or is the distributer being rotated to add the timming by hand at the same time the throttle is being held at 3000 rpm or so where ever the timing is all in? Thanks for this video it was very helpful for the concept but it seems like there's not a great video on you tube that describes how to add the timming physically. Thanks again any advice would be helpful on how this is done

[@Myvintageiron7512]

The distributor advances it's self as timing increases just below the rotor there are weights that spin as RPM increases the weights cause the timing to advance the distributor has the ability to cause the rotor to advance with RPM, so no you are not moving the distributor you set initial timing at idle and the timing will automatically advance with rpm it is built into the distributor

[@tomchristianson]

I'm looking at my timing light right now...

[@satishinamdar]

Really very good explanation.

[@johnathanreigard512]

I'm gonna be as knowledgeable as this fella when I reach his age in prolly 30 years I'm hoping! It's weird how half the older dudes or napa fellas I ask how to do something when I'm building an engine, they either tell me something I know is a bad idea or won't work or I listen to them and it fucks something up lol. If 3 KZbin fellas explain it good and they are all saying basically the same thing then I roll with it.

[@robertpaulis439]

No mention of adjusting the distributor at all. Just because you have initial timing doesn't mean total timing is set by revving the engine. Tweeking the distributor is how one accurately adjusts total timing. No mention of it!

[@Myvintageiron7512]

Clearly you did not watch the entire video

[@edivora247]

When you advanced timing on light to 30, is that just to demo that at higher rpm you hit the zero timing mark? Just want to make sure you didn’t have to manually advance the distributor itself. Thx.

[@Myvintageiron7512]

no the distributor advances the timing on its own

[@WesternReloader]

Say initial timing at 800rpm, makes sense... At what rpm does timing STOP advancing?

[@kingiam4407]

You awesome. Thank you

[@anthonygriffo5338]

question having issues ge/ing 389 motor to fire over cold. 30• dwell. engine cranks well. but difficult firing over. squirting gas in carb helps

[@carlosvalentin856]

Good explanation.

[@jessiejackson6173]

Can you do a video on distributor on 3.8 rear wheel having a hard time setting it thanks for your knowledge

[@motor_head55]

So I'm confused on how to set timing on a locked out distributor, the way I'm looking at it, I need to set the timing at 30 or so degrees, but with it being locked out, base and total will be the same.

[@Myvintageiron7512]

you only use the total number on a locked timing set up when you have a radical cam set up the base timing number does not really matter. even when you have a distributor that is not locked paired with a radical cam you can set base timing and the thing will run like dog do do, It's not until set total timing that it starts to get dialed in and make power

[@ell0569]

What timing light brand do you use?

[@WesternReloader]

Does the curve stop advancing at 3000rpm??

[@545torino]

very informative video 👍👍

[@EZRider1979]

ask and we shall receive! thanks!!

[@NissanAltima2005]

I wish I have money, I will support you with a brand new top quality miling machine.

[@forestlawrencegrading9154]

I remember hearing Don Garlits talk about putting 45 degrees lead timing in one of his alcohol engines and breaking a record

[@Myvintageiron7512]

Was it Alcohol or Nitro Methane? there is a big difference and remember you are talking about a 11,000 Horse Power Top fuel Engine that has an $8000.00 crankshaft That is very different foom a street engine on pump gas

[@forestlawrencegrading9154]

You know I'm thinking it might have been a nitro engine and he may have put more than 45° lead into it but I remember watching an interview and listening to him talk about how it was unheard of to put that much lead into one but he tried it for the hell of it and broke a record he said when he tore it down there was nothing damaged I just thought I would comment that I know you can't put that much lead into gasoline

[@Myvintageiron7512]

You can depending on the engine I have run more than 45 on some BBC engines it all depends on the flame speed

[@forestlawrencegrading9154]

Yeah but I just can't imagine the cylinder pressure back in the day Don Garlits with his blowers it's 50 degrees lead

[@hawkeye-1524]

Can some one tell me what the spark plug gap should be on a 1997 5.7 vortex motor w/4-bbl carb?