37 deg. initial timing N/A 4.1L

[joedirtmcd3]

Hey guys, I realize this site is turbobuick.com, but this is the closest thing I have found over the past few years to info the n/a 4.1 buick v6. Alot of the stuff is the same for my engine. Anyway, on to the question.

I just got a timing light with lcd screen so that I could tell what my overall timing advance would be. I set the timing light to read 4 cycle, 6 cylinders. I then went into its timing advance mode and held the light up to the timing marks on the harmonic balancer and adjusted until the light flashed when the timing mark was at 0 - according to the plastic marker bolted to the timing cover. I then read the timing light's lcd screen which said 37 degrees. This is with the motor warmed up to 160 or 165 F and idling around 600-800rpm. I also then watched the timing mark as i gave the engine some gas up to 3 or 4000 rpm. the timing mark moved up about 15 degrees. I believe this would mean my total timing was 52 degrees.

This initial timing advance seems rather high to me but i have been driving the car occasionally when home from college with no overheating problems or misfires/backfires. maybe that much initial advance is normal for that motor but I wouldn't know. Also, the distributor has a vacuum advance which is hooked up to the drivers side of my edelbrock 500cfm carb.

This motor is in an 84 chevette and I usually set the initial timing to 15 degrees idle advance whenever I set the timing. However, the setting I described above was done by a local dyno tuner when I had my car there in the summer.

Anyway, my question is: Is that too much timing? is there a better setup than the one I am currently using?

 

[mikestertwo]

I then read the timing light's lcd screen which said 37 degrees. This is with the motor warmed up to 160 or 165 F and idling around 600-800rpm. I also then watched the timing mark as i gave the engine some gas up to 3 or 4000 rpm. the timing mark moved up about 15 degrees. I believe this would mean my total timing was 52 degrees.

This initial timing advance seems rather high to me but i have been driving the car occasionally when home from college with no overheating problems or misfires/backfires. maybe that much initial advance is normal for that motor but I wouldn't know. Also, the distributor has a vacuum advance which is hooked up to the drivers side of my edelbrock 500cfm carb.

This motor is in an 84 chevette and I usually set the initial timing to 15 degrees idle advance whenever I set the timing. However, the setting I described above was done by a local dyno tuner when I had my car there in the summer.

Anyway, my question is: Is that too much timing? is there a better setup than the one I am currently using?

It most likely is ok. It depends on how much timing is in the vacuum advance.
Under no load conditions those numbers look about normal. If the vacuum advance is plugged into the manifold vacuum port on the carb then what you are seeing is the initial advance plus the total advance in the vacuum advance to give you the 37*. As you bring the rpms up you are adding the mechanical advance in to give even more timing. What kind of timing do you see if you disconnect the vacuum line going to the vacuum advance?