527 with comp cams 34-602-9 wants 30 degrees initial timing

HEy guy's i need some direction on this dilemma, I had a reputable machine shop build me a 527 with procomp heads and big roller ,now i go to fire it up and it seems to want 30 degrees initial timing, I'm trying to dial it in with a vac guage ,and i can get 8.5 to 9inches but it still seems to run like a Bag of S##T any ideas, has 9.5 compression long tube headers MSD, 6ALN and holley 4150 hp series,

Id verify your timing pointer is actually reading tdc.

How much total timing

i'm not sure i havent had it running long enough to determine that my dist. is mallory pro and i think it has 28 built in

Are you talking 58* total...I would check the firing order and the rotation of your wires vs the distributor seems simple but something is definitely wrong.

With the timing light connected, be sure the dist. advance is actually working.  If it's locked or stuck (acting like it's locked) then 30* wouldn't be far off.  If it's working, verify the balancer/pointer combo is correct as mentioned above.  Best way is with a piston stop.  And yeah...run through that firing order again.

You're absolutely sure you have no vacuum leaks, right?

monkeybizness wrote:HEy guy's i need some direction on this dilemma, I had a reputable machine shop build me a 527 with procomp heads and big roller ,now i go to fire it up and it seems to want 30 degrees initial timing, I'm trying to dial it in with a vac guage ,and i can get 8.5 to 9inches but it still seems to run like a Bag of S##T any ideas, has 9.5 compression long tube headers MSD, 6ALN and holley 4150 hp series,

whats the specs of that cam? installed center line?
plus the measured compression ratio?

What kind of balancer ??

If it a stocker, the rubber between the hub and outer ring might have separated..

Make sure the timing light is hooked to number 1 not number 5.

Number 1 is on the opposite bank as a SBC.

bigblok2000ranger wrote:Make sure the timing light is hooked to number 1 not number 5.

Number 1 is on the opposite bank as a SBC.

That would put him 90* away from normal timing.

Thanks guys for all the reply's i set it at 20 initial and adjusted the distributor for another 24 deg to give me total of 44 also put heavier matched color springs for the advance( MALLORY pro Mechanical )so that stoprd the scatter then adjusted it in with the carb and yes i will admit i did miss a vacuum plug(dumbass) but now she's a steady 975 rpm idle .crisp throttle response.again thanks for the suggestions

Glad to hear you got it sorted out....but 44* still sounds like a lot of timing to me.

I'd still double check that balancer/pointer accuracy.

X2

I can't believe it would even start at 20* initial. How does it drive now that you have it running better?

I haven't even got it on the road and it'll snow here in the next couple of weeks so it will be next spring now, but as for starting ,it doesn't spin more than once or twice when cold(no choke) Holley 4150 pro series) and when it's warm it flashes immediately ,no drag from too much timing i dont even think it makes a quarter of a turn, AS for the balancer it is an aftermarket SFI with degrees etched into it and the pointer is mounted correctly, SO i guess i'll have to wait until spring now.IN reply to the fellow who asked it is a comp cams 34-602-9 it has a 102 intake centre line and 107 deg. lobe seperation and duration at .050 is 243 intake and 257 exhaust with .580 intake gross valve lift and .564 exhaust.has 1.5 comp energizer alum rockers. So this is my first foray into BBF., hope it works well, I used to run a Vega with a 434 but SBC are easy to build SO here i am LOL

monkeybizness wrote:I haven't even got it on the road and it'll snow here in the next couple of weeks so it will be next spring now, but as for starting ,it doesn't spin more than once or twice when cold(no choke) Holley 4150 pro series) and when it's warm it flashes immediately ,no drag from too much timing i dont even think it makes a quarter of a turn, AS for the balancer it is an aftermarket SFI with degrees etched into it and the pointer is mounted correctly, SO i guess i'll have to wait until spring now.IN reply to the fellow who asked it is a comp cams  34-602-9 it has a 102 intake centre line and 107 deg. lobe seperation and duration at .050 is 243 intake and 257 exhaust with .580 intake gross valve lift and .564 exhaust.has 1.5 comp energizer alum rockers. So this is my first foray into BBF., hope it works well, I used to run a Vega with a 434 but SBC are easy to build SO here i am  LOL  

.has 1.5 comp energizer alum rockers the big block ford needs 1.73 rockers the 1.5 chevy rocker not going to work to good on a bbf

I just put a crank trigger on a friend's SBF powered racecar.  Before I timed the trigger, I used the piston stop method to find TRUE top dead center.  The combination of Innovators West balancer and the timing pointer (correctly installed) were off by a hair over 3 degrees...that's all high quality parts and the timing is off.  I corrected the timing marks with timing tape on the balancer.  I don't know which part (or if both) was the culprit and I don't care...because now it's right.

While some may think that the timing marks being a little off ain't no big deal as long as the engine runs ok, it becomes a HUGE deal when using heavy doses of laughing gas.  Then you may find that REALLY ACCURATE timing is all that stands between you and heartbreak.

As for me, whether using spray or not...I wanna KNOW.  It ain't hard to check.

Boy, 44degrees is alot for sure.Theese motors dont really need alot. 32-36 degrees tops.

I was going to ask about the 1.5 rockers too! maybe he wanted/needed to reduce valve lift??

You have all winter...pull the heads clearance the valves, and degree the camshaft too...have some 1.73 rockers on hand for this.