Hi I am wondering about the timing for my engine. I know there are so many factors involved but I am curious what most are running for timing? No advance, just crank trigger and no advance in the distributor. 605 BBC 14.5 compression. The cam is 287/306 @ .050 824 lift.

My 582 seems to run best at 34 degrees.

Most all of my motors are Small Blocks but same applies to BBC. We have always been told to run 38* timing. Well I have spent a bunch of time on Dyno and I can tell you best performance and runs cooler to is around 30* + or - 2*. It runs better, cooler and easier on motor.

On most of mine the "Sweet Spot" is 28-32* and in that the performance is same. If I go below about 26 or above 34* it starts losing power. It does not lose as much power with more timing but it loses a little and runs hotter and harder to start so I like to keep it in sweet spot.

One other thing many people are running way too fat and if you are then you can get away with more timing with out hurting it as much. So if it is fat then you may run 38* timing and plugs look good and performance good but you can pick up a few ponies by leaning it down some then bringing timing in lower.

Some time on dyno is well worth the money if you have a good Dyno Dude. With out a Dyno I would go to the track and start at 36* and pull 2* timing every run until it slows down then go back up 2 or 3*.

One other thing many people have their timing pointer off a few degrees and do not know it.

34* on my 15.1 565 with Rons alky injection seems to be the happy spot

598 and 632 were happy at 38** with the 385 head on Q16.
Never a problem. Buts that my combo's

All relative. No answer is right too many factors. Ive seen balancers changed and they are marked 2* different.

Start at 30*, make run, add 2* and compare MPH. Keep doing that until MPH drops off. best MPH is the timing you should be running (for that tune) Change carb, start over. Can fine tune from there.

My 632 likes 34, the 468 likes 36.

The method ski suggests is pretty good, adding 2* per pass or dyno pull until it flattens out/tips over.

The last tires/rims I put on my dragster before I sold it shook so bad I had to leave at 28* then bring it back to 36* .5 second into the run. It was still set-up like that when I sold the car with those tires/rims....

Gas or alky changes things too.

Investing in Digital ignition is an easy way to quickly move timing and I find it accurate. Start with timing set to maximum and retard to desired value.