Timing Q?'s Mallory breakerless ignition

[socal_wrench]

We have the FE up and running but a detination problem has us second guessing our timing skills.

1)On a Mallory ign. without a vacum adv. how does the dist. curve?

2)On a fairly hot (high compression) motor do they need more adv.after 3000 rpm's.

3)Should I just run it up to 3000 rpm and set the timing at 32-35 deg. and let it fall at where ever it wants at idle?

I have it set at about 10-12 deg. at Idle but it sounds like a bag of marbles in my motor after 3000 rpms and loses power.

4)Should I change to a more potent fuel source?

Thanks in advance

HeHeHe

[FEDSLED]

I run my 428 at 45 total with no detonation. I tried to run my car at 36 and it also ran like shit. I don't run any vacum advance either. I would try #3, run it up and set it. if you have iron heads I would start it at about 42 total and listen for detonation those FE's are notorious for it. If you took the old motor apart all the top rings were probalby broken, pretty common. I don't know if this will help, this is what worked for me.
good luck
FED

[socal_wrench]

The old motor only had like 10,000 miles on it when she spun a rod bearing.

We did all the oil work that we could without going side oiler and put a 10 quart pan on it.

the top rings were not broken but they didn't seal very good to begin with.

Will try this and get back on the board to post the results.
After all it is tech week, give a play by play of the operation.

[GR-RRR]

My Mallory Unilite distributor came with a gapping tool to adjust the centrigfugal advance (it doesn't have a vacum advance). I have not tried changing the distributor from the factory settings and have the timing set at 12 before TDC at idle on a Pontiac 400. I don't know if your distributor has this feature or not, but you might check into it.

[socal_wrench]

Well seting the timing at 42 @ 3000 rpm's seems to have done the trick.
She is really snappy now and has a ton of torque(which ain't to bad for an old FE set up for higher Rpm horsepower and not set up for lowend power.

We'll find out more as we break it in and start hammering on the pedal.

Thank you for your help guys

[Paul]

sounds like you got it figured out,

I was going to say that when I put the Mallory in that I'm using now it too was mis-behaving at higher rpm's.

I took it in and had the speed shop spin it on thier machine and we saw that the spark was all over the place,

we replaced the bushings at the weights and the springs and it came right back to life.

Took about five minutes and they did it for free!

Paul