Technical 40 degrees of initial timing?? WTF?! (347 stroker)

Ummmm.... no.

How exactly does the valve get slammed shut by compression when the rocker arm, pushrod and lifter are against the cam lobe? You need to learn how the mechanical side of an engine works.

Spark knock (detonation or pinging) is an erratic form of combustion that occurs when multiple flame fronts occur simultaneously inside a combustion chamber. Detonation occurs because fuel is subjected to either too much pressure, too much heat or both. It usually happens during acceleration when the engine is heavily loaded and cylinder pressures are at their peak.

Instead of a single flame front growing outward smoothly like an expanding balloon from the point of ignition, multiple flame fronts are generated spontaneously throughout the combustion chamber as the fuel automatically ignites from heat and pressure. The multiple flame fronts collide, creating shock waves that produce a sharp metallic pinging or knocking noise.

 

An update:

Forgot about the balancer/pointer and went back to basics:

• Piston stop in #1 hole, turned the engine clockwise on the compression stroke until it hit, made a mark
  
• Turned the engine counterclockwise until it hit, made a mark
  
• Found the center between those two, made a different mark to indicate TDC
• Made marks from that line clockwise with painters tape at 10 20 and 30 degrees
• Bring the engine on the compression stroke on #1 again, stabbed the dist, rotate the body to make rotor point at #1 terminal on cap, so technically 0 degrees of advance, right?
  
• NOPE, ENGINE WON'T START -_-
• turn the distributor body counterclockwise a bit, engine fires
  
• look down with a timing light, the painters tape isn't anywhere near the pointer/light....

I'm so confused...

 

Clockwise is advancing on a sbf, so in theory, depending on how far you had to rotate it, sounds right. Around 15 degrees is most peoples starting point if you still have and advance curve engine setup. 15 base, probably around 35 total all in by 2500-3k.

 

Is the cylinder you are using to find TDC the same one that you have the timing light hooked to?

Don’t go by a diagram of the distributor cap, follow the wire.

 

Best way I can describe it is to put a few nuts in a metal can, shake them around. Now if you have an open or real loud exhaust, you may not hear it.

 

detonation sounds different depending on the device and propellent used. A claymore can be quite defining but a lady finger not so much.

Most of the time when we are talking about detonation or pre-detonation it can be anything from a mild pinging sound to a death rattle like a 318 Cummins makes.

 

I jacked with one of dem Fords... pulled my hair out. Timing all over the place. Went old school ... dual points dist...fn coil... found damper pointer needed to be on top looking down with true TDC. Made a wire for tdc. Ford dampers, cams, firing order...gotta know what you got. Then I T/S what popped the super charger, found a boost retard dial in glove box with wires pinched under fender....MSD set up. Blew hole in blower front cover...why...no pop off valve on manifold.....ugh...

 

Been doing this for 50+ years. I usually bring the rpm up to about 3000 rpm and advance the distributor until it starts to lay over, then I turn it back 3 or 4 degrees. Than take it for a ride and see how it feels. If it runs ok, then I
'll put a timing light on it so I have a baseline to go on. Sounds like you've covered all the bases, so give this a try. You have nothing to lose. Good luck.

 

No, pointing the rotor to number 1 terminal on the cap doesn't set the timing when the the pointer is on TDC. What you have to determine is when the pickup triggers the coil. The rotor may or may not be pointing directly at number 1 terminal. Back in point ignition day, we would line up the rotor then rotate the distributor body until the points just opened. That's what triggered the coil.

 

Update: PROBLEM SOLVED!

So I pulled the balancer, I was tired of messing with the whole thing and lo and behold, the (brand new!) balancer was separating... It's a SCAT 9000 in case anyone is curious. Came with the stroker kit I ordered. I have no idea why that happened, or how it didn't send parts flying, but I'm glad I found the issue. Thanks everyone for the help!

 

Thanks for the update

 

You bet! I hate it when you find a thread with your particular problem and the person never updates or says the problem is solved without an explanation

 

I’d have never thought about a new balancer slipping. Good find.

 

Just more proof that these days, just because a part may be new, that doesn't mean its a good part. That problem is growing every day. Gene

 

I have a balancer for my small block Ford that has 3 different sets of timing marks and removeable weights so it can be run as a neutral balanced engine, a 28 oz. balanced engine or a 50 oz. balanced engine. Confusing at first ,but after that it is a nice piece.

 

As a double check when I have a issue like this pull a valve cover turn the engine watch the exhaust valve on #1 close and the intake just start to open when both are open the same amount look at the timing mark it should be very close to TDC. Did you drive the balancer with a hammer?

 

Exactly.

 

Hot Rod (or road kill) had a 351W in a 68 Ranchero with this exact same issue. It started and ran with close to 50 degrees of timing, didn't run well but it did start and run.

 

Agree! While at Chrysler I was at Auburn Hills and was able to ask an engine design engineer what it was that you actually heard (what makes the sound) when detonation occurs. He said the sound came from the thinnest piece of metal in the combustion process the cylinder wall. That's why they mount the knock sensors in the cooling jacket area as the sound from the cylinder walls was transmitted very well through the coolant in the block. May have been total BS but made sense.

 

If an ATI super damper is available for your engine I seriously think of getting one. They are the best I've found..