[MaSnaka]

You guys are making me realize I know very little about timing. I thought it was a simple adjustment. I purchased my car complete, I'm the third owner. The car was supposedly tuned for 6000 foot elevation. I live in So. California closer to 700 foot elevationl. I was chasing an off idle stumble and was following another thread here and so I am trying to start with the simple things first. By the way Excaliber you nailed it...slugish or stubled off the line until it hits 1800 rpms and then it goes like crazy. I replaced the plugs, distributor cap and rotor (Mallory Unilite with the MSD ignition). That didn't really help. Accelerator pump checks out but a slight delay in getting a squirt is due to a Acc. pump cam (green) installed backwards. There was still some play in the linkage even after I reversed it. I replaced it with the red cam and that made a big difference. But getting some backfires through the carb although nothing severe. So I checked the timing. It was idling at 6 degrees and I read a post concerning a 351 cleveland that suggested 18 would be good. I turned the distributor and got instant positive results, engine idles much smoother and seems happy. It is set at 16 degrees but that still isn't right, so that brought me to question the correct setting. I will turn it back some and see what 10 -12 gives me. I don't know and I hope your willing to enlighten me on some terminology you have used. I understand the vacuum advance, but there is also a mechanical advance? Built into the dist. I'm assuming. And base advance I'm assuming is what the engine has at idle no vacuum hooked up or is vacuum hooked up? What do you mean when you refer to detonation and fuel economy? How do I know when I have detonation? Sorry I don't mean to sound stupid but I need to learn this stuff. Thanks for your effort and patience with me.