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Timing a 350 Chevy

S

SVcummins

Well-known Member
Need to check and adjust the timing on a Chevy 350 engine in a dump truck never done one before . Any tips would be appreciated greatly
 
It would be typically idle with vacuum advance unhooked and plugged on older ones. If it is around 8 degrees, then that would match up, if around 20 degrees, then with vacuum advance on.
 
(quoted from post at 18:51:38 04/30/20) Need to check and adjust the timing on a Chevy 350 engine in a dump truck never done one before . Any tips would be appreciated greatly
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Take a piece of white chalk and fill the timing mark on the balancer, also use the chalk to mark your target on the timing tab. Probably want it at about 8 btdc at idle with the vacuum advance plugged. If it's 1976 or older you probably would stand at the driver's side and put your light in below the water pump. If it's 1977 or later, you might find you need to put your light straight down from the top behind the water pump. If this doesn't make sense I'll try to clarify anything you're not sure about.
 
If you have to adjust the timing the "fun" part is getting the *^!* bolt loose and then tightened back up. I 'think' around 1974? or so there a sticker either on a valve cover or a radiator cover that specified what the timing should be. Good Luck!
 
(quoted from post at 19:26:19 04/30/20) If you have to adjust the timing the "fun" part is getting the *^!* bolt loose and then tightened back up. I 'think' around 1974? or so there a sticker either on a valve cover or a radiator cover that specified what the timing should be. Good Luck!
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hey make a special wrench for that. I have my Dad's and it's at least 50 years old. You could also use a 9/16" box crowfoot with a 12" extension.
 
If it still has the stock ignition a ?72 will have points. First the point dwell should be set at 30 degrees using a dwell meter or set at 0.019 gap.Then set the timing as Timcasbolt has laid out. On the points there is some combination of turn the point set screw in or out till it starts to miss fire then turn it back a half turn. Whatever it is would get it close. I don?t know the exact short cut because I have a trusty MAC Tool auto multimeter that also has a dwell and tach settings. Actually if it is a ton and a half or larger the distributor hold down bolts are not bad to get to on those. Most have the governor type distributor with the higher base. Other than you are practically standing on your head. When the HEI with the bigger base came out in 75 that?s when you almost had to have the special wrench. Only good thing about a Ford, distributor in front. They put it up there because they new those crappy FORD distributors would always need worked on.
 
As was stated earlier set dwell to 30 degrees first. Raise metal window on side of distributor cap use an Allen wrench. If you don't have a dwell meter turn clockwise until engine starts to stumble then counterclockwise 1/2 turn. Don't set timing too high on heavy trucks that will be loaded. Try to find specs. I suspect about 4 degrees before tdc with vacumn advance hose disconnected and plugged. I may have the specs for that truck somewhere if you need them. Also is the engine original or a car or pickup engine been swapped in? The original engine would have lower compression in a heavy truck because they are often floored going up hills.
 
Also you can test the centrifugal advance with the timing light. With vacumn advance hose plugged rev engine while looking at timing marks with light should advance. Then with engine reved connect vacumn advance hose marks should advance further to verify vacuum advance is working.
 
As far as I know the engine came with the truck it has a governor diaphragm on the carburetor which we couldn?t find anybody know where to get one ?
 
(quoted from post at 13:23:25 05/01/20) As far as I know the engine came with the truck it has a governor diaphragm on the carburetor which we couldn?t find anybody know where to get one ?
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Is this a Holley 4bbl or a large Rochester 2 bbl?

Governor diaphragms come in most every complete carburetor kit for carbs that use them, I have handfuls of 'em left over from carbs that didn't require them/been eliminated.

Are well on the same page, here, tho?

If a Holley, there's the vacuum secondary diaphragm, the governor diaphragm, and a small governor control diaphragm.

Many times the governor control mechanism fails (mechanical system in distributor or later era electronic system) making truck unusable and it gets the "redneck repair" of having a slit cut in the governor diaphragm, rather than properly repairing the issue.
 
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