Timing assumptions

[PatricksDad]

This isn't a tuning question at this point, more of a "get it running to make sure nothing leaks and drive it around the neighborhood to make sure everything more or less works" kind of thing.

I'm preparing to fire a fairly snotty BBC and I want to test some assumptions I've got.

MSD 85551 dist (fully locked out)., MSD 7 digital programmable, with 15 deg. of start retard, and no other programming at this point.

It'll be set to 36 deg total, or as close to that as I can get, and I'm assuming that will get me moving.

This is not a new engine so there's no break-in required, but is hasn't ever run in it's current configuration. New carb, dist, ignition, converter, trans, etc.

Thanks in advance for poking holes in anything I'm doing.

[JeffMcKC]

Use good enough fuel, and it sounds reasonable to me.

[PatricksDad]

Fuel's not a problem. It'll live on VP-110 or C-12, mostly.

I'm ultimately going to look for a solution that'll let it live on pump gas, but that's a ways off.

[TC]

I'm ultimately going to look for a solution that'll let it live on pump gas, but that's a ways off.

Big durations.....Wide LSA's....... Coatings......... It can be done.......

[JeffMcKC]

E-85 if you have it.

[Caveman Tony]

Planning on race gas now, pump gas maybe later?

Take this with a grain of salt:

A friend of mine had a blown sbf, and had a weird starting-line issue: Everything would seem normal, except for while staged (he's a foot-braker) waiting for the green, he'd have it floored while the converter flashed. And his launch would have a strange bog, the motor would seemingly sputter for a split-second, then roar off for a normal run. He checked EVERYTHING.

This was on either VP110 or 113, can't remember.

He switched back to 93-octane pump gas, and the problem disappeared. No more bog.

Best educated guess/WAG consensus was that the higher octane race fuel wasn't fully burning and was loading up the plugs under the load against the converter on the foot-brake. He thought the 93 pump gas was burning more completely at that momentary load, thus avoiding the bog on launch. He rebuilt 4 different carbs looking for the problem.

My guess? Ignition system had a gremlin somewhere, but the switch to pump gas avoided the problem.... Or masked it...

[Barry Donovan]

Planning on race gas now, pump gas maybe later?

Take this with a grain of salt:

A friend of mine had a blown sbf, and had a weird starting-line issue: Everything would seem normal, except for while staged (he's a foot-braker) waiting for the green, he'd have it floored while the converter flashed. And his launch would have a strange bog, the motor would seemingly sputter for a split-second, then roar off for a normal run. He checked EVERYTHING.

This was on either VP110 or 113, can't remember.

He switched back to 93-octane pump gas, and the problem disappeared. No more bog.

Best educated guess/WAG consensus was that the higher octane race fuel wasn't fully burning and was loading up the plugs under the load against the converter on the foot-brake. He thought the 93 pump gas was burning more completely at that momentary load, thus avoiding the bog on launch. He rebuilt 4 different carbs looking for the problem.

My guess? Ignition system had a gremlin somewhere, but the switch to pump gas avoided the problem.... Or masked it...

seems part throttle is getting kicked out.

being as the op has digital.. it should go with all kinds of mistakes. maybe no tune at all.. if it is run on feedback, (box grounded at engine)..it will learn all kinds of stuff. Greatest inventions ever, aside from a carb.

[PatricksDad]

I'd do E85 in a heartbeat, if we could get it anywhere w/in 15 miles.

I'm hesitant about pump gas because with 12.5:1 static compression and a custom cam I know little about, it'll probably be a stretch anyway. My only experimentation will be around programming in an across the board retard that will let it run without det. It'll be interesting to see what's possible there.

[JeffMcKC]

Fill a 55 gallon drum take it home.

http://find.mapmuse.com/map/ethanol85/near/mason+dixon%20line

[PatricksDad]

I can get it closer than that! (The car and owner actually live in Maryland)

That might be next year's project. For now, we're just trying to get it up and running before the snow and real cold weather hits. We have a brand new Quick Fuel Dominator supposedly set up for the motor, so that'll be our baseline.