Miatav8,MstrASE,A&P,F wrote:
The link is to someone else’s build. I would not go to that much trouble with so many other engines out there.
As for tuning what you have, I’d set the timing to 10btdc if it doesn’t knock on hills with premium, remove one of the mechanical advance springs from the distributor for better mid-range throttle response, connect the vacuum advance for efficiency if it causes no drive ability issues and limit it to 6-10 degrees, check full timing is at 30-34 deg by 3000 rpm, and replace the oil filled ignition coil with a standard epoxy box coil from something like a mid 90s chevy for $10, then open the plug gaps .020” more than specified. The plug wires appear to be inductive suppression for a low voltage drop per foot so those are good and should last without breaking down like cheap carbon core.
You have not said exactly what it is you want to improve. Mid range torque? Top end? Off idle?
What is the axle ratio? A ratio change can make a big difference in how responsive the engine is in each gear. I would expect to see around 4:1 or numerically higher for this. You might also run thinner oil such as 5w30 if your oil pressure is good hot and duct the air intake through louvers in the side of the bonnet for cooler air.
There's lots to digest here......but here goes:
1- Timing. The timing is currently set to 10btdc and it runs fine on premium. I'll open up the dist and see about pulling a spring.
2- Coil: Good idea. The coil in place is original and perhaps due for replacement anyway
3- Vacuum advance. I had a look at that and there doesn't appear to be any logical place to connect the line. I could drill/tap the intake, however if I recall, the line is typically connected to the carb. These Webers don't appear to have a distributer bung?
4- Power. I need to beef up the midrange, and extend the top end. The engine currently runs out of poop at 5000RPM
5-Axle: Don't know about the axle ratio...I'll look into it.
6-Oil: Less viscous oil is a good idea. Oil pressure is fine, so I'm confident I can use 5w30...down from the 20w50 originally specified.
7- Air Intake: Bonnet is already set up for cool air induction.