VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Modern day tuning for my 30

I know I have read it on this forum, but I can't find it now. What is the modern day tuning for my 1930, 194?

Hello Steve Smith,
I googled 'recommended timing for 1929-1932 Chevy 194 ci engines', and found a BearsFan post on the subject. Here it be: I know the recommended VCCA Settings are:
...Spark Plug - Gap: .040
...Firing Order: 1-5-3-6-2-4
...Breaker-Contact Separation: .018
...Timing, Spark Advanced: 18 Degree BTDC
Write it down in your 1930 maintenance manual for future reference. Good holiday wishes.

Thank you. That was what I was looking for.

that is what i have...

tons of discussions on it as well

That is at idle, isn't it? 500 RPM's

Per 1929 Chevrolet Repair Manual

FYI, in the 1927-28 shop manual, they describe an easy way to determine the RPMs.

1. With the valve cover off, touch one of the rocker arms and count how many times it goes up and down for six seconds.
2. Multiply that number times ten.
3. Multiply that resulting number by two.

You now have the engine's RPMs.

;-) Dean

Dean, i like it, and makes sense

i just use my old school volt, dwell, rpm meter :)

That's COOL

Does that same formula work on our 6 cyl cars ? V-8s ?

Thanks

18 DBTDC will actually display as the “2” of the 12d mark stamped into the flywheel at the top of the timing window on the bell housing. When you see the “12” ready to leave the window, retard the distributor so the complete “2” is showing. The “1” should not be visible.

Yup. The formula is based on the fact that the crankshaft turns twice as fast as the camshaft.

Counting the number of times the rocker goes up and down determines the number of times the camshaft rotates in six seconds.

Multiply the six seconds times 10, you now have how many times the camshaft is turning in 60 seconds (one minute).

Multiply the number of rotations of the camshaft by two and you have the number of rotations of the crankshaft in one minute (RPM).

When I take one of my old trucks to the local High School Auto Shop and I have the engine running, I tell the students that shop manual says to set the idle at 300 RPM with the spark retarded. But, of course, there's no tachometer, so Chevrolet provided a simple way to determine the RPM.

In the manual, it actually says to grab one of the rocker arms between your thumb and index finger.

;-) Dean