Timing at idle ?

LS6 Tommy

MalibuRacing Junkie
May 15, 2004
15,847
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North Jersey
Locked distributors make engines in street cars run a little hotter, too.

Tommy
 

malibuguy

Top Fueler
Sep 29, 2003
3,775
1
36
Finksburg, Md
www.cardomain.com
We have the same exact cam in my dads regal with a tunnel ram. Sounds good but its all mid to topend focused

When he finally upped the gears from 2.41 to 3.23 it really woke the car up.
 

Ed Cannon

Pro Stocker
Jul 17, 2009
1,682
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Johnson City Tn
He said it had a "racing" cam in it. I agree, locked timing is the best way to go. I never use anything but locked out for hot rod or race car.
 

Doober

Moderator
Jun 2, 2003
14,704
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38
Catalina, AZ
www.cardomain.com
Forewarning, I don't have as much hands-on as some of the guys here, but I'll say what's worked for me.

I don't I looked up the cam, it's 230 @ .050, .480" lift, both lobes. The cam I have in mine is almost identical, it's just the HE series. IMHO I wouldn't say it's a racing cam, but it does look a little aggressive in terms of an older stock SBC. Mine is an XE268 (12-242-2), the paper specs are almost identical, but from what I understand the lobe design is supposed to be different.

I've driven mine daily with a basically stock 350 (210,000+ mile TBI-era 350, original rotating assembly balanced with new rings/bearings)... Vortec heads, carbed intake, and a 600cfm Edelbrock (1405), and a 4-speed (not a 700R4, a Saginaw 4-speed). Very low rpm it complains a little, but not much, but it also doesn't have much more grunt than a smog era 350 down there either.

I'm running a 100% stock HEI distributor out of the 305 that was in my 2nd Malibu, I believe initial timing is at 17º or so, and the vacuum canister is connected to manifold vacuum (not ported). I'm not sure what total advance is because I don't have timing tape on the balancer (come to think of it I believe I put a new balancer on when I rebuilt the rotating assembly, something similar to this) or a dial-back timing light, but the number on the vacuum advance canister says 20, and from what I've read that's 37 total timing from stock. It does knock under heavy load with 87 octane, but I don't know enough about advance weights/springs to properly dial in what it really needs, so that may be on me. I started running 91+ and it doesn't knock, runs like a raped ape, and doesn't get hot, even with a stock, Autozone replacement-style thermostat and radiator.

PS, I also live in Arizona, one of the hottest places in the US... please buy me some A/C :awesome:
 

LS6 Tommy

MalibuRacing Junkie
May 15, 2004
15,847
1
38
North Jersey
Ed Cannon said:
He said it had a "racing" cam in it. I agree, locked timing is the best way to go. I never use anything but locked out for hot rod or race car.

The 12-212-2 is a Magnum hydraulic flat tappet. 110° lobe separation, 230° duration at .050", .480" lift. Hardly a "race" cam. I still think he should use the vacuum advance on full manifold vacuum.

Tommy
 

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