Edelbrock Performer RPM

[ralphscott]

I have a 428 with the Edelbrock Performer Kit (heads, intake, and hydraulic cam.) I finished the car in 4/01 (At Gadsden, if you remember it, Candy Apple Red /Wimbleton White stripes #35 on the windshield, licence plate LILCBRA)

I would like to hear from others with the same Kit as to what they set their initial timing to. When I got ready to run the car for the first time Edelbrock said set it between 12 and 14 degrees initial advance. I ultimately ended up setting it to 10 degrees initial. I still think that it is too high I'd like to hear from some of the Brothers on this who have the same kit as to what seems to work best. The cam is #7106 if you need the specs -- Lift at cam: (int. and exh. .325). Lift at Valve: (int. and exh. .572). Intake opens at 15 degrees BTDC and closea at 41 degrees ATDC. Exhaust opens 51 degrees BTDC and closes at 5 degrees ATDC.

ralphscott
#9361

[Brent]

Ralph the Performer kit is a great package. Too many people throw performance parts at an engine stand and wonder why they don't run. Your parts are a matched and dyno tested group of parts that DO work. A FE will like to to total at about 36 - 38 degrees and the initial at around 12-14 degrees. Was your camshaft degreed and if it was was it installed straight up, advanced, or retarded ?

Brent

[ralphscott]

Brent I don't know those details, I can only presume the cam was degreed and installed to spec. However the guy did put significant crank advance on the engine which when I realized that I had to pull the front off the engine and set it properly. The guy builds drag engines so I guess he felt I wanted max acceleration. As one can imagine the drivability and idle improved significantly after I did that fix. The engine as you are aware overruns and tends to run hot and I felt timing was the was the first thing I needed to look at. I have ordered a phenolic spacer from Butch so that should help with the perk problem as relates to the carb. Float levels do look good.

Ralph

[bittentoo]

Ralph, what is your total timing?

[ralphscott]

Two in one message... Kelly I really don't know. I was going to set the timing this weekend hence my interest in what others who have he Performer kit have set their initial timing to. "everyone" (note in quotes) say that 10 degrees seems too high and they are setting theirs in the 7-8 range and their cars are running fine. I know optimal timing settings have has a lot to do with the cam you are running. So I guess I was doing an informal poll amongst those to have the "kit" to see where they set their timing. I will determine total advance, for sure.

Brent, I ordered the "Kit" from Butch, but was too stupid to realize that he builds engines otherwise I would have asked him to build it in the first place and avoided a bunch of fixes, I learned a lot though having to make the fixes. Butch also helped on some of the fixes like wrong length push rods hence broken rocker shafts and loose pedestals neat stuff like that. Learned how the car can be towed, invaluable information. And despite all these kind of problems it is an absolute beast on the road. I am open to suggestions.... Do you have the Performer heads and cam on your car?

Ralph

[Brent]

My camshaft is a Comp Cam .605 lift, 294 dutation (236 @ .050) on a 110 center. Comp grinds their cams with 4 deg. advance. I installed the cam straight up but it is actually in at 106. When you said your "crankshaft was advanced" it was actually the camshaft. When you advance or retard the camshaft you change when the valves open and close in relation to the piston. Advancing the camshaft will usually lower the power curve and increase torque while retarding the camshaft will move the peak HP to a higher rpm.
Cylinder pressure can also be changed with very minor changes in camshaft location. A compression test can actually show you where the camshaft wants to be in relation to the crank, however, just because you have degreed the camshaft to achieve the greatest cylinder pressure does not mean the motor will perform the best at this point.
I do have Edelbrock cylinder heads and they have been ported and flowed to 335 cfm @ .600 lift. Most flow sheets show a cylinder head at .800 lift (means nothing if you have a .600 lift camshaft) It took three attemps and 2 months to get there but I got it.
I do not think 10 degrees is too much initial timing, but, thats just an opinion.

Brnet

[eliminator]

Ralph,

I agree with Brent, I have been running 12 degrees inital and 40 overall for a year. Butch talked me into going to between 6-8 degrees inital and 36-38 overall. Iam at 7 degrees and 37 overall and boy does it run good. Ninety percent of all FE's fall in the area Brent outlined above, try 8 and see how you like it, then go to 6, easy to do.

Rick

[ralphscott]

Thanks Brent and Rick, Brent I recall that when I corrected the timing gear problem I did get the timing gear marks on the gears properly aligned.(I thought it was called crank advance eventhough it is cam advance, my error) When you say it took 2 months to get there you mean the proper timing setting? Rick I will try 8 degrees to see what the effect is on over running if no change I need to look elsewhere. I will put the phenolic gasket after I try the timing experiment. Then try i again at 10 to see if there are differences. Too many variables.

Thanks again guys

Ralph

[Brent]

Ralph,

I had 2 months worth of porting on the cylinder heads. I did the work myself and made two trips to Indy Cylinder head for flow bench work.

Glad you found the forum

Brent

[clayfoushee]

Holy cow.....I had no idea I was interacting with such experts as here on this forum. One thing I really regret that I did not do at Homecoming was to ask a couple of people like Rick and Brent (and I'm sure there were many others very capable)to take a spin in my car. I think it runs great, but I don't know anything compared to these guys.

Wow, do I have a lot to learn!

Clay

'98 Unique #9299, 427FE side oiler, top-loader (close), 3.31 rear

Annapolis, MD

[ralphscott]

Clay, Amazing ain't it! It is really great!

Brent hats off! From the limited stuff I, know porting heads (particularly Al) take a LOT of patience and a lot of materials and has to be backed by a ton of previous experience. One moment of inattention and a lot of $$ down the drain! Whew!

I'll let y'all know how the timing goes!

ralph #9361