[Adrock126]

Originally Posted by Cliff R

High compression engines with stock cams in them will not like a lot of initial timing and likely to "buck" the starter fully heat soaked on a hot re-start.

Heat is your friend with thermal efficiency so do NOT put a lower temp thermostat in it.

Replacing the timing set is a good idea as the factory used Morse type sets back then with a plastic coated top gear. They are known to start flaking off the plastic and plug up the oil pick-up and eventually fail. Replace it with a factory type Cloyes or Melling timing set with a metal top gear. Personally, despite what folks tend to recommend I would NOT put a double roller timing set on it for any reason. Non are nearly as strong as the stock chain nor to they have constant tooth contact. Only the "top shelf" varieties with the IWIS chain and billet steel sprockets are worth two squirts of duck poop right to start with making the stock 3/4" wide link-belt chain a far better bargain and it will last the life of your engine.

Anyhow, I'd remove the distributor and take it apart, clean things up, polish the shaft, lube the mechanical advance mechasism up well and put it back together. The factory used a thin rubber sleeve on the pin and they are usually missing or cracked and brittle. I use a stainless steel sleeve here to replace them. Do NOT put aftermarket parts in the distributor, stock weights and springs are fine for what you are doing. I'd also avoid the temptation to do a points "conversion" but I would obtain a set or two of OEM points off Ebay instead of over the counter. That's what I use here in the shop when I build distributors and wouldn't touch a Pertronix with a 200' pole, have had so many issues with those POS in recent years (I suspect they went to offshore production at some point) I avoid them like the plague.

I'd also stay off of Youtube or at least realize that most of those videos are highly flawed and not done by folks who really understand the requirements of you late 1960's stock 290hp engine with #46 heads on it and factory camshaft. It's making PLENTY of cylinder pressure and doesn't need all the timing in right off idle or much of it. Following a lot of "good" advise on the NET can quickly result in broken ring lands, rod bearings pounded down to the copper if you start throwing a butt-load of timing at that engine early in the RPM range.

Those engines with the factory cams in them make PLENTY of vacuum at idle speed with relatively low initial timing settings so I've never seen the need to add a bunch of timing to one via manifold vacuum at idle speed, which is another topic FULL of miss-information on the Forums and other Internet sources.

I'd also tune for results vs acheiving any specific numbers. In other words start out at or close to the stock settings (once the distributor is rebuilt) and sneak up on the perfect tune using "baby steps" once the engine is back in service. Tightening up the timing set is likely to advance the cam some, so everything changes once you start to tune again. I've NEVER once on any of those early engines found that they like, want, need or respond well to a lot of timing anyplace, especially up against a stock converter, heavy car and numerically "low" axle ratios.......FWIW........

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Thank you for that reply. I will take your advice and rebuild the distributor and replace the timing set when I replace the water pump..