["QUICK-SILVER"]

Point dwell is point dwell, not the same as timing.
Turning the knob on your timing light to what ever total degrees you want with the engine, will have the timing mark showing at TDC when you rev the engine up.
As opposed to it moving off the plate or out of site, when your watching it with your timing light.

Set point dwell at 30 to 32.
Then set base timing with light set on zero. Then check total advance with the knob.
35* to 40* total advance is not unheard of, if your trying to get all the goody out of a low compression Pontiac.

If you are going to play with it hard, you need to get a tach.

[WINGNUT]

I did some more tinkering with the car tonight. It seems to respond the best with 13 degrees advance. Having it set at 12 won't allow it to break the tires loose from a stop. Having it set at 14 makes the starter growl just a bit on start up.

I also tried winding it up again on the open road. It still falls flat at about 80 mph when pushing it hard. Accelerating from a stop leisurely, it goes through all three gears perfectly fine. I am wondering if it is down shifting into 2nd, and then won't up shift back into 3rd.

[WINGNUT]

Forgot to mention, my total advance is at 35. I checked it with my advance timing light.

[WINGNUT]

bump

["QUICK-SILVER"]

Originally Posted by WINGNUT

I also tried winding it up again on the open road. It still falls flat at about 80 mph when pushing it hard. Accelerating from a stop leisurely, it goes through all three gears perfectly fine. I am wondering if it is down shifting into 2nd, and then won't up shift back into 3rd.

Try manual shifting through the gears and feel for the shift into drive.
If it is shifting into drive, the fuel supply may not be adequate.
Need to hook up a tachometer, engine may be doing all it can or is able to.

[WINGNUT]

Maybe Tomco didn't put large enough jets into that remanufactured Q-jet. I guess this will be my next area to look at. Any recommendation for proper sized jets for a stock '72 Pontiac GTO 400ci?