new 240 dizzy for my 223?
- Thread starter sixbangr
- Start date
As far as I remember, there was only a specification for degrees of advance at idle vacuum specific to the engine/vehicle combination. You are going off into the unknown as vacuum advance needed will probably not parallel the load-a-matic settings. The base setting you have now is likely fine but if you want to maximize performance, this is how I would chase it down: First, set your initial advance to factory specs (4 degrees BTDC for my 58 F-100). Next, you'll need to try manifold vacuum and then with ported vacuum to see what gives your truck the best driveability. The quick and dirty way from here is to advance your initial timing 2 degrees at a time until it pings (spark knock) then back it up until it stops. The better way is to first tune the vacuum advance the same way with a dial back timing light and a vacuum pump. The original specs for that engine were somewhere around a maximum of 11 degrees (22 degrees at the crankshaft) so expect to be in that area. Once the vacuum advance is where you want it, then see if the engine will accept more initial advance.
The easy button is to find someone who already made the swap and ask what specs they used but starting with the stock 240 settings should be pretty close.
Lou Manglass
Thanks, I put the dizzy in this morning and set the timing, seems to be pretty happy. I will up the timing like you suggest and see how that goes. I need to get a new timing light that has the dial on it. Carb is a1904 from Amazon, the truck seems to like it. Rev it up and the timing goes up about 20*.
The harbor freight light works good and is very inexpensive, but the cables are short and inductive clamp a little hard to manuver with one hand in tight spaces. The digital one with rpm I bought from JC Whitney many years ago for $100 I only used a few times before it stopped working.
For reference below are the stock basic tune up settings for a Ford 223 Six and in the order of doing a tune up that I have used for decades for the quickest route to a great tune up. Base timing is 4 degrees BTDC and Idle RPM is 450 to 475 depending on the trans you have. There are also some small differance in the Base Timing by year of engine.
These are the Basic tune up specs for a stock Ford 223 Six
1. Plugs are gapped at .035
2. Basic Point gap setting is .024 to .026 to get it running for optimal performance and economy set points to 36 degrees dwell
3. Base timing is set to 4 degrees BTDC.
4. With the Engine warmed up good the intake and exhaust valve lash is set to .019 H
5. The Carb Mixture setting is set at lean best idle i.e. Engine warmed up good then Tuned to Highest RPM next the mixture screw is then turned in 1/4 turn.
5. Set the Carb's Curb Idle RPM to 475 RPM with engine warmed up good for a Manual Trans with the Air Cleaner installed, (the Carb setting is 450 RPM for an Auto Trans with it in drive with emergency brake set.
Cold Cranking Compression Test should be Min. of 120 PSI.
Fuel pump test 3.5 to 4.5 PSI pressure.
Below are the stock LOM Distributor timing advance cruve for a 1954 223 that only uses 3 Degrees of base timing.
The 1954 Load O Matic Distribitor timing cruve should map at these amounts.
500 RPM 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 at inches vacuum of .50
1000 RPM 8 1/4 to 9 1/4 at inches vacuum of 1.8
1500 RPM 11 3/4 to 13 at inches vacuum of 3.8
2000 RPM 14 1/2 to 15 3/4 at inches vacuum of 6.0
It's also important to have clean tight wiring and ground conections plus a battery that's at its full charge. Now since you are now using a 240 point distributor you now have a Duel advance type distributor instead of the old LOM with only a Vacuum advance and you could use it just with the mechanical advance. The 240's Vacuum Advance is only needed to get you a little bit more MPG at a steady state cruse speed like on the freeway. You didn't state details and what year 223 you are working on, in the above 1954 223 you can see that the total timing is about 19 degrees the 1957 to 1960 223 have the highest stock compression ratio's and will also have more total timing because of that. Lou gave you some very good advise above on dialing in the base and total timing.
Since you asked about the Vacuum Advance setting I am going to ad this info it's like Frank said above and all that engines are different and you need to do some experimenting to find what your engine likes. Start off with your Vacuum Advance plugged off until you first find the sweet spot of the total timing that works with no pinging. After you have that dialed in you can start tuning the Vacuum Advance which will add a little bit more economy, you will need to have a
good Vacuum Gauge located so that you can see easy while you are driving, somtimes a Tach can be helpful for you too. You will be looking for the highest Engine Vacuum reading that you can get at a steady speed state of about 62 MPH on flat ground. Now you can start adding in the Vacuum advance when you get a light rattle climbing a slight grade such as a freeway on ramp that's about your Max Vacuum Advance Timing and if you have any rattle at all on flat ground back off the Vacuum Advance timing right away other things that effect it will be the Altitude, and the local Air Temps so unless you live were its hot all the time you will probally need to do some readjusting or retune again during the summer weather. Best of luck
These are the Basic tune up specs for a stock Ford 223 Six
1. Plugs are gapped at .035
2. Basic Point gap setting is .024 to .026 to get it running for optimal performance and economy set points to 36 degrees dwell
3. Base timing is set to 4 degrees BTDC.
4. With the Engine warmed up good the intake and exhaust valve lash is set to .019 H
5. The Carb Mixture setting is set at lean best idle i.e. Engine warmed up good then Tuned to Highest RPM next the mixture screw is then turned in 1/4 turn.
5. Set the Carb's Curb Idle RPM to 475 RPM with engine warmed up good for a Manual Trans with the Air Cleaner installed, (the Carb setting is 450 RPM for an Auto Trans with it in drive with emergency brake set.
Cold Cranking Compression Test should be Min. of 120 PSI.
Fuel pump test 3.5 to 4.5 PSI pressure.
Below are the stock LOM Distributor timing advance cruve for a 1954 223 that only uses 3 Degrees of base timing.
The 1954 Load O Matic Distribitor timing cruve should map at these amounts.
500 RPM 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 at inches vacuum of .50
1000 RPM 8 1/4 to 9 1/4 at inches vacuum of 1.8
1500 RPM 11 3/4 to 13 at inches vacuum of 3.8
2000 RPM 14 1/2 to 15 3/4 at inches vacuum of 6.0
It's also important to have clean tight wiring and ground conections plus a battery that's at its full charge. Now since you are now using a 240 point distributor you now have a Duel advance type distributor instead of the old LOM with only a Vacuum advance and you could use it just with the mechanical advance. The 240's Vacuum Advance is only needed to get you a little bit more MPG at a steady state cruse speed like on the freeway. You didn't state details and what year 223 you are working on, in the above 1954 223 you can see that the total timing is about 19 degrees the 1957 to 1960 223 have the highest stock compression ratio's and will also have more total timing because of that. Lou gave you some very good advise above on dialing in the base and total timing.
Since you asked about the Vacuum Advance setting I am going to ad this info it's like Frank said above and all that engines are different and you need to do some experimenting to find what your engine likes. Start off with your Vacuum Advance plugged off until you first find the sweet spot of the total timing that works with no pinging. After you have that dialed in you can start tuning the Vacuum Advance which will add a little bit more economy, you will need to have a
good Vacuum Gauge located so that you can see easy while you are driving, somtimes a Tach can be helpful for you too. You will be looking for the highest Engine Vacuum reading that you can get at a steady speed state of about 62 MPH on flat ground. Now you can start adding in the Vacuum advance when you get a light rattle climbing a slight grade such as a freeway on ramp that's about your Max Vacuum Advance Timing and if you have any rattle at all on flat ground back off the Vacuum Advance timing right away other things that effect it will be the Altitude, and the local Air Temps so unless you live were its hot all the time you will probally need to do some readjusting or retune again during the summer weather. Best of luck
