Adjustable vacuum advance and total timing

Hey y'all

I have been doing a tune up on my '62 Falcon with a 200 in it. I have Duraspark 2 and a YFA. I can tell it's been running rich,

When I installed the engine a few years ago I set the timing. For some reason it was at 18 degrees initial. I think this is because the balancer I had at the time was off.

So now that I've replaced the balancer and also have an advance timing light, I thought I'd revisit the timing. I set the initial to 12 degrees as I've read in the tuning info published on Classic Inlines and in the Mustang shop manual I have. I used the advance function of the timing light to check my total mechanical advance and total advance with vacuum added.

Total mechanical advance is 23 degrees at 3000 rippems. When I add the advance canister to ported vacuum on the YFA, the total advance is 42 degrees at 3000 rippems, which seems pretty high to me as those are FE specs and I always heard that timing was proportional to bore diameter. I was thinking to start at maybe 36 or 38 degrees and see if I needed to add any from there. I tried to adjust the canister to take some advance out but I can't feel an adjustment screw inside with a 3/32 allen key. I can feel resistance when I put in a 1/8 allen (almost the size of the tube on the canister) but I'm not sure if it's an adjustment screw. Turning it doesn't seem to have any effect.

Does anyone have a source or a part number for an adjustable vac advance canister for a DS-2 distributor? The only ones I can find are listed for v8 applications. I can find 6cyl vac canisters listed on Rock Auto but no mention of whether or not they're adjustable.

Thanks!

Eric, centrifugal & initial have nothing to do with vacuum advance at this time. You want 36-38 total initial + centrifugal. The vacuum advance just adds advance under light load for part throttle drivability & fuel mileage.
Shoot me a PM with your phone # & i will call you at your best time. Bill wsa111 or email billythedistributorman@live.com Remember i am in EDT zone.

I'm in Athens Ga, eastern standard time. My phone just died and it'll be 3 to 5 days until my new one ships so I'll shoot you a PM with my number then.

What mods have you done to your 200 engine. Cam, Cylinder Head & any other mods??

Engine set up for 9:1 compression
78 big log head with stock size valves
Hydraulic lifters
Mild cam - it's a Clay Smith, 264/264/110 I think
Cam timing advanced 4 degrees (if I recall right)
Slightly stiffer valve springs
Stock non-adjustable rockers
Duraspark 2 with a Blaster 2 coil
.050 plug gap on Autolite copper plugs
Cheap header into single 2.5 exhaust
Carter YFA from a truck six (210 cfm, I think)

That's about it for the motor. I compression tested it recently and it was good. It burns a little oil and had some tan buildup on the plugs at the most recent change but I think that's because the aluminum valve cover isn't baffled and it's sucking it thru the PCV. I have a baffled one on it now.

I can't seem to get more than 15lbs of vacuum at idle. I think I may have a small leak at the vacuum tree that screws into the log. Gonna look at that tomorrow.

I'm running it with a T5 from an SVO (taller ratios than a 4cyl but not as tall as a V8) and a 3.25 rear.

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