Re: Question on Ignition Timing

Posted by Mike On 2010/11/25 15:16:19

If you're talking about the gauge that indicates ignition timing adv or retarded, yes. It was there so you could adjust ignition timing for different quality fules. (lower quality = more retarded and vice versa.)

Set that to zero and then time your engine accordingly. Lets say your engine runs great at 8 degrees btdc. That's your ignition timing. Then the fuel compensator is at zero. Then you get bad fuel and, according to the compensator, you retard it a couple degrees. Then you get good gas, and set that back to zero. You're back to the optimal timing you had set originially, 8 degrees.

NOW i have never worked on one of these on a packard, i believe the one i played with was on a straight 8 pontiac. You could set the compensator separately than the ignition timing and it was more like a timing indicator RELATIVE to your ignition timing. If it's just an ignition timing indicator, then it would report actual ignition timing and you'd have to remember what to set it back to if you changed it for fuel reasons.


Hope that makes sense and someone with actual packard experience chimes in, that's just what i recall from another motor i played with for a minute.