Ok. I need help with getting my timing adjusted right, and how you know where to set your timing to get optimum performance.

I run a 100 shot of NOS, so my timing is currently retarded about 4 degrees. Thing is that I never spray the car on the street, and am rarely at the track. This is more of a street car, even though it has been ran at the track a couple of times.

I want the most performance on the STREET where I spend most of my time, and will NOT be spraying the car at all. How do I know how to find my optimal timing for performance???

 

you need to look and see what your cam etc. calls for with out the bottel.
Look up your cam and see where they call for it to be as a base line. this will give you a starting point at least.
Then you can adjust as needed to get it right for ya.

or if ya have a dyno at your home you can do it that way also LOL

biggest thing is to get the timming with out the nos and set it there to find out how she runs then you can adjust it from there to make it better.
Any time you do this it ia guess at best till you can get a good base line of where the car has no detonation and also runs hard.
but if your cam calls for 4deg. then give it the 4deg. and be done with it for a easy fix. iother wise it is trial and error to find the optuim point of Timming.
by checking for fowling in the plugs etc....

Good luck.

 

my engine builder once told me general rule of thumb for a small block chevy is 10 degrees advanced at 600-900 RPM without the vacuum advance hooked up. Then do test runs advancing it one degree until you have spark knock at full throttle in third gear then back it back off 2 degrees. and if you spray it you will need to back it off I believe it is 1 deg per 50HP shot. So if you go to the track then back it off another 2 deg (or more depending on what your kit suggests) before ya run the spray and you should be good to go.

 

Grandpa's Mega Old Skewl back-yard response would be to bump it til you get ping at WOTand back off about an 8th of an inch. This is from pre-NOS days.