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Bored&Stroked · 08-02-2021, 03:14 PM

Check with a timing light that shows degrees of advance and see how much advance you're getting. If the advance mechanism isn't supplying enough advance, that will kill your power.

You may not have a timing pointer, but all you need to do is mark the front pulley, pick something to reference the mark too (I bolt on a bent piece of welding rod to the timing cover). Then you can rev the engine to say about 2200 RPM and then use an adjustable timing light to "dial back" the mark/reference to where you started at idle. You can then determine the total mechanical advance. You need to know where you are at to start with.

Where do you have the vacuum retard set at (the adjuster on top of the plunger)? Maybe you have it too tight and it is preventing the mechanical advance mechanism from delivering full advance. Do you have any idea as to if your Bubba distributor has the 11A advance mechanism in it . . . or the early 34 type (which delivers a lot less advance).

To test this theory, back-off the adjuster on the distributor until you don't feel the spring tension on it, then turn it back in until you just feel the spring - then see if your total timing amount increases/moves. Again, using an adjustable timing light to dial back to your idle point.

As a rough guesstimate, about 3/8" of movement on the OD of the crank pulley is about 10 degrees of crankshaft timing.

08-02-2021, 03:14 PM	#4
Bored&Stroked Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Central Ohio Posts: 5,178	Re: 34 Coil Carbon Brush Check with a timing light that shows degrees of advance and see how much advance you're getting. If the advance mechanism isn't supplying enough advance, that will kill your power. You may not have a timing pointer, but all you need to do is mark the front pulley, pick something to reference the mark too (I bolt on a bent piece of welding rod to the timing cover). Then you can rev the engine to say about 2200 RPM and then use an adjustable timing light to "dial back" the mark/reference to where you started at idle. You can then determine the total mechanical advance. You need to know where you are at to start with. Where do you have the vacuum retard set at (the adjuster on top of the plunger)? Maybe you have it too tight and it is preventing the mechanical advance mechanism from delivering full advance. Do you have any idea as to if your Bubba distributor has the 11A advance mechanism in it . . . or the early 34 type (which delivers a lot less advance). To test this theory, back-off the adjuster on the distributor until you don't feel the spring tension on it, then turn it back in until you just feel the spring - then see if your total timing amount increases/moves. Again, using an adjustable timing light to dial back to your idle point. As a rough guesstimate, about 3/8" of movement on the OD of the crank pulley is about 10 degrees of crankshaft timing. Last edited by Bored&Stroked; 08-02-2021 at 03:20 PM.