[tbirdtbird]

generally agree on your take on timing, Dick, although the engine will overheat so quickly I am not sure the exhaust has time to get cherry red.

However, I worked on a 1911 Stafford car (last one left) 20 yrs ago that had its magneto ridiculously advanced (2 teeth on the timing chain as it turned out); it had been overhauled wrong which is why I was brought on scene. No one could get it started after the overhaul.

Well, that beast would dislocate your shoulder it would kickback so hard. But if you persisted you could actually get it started....but after 5 min the manifold was as cherry red as could be. There were no timing marks on the motor at all, so I had set up a degree wheel so I could time it by hand the old fashioned way. That was how I determined just how far advanced it was, and how many teeth to retard it. It was at 40° advanced with the lever in the full retard position!

never saw a manifold get so hot