Ignition Timing 8 deg BTDC?

[mazfg]

Having just set my Vitesse 1964 mk1 1600 Timing (using a strobe-gun) to 8 deg BTDC I wanted to confirm this is right. Reading other threads, here and elsewhere people were talking about petrol RON rating to determine best setting.

I use unleaded but also put in an additive, so equivalent to leaded petrol, is the 8 deg BTDC good. The car handbook says to set it to this.

Thanks

[mr_seth]

The factory setting is as good as any to start from.  Retard it a bit if your hear it pinking and if it never pinks then try advancing it a bit.  Just a degree at a time.  This is made easier if your distributor as a vernier adjustment on it.

[Pete Lewis]

whilst our 64 1600  is a little modified we run 97ron or higher fuel
she's set at the factory 10deg BTDC static and 29/31deg 3000. the only change we made to the delco dizzy was to cut a peice out of a fibre washer to make it a C   and click it over the vac unit travel stop ,, this reduces the max vac advance which did induce some pinking, taking a 1,5mm out of its travel solved that without having to look for a alternative spec, and still retains the economy gains of the vac unit.

do make a TDC check as the damper ring on ours could rotate on its rubber degraded bonding and the marks when we bought her were

interesting to say the least ,,

Pete

[sparky_spit]

Pete - you are a genius.  I sometimes get pinking at speed under light throttle openings, usually just after backing off and then applying a small amount of throttle. I though it might be due to the vac advance, but couldn't think of a way of reducing maximum vac advance without altering the whole of the advance figure. I'll try that. Cheers!

[Pete Lewis]

can only be done on early d200/ 202 Delco  (and similar) certainly not Lucas,
  if its a delco with  a adjustable setting knob  it needs another idea devising

what you describe is the vac unit  giving more advance than the fuel ron and combined with the static plus dynamic advance all being a bit too much for modern crap fuel,
  it comes most into play on light throttle cruise ,, just as you have found

never forget these were designed for 100/101 octane , 95 was  used in mowers and side valves with 6.5:1 compression
Pete