After changing my head gasket, I think I may have my timing set a few degrees back (retarded). Here are the symptoms:

Positive Irregular idle (lugs and chugs more than usual, sounds like a tall camshaft on a powerful v-8 instead of a dinky squirrel box with 4 bangers like it is.)

This doesn't bother me all that much, because it sounds really sweet with the help of the Flow-40!

Lack of hiway power, up-hill power, high RPM power. Lack of power from a dead-stop. It doesn't feel like my 4 little squirrels are as active as they used to be.

I will give it a look when the wife gets home (baby's asleep), but I wanted to get a second opinion before I advance my timing a tooth or two and take it for a test-spin!

Thanks for any help!

 

 

Thanks! ^^^

I guess I'll just go for it!
I figure since the IAT mod advanced my timing slightly, and I noticed a much better response and quicker acceleration, I need to advance my timing and re-check the degree indicators to get the desired effect.

 

I would say its probably retarted too. I remember reading something a while back.........someone had built a motor that would make like 300 hp (older dodge) and when I put the motor back in the truck, and ran it, he could barely get the tires to spin (if they even did) and it had a MAJOR lack of power. He used a cam degree wheel, and found out it was like 12-14 degrees retarted. Anyways, he advanced the cam timing (rotated the gear one tooth, because 14 degrees came out to be about one tooth on the gear.) Then he said it ran like it had 300 hp.

 

yea, just spin it over by hand and make sure that at TDC on the crank both sprockets are where they are supposed to be. if somethings not lined up then just pull it apart and fix it.