Timing And Vacuum Advance 101

SPARK TIMING AND CENTRIFUGAL AND VACUUM ADVANCE IN TERMS

THAT NON-ENGINEERS CAN RELATE TO
BY JOHN HINCKLEY

I
PHOTO BILL ERDMAN
n this day and age, when modern automotive powertrains are com-
puter-controlled and engines don’t even use distributors anymore,
the knowledge of what distributors did and how they operated to
control ignition timing has begun to fade; for those just entering the
classic automotive hobby, the function of the distributor and the notion
of “timing” is even more mysterious. To keep your classic Corvette run-
ning reliably and at maximum efficiency, some knowledge about the
principles of spark timing and how it’s controlled is essential. The objec-
tive of this article is to de-mystify the principles of spark timing and to
explain why and how your distributor-equipped Corvette’s spark timing
is controlled and varied to suit changing driving conditions.

54 CORVETTE ENTHUSIAST [Link]

 When someone says their initial timing is set at 10 degrees,
that means the distributor is set to fire the spark plugs
when the crankshaft is 10 degrees of rotation before the piston
reaches top dead center, which is 10 degrees of advance.
I won’t get into the gory details of metered by the carburetor and atomized air/less fuel); when accelerating, the
combustion theory, but let’s understand in the intake manifold as it heads for load on the engine is higher, and it’s fed
a little about what happens as the piston each cylinder’s intake valve. a “rich” air/fuel mixture (more fuel/less
is traveling upward on the compression air). These are two very different condi-
stroke toward the point where the spark FUEL/AIR MIXTURE AND “BURN tions, as a lean mixture burns relatively
plug “lights the fire.” Before we light the RATE”: At idle and steady cruising slowly, and a rich mixture burns faster.
fire, let’s talk a little about what we’re speed, the load on the engine is low, Remember this distinction – it’s a key
lighting – the fuel/air mixture that’s been and the air/fuel mixture is “lean” (more factor in ignition timing.
Back in the cylinder, with the
piston rising and compressing the air/fuel
mixture, the idea is to fire the spark plug
at just the right moment such that the
mixture is ignited (starting the “burn,” as
the flame front proceeds across the
cylinder) and the rapidly expanding
gases reach peak cylinder pressure just
after the piston reaches TDC (top dead
center), exerting maximum force to push
the piston down on the power stroke for
maximum efficiency.

SPARK TIMING: Referring back to the

burn rate comparison, slower-burning
lean mixtures need to have the “fire lit”
earlier in the compression stroke
(because they take longer to reach peak
cylinder pressure) than faster-burning
rich mixtures (which take less time to
reach peak cylinder pressure). With
either mixture condition, the objective
is to reach peak cylinder pressure at
exactly the same point after TDC, which
means they have to be “lit” at different
points during the piston’s upward travel

1 Here’s the distributor, that wondrous device that hides

1 back there in the dark under your ignition shielding
and contains the two totally independent, but
complementary, spark-advance systems that determine
how your Corvette performs.
PHOTO JOHN HINCKLEY

2 This is the centrifugal advance mechanism that hides

under the rotor – the “autocam pivoting weights,” and
tension springs. The faster it spins, the more the weights
move outward, advancing the spark timing.
PHOTO JOHN HINCKLEY

3 The pin and slot in the “autocam” that limits maximum

centrifugal advance weight travel is visible directly
above the end of the condenser.
PHOTO JOHN HINCKLEY
2 3

[Link] CORVETTE ENTHUSIAST 55

4 Two different sets of centrifugal advance weights and
three different strengths of tension springs are shown.
How these are combined determines the “advance
curve” for each specific engine combination.
PHOTO JOHN HINCKLEY

5 A typical vacuum-advance distributor, showing the

vacuum diaphragm on the right and the centrifugal
advance mechanism at the top. These two systems are
independent, but work together.
PHOTO JOHN HINCKLEY

– this is what “spark timing” is all about

– managing the point at which the spark
plug fires under different operating 4 5
conditions. This point is expressed as
“spark advance” in degrees of crank- errors can result in scattering expensive (which trigger the coil to fire the spark
shaft rotation before the piston reaches engine parts all over the street at one plugs when the points open) is
top dead center. When someone says extreme, and poor performance and “advanced” so it opens the points
their initial timing is set at 10 degrees, fuel economy at the other extreme. An earlier than when the weights are fully
that means the distributor is set to fire automatic device has to recognize the retracted (as they are at idle). In most
the spark plugs when the crankshaft is entire spectrum of operating conditions distributors, this mechanism provides
10 degrees of rotation before the piston and manage the complexities of spark up to 20-25 (crankshaft) degrees of
reaches top dead center, which is 10 timing in a manner completely spark advance when the weights are
degrees of advance. This is the “initial” independent of, and transparent to, the fully extended. The maximum advance
or “base” spark timing which is checked driver, who has other things to keep him this system can provide is limited by
and set at idle during a traditional tune-up occupied – like traffic, flashing blue a bushing installed over a pin, which
(with the vacuum advance disconnected); lights in his mirrors, etc. moves in a slot in the lower plate of
it’s fixed at the point where it’s set by the autocam. The system is designed so
clamping down the distributor hold- THE DISTRIBUTOR AND ADVANCE: that the weights don’t begin to move
down bolt, and doesn’t change – it’s This wondrous device that handles all until slightly above normal idle rpm,
always there. that work is the distributor, which lives so the initial timing can be set
quietly in the dark, at the back of the accurately without any influence from
EARLY SPARK TIMING: In the days engine, hidden forever under the the centrifugal advance mechanism.
of the simple, low-compression, inefficient Corvette’s ignition shielding, demanding
Model T, spark advance was set only an occasional set of points, a CENTRIFUGAL ADVANCE CALIBRATIONS:
manually to a fixed level with a lever on condenser, and a rotor to continue There are many different calibrations of
the steering column. About all the doing its job. Let’s talk about the two weight configurations and spring
driver did was to “retard” (delay) the different ways the distributor manages tensions specified for production
spark timing while turning the crank to spark timing while you’re watching Corvette distributors, depending on the
start the engine, then move the lever to traffic and grabbing gears – centrifugal performance level of the engine, manual
“advance” the spark timing once the advance and vacuum advance. or automatic transmission, etc. The
engine was running. If the driver forgot The centrifugal advance mecha- points between the rpm at which the
to retard the spark when cranking and nism under the rotor in the distributor weights begin to move and the rpm at
left the lever in the advanced position, advances spark timing based solely on which they’re fully extended, providing
the engine could “kick back” while the engine rpm (it’s driven at half crankshaft maximum advance, is referred to as the
operator turned the crank to start the speed); a pair of weights pivots on pins, “centrifugal advance curve,” which is
engine, which could result in a broken retained by little coil springs. The faster tailored to each engine combination.
arm (an unforgettable lesson in spark the shaft turns, the more the weights The key point to remember here is that
timing). Once the engine was running, tend to pivot outward (centrifugal the centrifugal advance mechanism
the operator could vary the spark force), and the rate at which they move advances and retards spark timing
advance with the lever for best performance outward is controlled by the tension of in response only to engine rpm, and
(such as it was), or just leave it alone the little springs. Lighter springs let nothing else. Its function is to advance
(which most operators chose to do). them move fully outward at relatively spark timing as engine rpm increases.
With that big, low-compression, slow- low shaft rpm, and stronger springs As upward piston speed increases with
running, low-powered engine, require higher shaft rpm for full rpm, effectively shortening the time for
little damage could be done by improperly outward movement. The pointed “tail” the compression stroke, the spark has to
setting the spark advance. of the weights, at the pivot end, bear fire sooner, as the air/fuel mixture still
Fast-forward to the 1960s and against a cam (called the “autocam”) takes the same amount of time to burn
high-compression 350-horsepower attached to the top of the distributor as it does at lower rpm. In effect, the
Corvette engines howling at 6500 rpm. shaft and, as the weights move centrifugal advance mechanism handles
Suddenly the spark timing equation is outward, the eight-sided cam that only the basic physics of lighting the fire
much more complex, and spark timing opens and closes the contact points sooner at higher rpm so peak cylinder

56 CORVETTE ENTHUSIAST [Link]

 6 A typical vacuum advance unit. The rod at the bottom
is connected to the vacuum diaphragm, and connects to
the movable points breaker plate at the other end. When
vacuum is applied, it advances the breaker plate.

7 The vacuum advance unit, attached with two screws to

the distributor body. The tip of its actuating rod is visible
at the left, protruding through the movable breaker
plate.

about 45-50 degrees of spark advance –

your fixed initial advance of 10 degrees,
6 7 20-25 degrees provided by the
centrifugal advance mechanism, and
pressure is still reached at the same steady cruise, acceleration) result in the 15 degrees added by the vacuum
point just after TDC. how lean or rich the air/fuel mixture is advance unit.
Now we have the basic physics (the carburetor handles this), and the When you accelerate, the fuel/air
handled, but we still need another system best indicator of engine load is intake mixture is immediately enriched (by the
to manage spark advance based on all manifold vacuum. At idle and steady accelerator pump, power valve, metering
the variations of driving conditions and cruise, engine load is low, and intake rod piston, etc.), and that rich mixture
engine load variations experienced in manifold vacuum is high due to the now burns faster and doesn’t need the
normal operation. This is handled by the nearly closed carburetor throttle plates. additional spark advance anymore.
vacuum advance system. Under acceleration, the throttle plates When the throttle plates open, the
open wider, and intake manifold manifold vacuum drops, and the
VACUUM ADVANCE: The vacuum vacuum drops. It is essentially zero at vacuum advance unit diaphragm
advance system consists of a vacuum wide-open throttle. As a result, intake retracts to its zero position, “retarding”
diaphragm mounted on the distributor manifold vacuum is a “free” indicator of the spark timing back to what is being
body. The diaphragm is spring-loaded in engine load, which correlates nicely provided at that moment by the fixed
the zero-advance position, and has a rod with fuel mixture being supplied – lean initial timing and the centrifugal
that connects to a hole in the breaker mixture at high vacuum, and rich advance mechanism. The vacuum
plate, which is the movable plate the mixture at low vacuum. advance doesn’t come back into play
points are mounted on. When vacuum is At idle, the engine needs additional until you back off the gas and manifold
applied to the diaphragm, it pulls on the spark advance in order to fire the lean vacuum increases again as you return to
rod, which in turn pulls on the breaker (and exhaust-diluted) idle fuel/air steady-state cruise, when the mixture
plate, rotating it with respect to the eight- mixture earlier in the cycle in order to again becomes lean and needs more
sided cam on the distributor shaft which develop maximum cylinder pressure at spark advance for fuel efficiency.
opens and closes the points. When the proper point after TDC for efficiency,
viewed from the top, the distributor shaft so the vacuum advance unit is activated VACUUM ADVANCE CALIBRATION:
(and the eight-sided cam for the points) by the high manifold vacuum, and adds There are also many different calibrations
turns clockwise. When the vacuum another 15 degrees of spark advance on of vacuum advance units. Some begin
advance rod pulls on the breaker plate, it top of the fixed initial timing setting. For to deploy at different vacuum levels
rotates the breaker plate (and the points) example, if your initial timing is set at than others, and some provide more
counter-clockwise, which “advances” 10 degrees, at idle it’s actually 25 degrees of advance when fully deployed
the opening of the points (triggering the degrees with the vacuum advance than others. The original calibration was
coil to fire the spark plugs). A typical connected (a properly calibrated selected based on the intake manifold
vacuum advance unit, when fully centrifugal advance mechanism will not vacuum characteristics of that particular
deployed, will add about 15 (crankshaft) have started to move yet at idle rpm). engine/transmission combination and
degrees of spark advance over and The same thing occurs under how it was expected to perform in daily
above what the distributor’s centrifugal steady highway cruise conditions. The use. Vacuum advance units were
advance system is providing at the mixture is lean, takes longer to burn, the connected to full manifold vacuum for
moment, which depends on engine rpm. load on the engine is low (it takes only decades. In the late ’60s and early ’70s,
They are two independent systems, but about 40 horsepower to cruise at when emissions began to become an
they work together to provide the correct 50mph) and the manifold vacuum is issue, many were instead connected to
amount of spark advance. high, so the vacuum advance unit is “ported” or “timed” vacuum sources.
again deployed and adds 15 degrees We’ll discuss this aberration a little later.
CONTROLLING VACUUM ADVANCE: of spark advance over and above
Let’s look at how the vacuum advance whatever the distributor centrifugal THE ADVANCE COMBINATION:
system is controlled. Referring back advance mechanism is providing at that Now we have two different advance
again to burn rates, remember that lean engine rpm. If you had a timing light systems working independently, but
mixtures burn slower and rich mixtures connected so you could see it as you complementing each other, to manage
burn faster. Engine load conditions (idle, cruise down the highway, you’d see spark timing – centrifugal, based on

[Link] CORVETTE ENTHUSIAST 57

 HOT BACK
ISSUES
engine rpm, and vacuum, based on engine load and operating conditions. The
centrifugal advance system is purely mechanical and is only rpm-sensitive; nothing
changes it except engine rpm. Vacuum advance, on the other hand, responds
instantly to engine load and rapidly changing operating conditions, providing the
correct amount of spark advance at any point in time, to deal with both lean and
SEPTEMBER 2003
A Mid-Generation Machine: This ‘91 rich mixture conditions.
is still a lot of fun. MTI’S 2002 Z06, By today’s engine management terms, this was a relatively crude mechanical
Hot Products for Sharks, Cover
Protection for your Corvette, 1953 system, but it did a good job of optimizing engine efficiency, throttle response, fuel
Corvette’s inaugural season,
Concept C60 prototype, Corvette
economy, and idle cooling, with absolutely zero negative effect on wide-open
Cooling System Basics, ‘57 throttle performance, as the vacuum advance is inoperative under that condition.
Corvette SS, A Walk through the
Bowling Green Assembly Plant, ‘66
In modern cars with computerized engine controllers, all those sensor inputs to
427, ‘82 Collector Edition the computer change both spark timing and fuel/air mixture 50 to 100 times per
second, and we don’t even have a distributor anymore – it’s all electronic.
AUGUST 2003
‘63 Vette split-window coupe, the
Last C-5 with special Lemans “PORTED” VACUUM: Now to the widely misunderstood manifold vs. ”ported”
Commemorative Edition, Stu Hayner, vacuum aberration. After 30-plus years of controlling vacuum advance systems with
Systems approach to LS1 engine
modifications, Corvette Grassroots, full manifold vacuum, that “free” indicator of engine load and fuel mixture, along
Puncture repairs for speed rated came early emission control requirements (seven years before catalytic converter
tires, ‘95 Corvette, John & Burt
Greenwood, ‘75 Coupe, ‘59 Vette, technology was introduced), and all manner of crude band-aid systems were
C5 Birthday bash, Disc Brakes, introduced to try to reduce hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen in the exhaust
Herb Fishel, Gif Hufstader
stream. One of these crude, but effective systems was GM’s Air Injection Reactor
(A.I.R.) system, which pumped fresh air into the exhaust ports to “afterburn”
JULY 2003
Building on Perfection: Subtle pollutants in the exhaust manifolds. The key to making this system work at
improvements to C5 rear, Exhaust maximum efficiency was retarded spark at idle; with retarded idle spark timing, the
systems balance, ‘62 Vette,
Magnacharger Kit, 50 Unsung “burn” begins late, and is not complete when the exhaust valve opens, which does
Corvette Heroes, ‘93 Red Coupe,
Elkhart ‘72 Coupe, K40 Laser
two things that were important for emissions. The incomplete burn reduced
DefuserPlus™, ‘63 Sting Ray, combustion chamber temperatures, which reduced the formation of oxides of
Modified ‘98
nitrogen (NOX), and the significant increase in exhaust gas temperature ensured
rapid “light-off” and combustion of the hydrocarbons in the exhaust gas stream
Back Issues when the fresh, oxygen-carrying air was introduced from the air pump.
Retail $6.00 AA* $4.00 per issue As a result, these engines ran poorly, and an enormous amount of wasted heat
energy was transferred through the exhaust port walls into the coolant, causing
them to “run hot” at idle; cylinder pressure fell off, engine temperatures went up,
MAGAZINE STORAGE BOX
Keep all your back issues combustion efficiency went down the drain, and fuel economy went down with it.
organized and and tidy in this “Ported Vacuum” was easy to implement – they just moved the distributor vacuum
handsome 113⁄4” x 4” x 9”
cardboard storage box. port orifice in the carburetor from below the throttle plate (where it was exposed to
A portion of box includes a full manifold vacuum) to above the throttle plate, where it was exposed to manifold
preprinted area to list contents.
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vacuum only after the throttle plate opened. This meant that the vacuum advance
XMAGBOX $7.99 $5.99 was inoperative at idle (retarding idle spark timing from its optimum value), and
these applications also had very low initial timing settings; they were usually set at
four degrees before TDC or less, and some even had initial timing settings as much
as two degrees after TDC. The vacuum advance still worked at highway cruise, but
not at idle, which caused all manner of problems. “Ported Vacuum” was strictly an
early pre-converter crude emissions strategy and nothing more. Don’t believe
anyone who tells you that ported vacuum is a good thing for performance and
drivability – it’s not. Anyone with a street-driven car without manifold-connected
vacuum advance is sacrificing idle cooling, throttle response, engine efficiency, and
fuel economy, probably because they don’t understand what vacuum advance is,
how it works, and what it’s for. There are lots of long-time experienced mechanics
who don’t understand the principles and operation of vacuum advance either, so
To order call 1-800-572-6885 they’re not alone.
[Link]
THE BOTTOM LINE: Now that we’ve covered the why’s and how’s of spark
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Shipping & Handling:
timing and its control systems, you can appreciate what’s going on underneath your
U.S. - 10% of order total - Minimum $5.00 Maximum $25.00 ignition shielding and how it affects performance and drivability. Checking the
Canada - 10% of order total - Minimum $10.00 Maximum $35.00 operation of the centrifugal and vacuum advance systems during periodic mainte-
Foreign orders are shipped via DHL and billed actual freight.
nance and tune-ups can pay real dividends that you can feel in the seat of your
pants. Well, you say, “How do I do that?” Tune in next month, when we’ll show you
how to check out those systems, how to “map” your advance curves against their
design specifications and verify proper operation, and pass along some simple tips
and techniques for improving your Corvette’s performance by “tweaking” its
P.O. Box 828 Sidney OH 45365-828 advance systems for peak efficiency. ■

58 CORVETTE ENTHUSIAST [Link]