Thread: 89 3.5 EFI maximum ignition timing

3.5 = 36 degrees
Regards Philip A

Thanks Phillip .

out of curiosity is 36 deg the same for all rover 3.5 whether injected or carby .

Cheers Mark

Setting max timing to a numerical value it not really the done thing

You basically want to run the MAX timing you can get in without detonation....or difficulty starting...on the worst fuel your going to run

Ramp it up till it pings, then retard slightly, there is max timing your engine will handle

out of curiosity is 36 deg the same for all rover 3.5 whether injected or carby .

Cheers Mark

That figure is from "How to Power tune Rover V8s" and is a figure gained from dyno experience in the UK.

It says "As a guide , the chart below sets out the total mechanical advance that can be used on the various capacity engines and that will be correct for 98% of them" P68 Ignition Advance.(Amazon has/had a copy you can read)
Everything is a guide as your engine may have carbon etc.
However the V8 distributor is very conservative in its advance curve and total advance is only gained at 4000RPM so low rev full load pinging is not usually a problem( depending on your Compression ratio).
I have about 32 on my 3.9 and have added lots of part throttle advance, but there was no evidence of piston damage on inspection.
As always it is "caveat emptor" and you should work up to advance settings and test for pinging .
Regards Philip A

I had several modified small block chev engines over the years and it was always a rule of thumb with those to have 36-37 deg max never more and have it all in early as possible without pinging .
Sounds like these little rovers are the same .
Might try a couple of higher initial settings round 10 or 12 deg and modify mechanical to hold at 36 max .
try and get 24 in the mechanical advance .
Standard they must have close to 30 deg in the mechanical advance

Well they are a 60s Buick engine, and I presume chamber shapes would be similar to Mice, Mouses?
Regards Philip A

really a buick ? American engineered ?
Whats English only the ignition and EFI or carbs ?