correct ignition timing

It's by feel,or seat of the pants.Adjust it to operate the best at the speed and load you are travelling at.Pull it down until it starts to slow down,or even buck.Push back up until it runs smoothly,and if you push too far it will slow the car down.The drivers body has to be the computer,you will either learn it,or you never will.
 
No problems but read on another site that 5.0 head needs some adjustment to the ignition advance. It advised "searching for the knee".
 
Read the Ford Instruction Manual for the Model A for a good starting point.

You move the lever about 1/2 way down. Get on a level road at 30-35 MPH. Advance it a click. Do you feel more power? Keep it. If not, go back. If you kept it, advance it another click. More power? Keep it. If not, go back. Don't over think it.

But don't just pull it all the way down and leave it. That will probably be too much advance, unless you have intentionally set the initial timing quite a bit after TDC.
 
As usual, Jim has the right answer. Here is another method. Do this outside in your driveway. Start with the ignition lever about half way down or less. Use the hand throttle to set the engine speed to a fast idle, about 1,500 rpm. As Jim said advance one notch (click) and if the engine rpm picks up keep advancing one click at a time until the rpm does not pick up. At that point go back (retard) one click. That is your home position, the knee in the advance curve.

If you are pulling a grade or otherwise have a heavy load on the engine, you may want to retard the ignition one click. Experiment with the ignition when pulling the grade to find the knee under that condition.

If you are cruising down a level road at part throttle you may want to advance the ignition one click from the home position. Again, experiment to find the knee under that engine load.

Adjusting the ignition for different conditions is something that you learn to do. After a while it becomes second nature. As the points wear your home position will change. If it changes a lot then it is time to adjust the point gap.
 
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One of the past Old Timer posters on this site, always recommended you get running into just second gear and then play around with the advance lever as well as the GAV. When the engine is running with power and smoothness that is satisfying to you. You then go back to these settings every time. PS different gasoline may bring variables to this routine.
 
With the manual lever the engine seldom gets the timing it needs/wants. The BEST solution is a centrifugal advance distributor. a Model B ford or Mean's Super + if you like points , an FSI Zipper or modern style if you like electronic.
 
butch chase said:
With the manual lever the engine seldom gets the timing it needs/wants. The BEST solution is a centrifugal advance distributor. a Model B ford or Mean's Super + if you like points , an FSI Zipper or modern style if you like electronic.
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Pshaw! I believe that centigual advance is a rough and ready solution-and it's one that needs setting correctly at the start but is never fully correct through the whole range, surely the BEST solution is computer mapped one ( which I hope never to see on on a Model A!:) )
 
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