Which direction to advance timing, 454?

[ClydesdaleKevin]

This will make my life easier next week if someone can answer this.  Which direction do I turn the distributor to advance the timing on an 89 Chevy 454?

Clockwise or counterclockwise?

I want to advance the timing by ear on my way out west in small increments (lowering the idle accordingly of course) to get more power just short of pinging and knocking. 

Thanks!

Kev

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

When vacuum is applied to the vacuum advance it pulls the plate in a counterclockwise direction.  So. you also turn the distributor in a counterclockwise direction to increase the amount of advance.  That also means the rotor is turning in a clockwise direction.  To increase advance, you always turn the distributor body in the opposite direction the rotor is turning.

Dave

[MotorPro]

counterclockwise

[joev]

A easy way to remember which way to turn it to advance the timing  is think of the vacuum advance as an arrow point and turn it that way .

[M & J]

Opposite of the way the rotor turns is all I could remember. Others told you which way.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Thanks everyone!  Counterclockwise it is!

There is a reason I'm doing this beyond the obvious as well.  When I had some mechanics in Arizona replace my belts and set the timing, they told me my timing chain would have to be replaced in the next year since they couldn't get a steady idle or steady timing, and said my chain was stretched out.

Not one to just take things at face value, I checked their work, and discovered they hadn't tightened the distributor bolt!

The only thing keeping it in place was how tightly I loomed the spark plug wires when I put new ones in the year before!

I tightened the bolt, and the idle stopped fluctuating.

But I think I should have more power, and am guessing that the timing is retarded too much.

So I'm going to advance it in small increments to get a bit more power, but not so much that I get any pinging or knocking.

Thanks again everyone!

Kev

[Froggy1936]

A white light timing light and you can do it in one  attempt . Pep Boys and Advance have them  Frank

[ClydesdaleKevin]

I was thinking of that, but the factory timing in 89 was severely retarded for emissions reasons, so setting to the factory recommended settings would be more than likely about where I'm at right now.  I'd like to advance it a bit for more power, which may even lead to a bit better gas mileage.  Not going to go crazy advancing it, just small increments until I like the way it sounds and runs.

Kev