Timing question

[HoogiesNgrinderz]

Earlier today I had some friends float into our shore and asked if I could take a look at their motor. Their problems - hard starts, stalled when shifting into gears, rough idle, yada yada. I figured the timing was off but their boat doesn't have a vacuum advance nor does it have any computer controlled advance. I set the advance between 18* and 20* at idle. Seem about right?

Motor sounds better, shifts w/o stalling, but now it falls flat on its face at 3k rpm...right about the same rpm where it starts to plane out.

[blugto]

Earlier today I had some friends float into our shore and asked if I could take a look at their motor. Their problems - hard starts, stalled when shifting into gears, rough idle, yada yada. I figured the timing was off but their boat doesn't have a vacuum advance nor does it have any computer controlled advance. I set the advance between 18* and 20* at idle. Seem about right?

Motor sounds better, shifts w/o stalling, but now it falls flat on its face at 3k rpm...right about the same rpm where it starts to plane out.

Don't know what kind of motor, my my quick google says that idle timing should be somewhere between 10 and 12 degrees.

[Q]

yeah, more info is needed. I/O, OB, IB, size, make, model....

[HoogiesNgrinderz]

Sorry, I was in a rush to get out the door and off to work.

1989 Baretta Phaser 203
OMC 350 (chevy 350) I/) - rebuilt
Edelbrock carb

I have no way of setting initial advance so I have to set the timing while running under normal timing curve. I figure 18-20* is tipical for a sbc at idle with the advance hooked up.

Dump the edelbrock?

[NovaMan]

Does it have vacuum advance? Is it connected to spark-ported or manifold vacuum?

[AL SS590 M6]

Sorry, I was in a rush to get out the door and off to work.

1989 Baretta Phaser 203
OMC 350 (chevy 350) I/) - rebuilt
Edelbrock carb

I have no way of setting initial advance so I have to set the timing while running under normal timing curve. I figure 18-20* is tipical for a sbc at idle with the advance hooked up.

Dump the edelbrock?

I would think that initial timing at idle should be around 10-12 degrees as Blue mentioned.
If there is no vacuum advance then I'd rev the motor with the timing light on it to make sure that the machanical advance is not frozen up and is working correctly.