Not a car forum - because if it was I'm not sure I'd be writing this. Probably have expert advice on my wrongness and incorrectitudefulness provided instantly.
I finally figured out a problem I've been having with my old 'vette since the day I bought the damned thing. Timing mark is way off. When I set the iginition timing it's at 10 degrees after top dead center, which makes zero sense. But trial and error showed me that was it's sweet spot. I knew it was wrong but never why, and now I do.
Occam's razor. Just took a clean shave with it, hope he doesn't mind.
I had all sorts of advice on engine building, aligning various marks, the distributor, slipped harmonic balancers, and given enough time and exposure to the right forum, quantum physics would have been wagged at it as a possible cause/solution. Not enough quarks or muons in there, that's why it pings on modern pump gas. Had I listened I'd be out mining my own ore to start building a new engine with. Nooooope. 1968 Chevy 350. Aftermarket chrome timing chain cover and timing tab meant for a 1969 Chevy 350. I manually checked the thing with a gadget called a piston stop, did a few simple gozintas and painted a new white line in just the right spot. Oh happy days! Spot on ! I was doing the Snoopy dance all over the driveway!
I needed to do that first to finally move on with something else. Feels fantastic to finally solve a persistent puzzle. The simple answer is usually the answer, more often than not.
Unless your eyeglasses pop in and out of a Portal to Elsewhere, in which case the explanation is less prosaic.
