Okay. I am ready for the next part (and hopefully the final part) of my project: Dialing in my car...performance tuning!

New plugs and wires. New electronic (Pertronix Flamethrower with the stock weights and traditional vacuum advance) distributor. Four bbl Edelbrock Intake and a new 4 bbl Holley carb (600 cfm).

I have a timing light (inductive) and a vacuum gauge. Unfortunately, no tach or dwell meter to monitor engine RPM.

I need to highlight my timing marks on my crank so that I can see what I am reading with my timing light.

So. What is the proper way (and order) to do this? What am I looking for?

I know I must:

Set the air/fuel mixture screws (using the vacuum gauge?);

Set the idle speed (in park and in gear with the engine warmed up);

Set the timing (although to what exactly, I am not sure);

I set the timing by ear to a decent idle and it runs okay....it just lacks the "ooomph" I was expecting to gain.

Any help?

Thanks,

Steve  

If the car is idling reasonably well, it might be close.  Try starting with the timing set to 12 initial with the vacuum line disconnected and plugged.  Check first and see what it is now.  Then connect the vacuum line and see what you have.  I can't help much with vacuum advance - I never use it, haven't run a vacuum can since about 1975.  You'll should map the ignition curve but for that you have to have a tach.  Since you don't - try opening the throttle and watch the balancer with the timing light.  Try to find out where the max number is - but if the engine has to be reved pretty high, you might not get there depending on the distributor and the weights.  You might run out of tics on the balancer.  If you do, no need to go any higher until you put a timing tape on the balancer or better, get a dial back timing light.  

For a performance application, you'd like to see the advance in by about 2500 to 3000, and with OC heads maybe 40 tops.  Without a dial back timing light and a tach you cannot know the existing numbers on total advance @ RPM.  Just so you know - To change the total with a stock distributor, you have to tear it apart, make a tweak, put it back together, test and repeat as necessary.

If it idles and starts OK with 12 initial and the vacuum hooked up, then you can set the mix.  Trim the idle mix screws for the highest vacuum reading plus about 1/16 of a turn.  Reset the idle to whatever speed is appropriate - probably in the 600~800 area - then do the screws again.  Test drive and see how it does.