Timing bump
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 58,557
Likes: 1,165
From: Long Beach Calimexifornia
What else have you done to it?
Flush & change coolant?
Seafoam treat the engine?
Switching to synthetic oil is a good idea too.
I don't recommend bumping timing w/ Platinum plugs. Unless they are "Fine wires". Like the new Motorcraft Finewires, or ac/delco rapidfire finewires. They aren't cheap.
Standard Platinums can burn through pistons if a ping condition occurs and allowed to continue. Also "never" use Bosch in your truck. Bosch plugs in a truck is like taking your sister to the Prom. Just don't do it!
Motorcraft Stock copper cores are intentionally engineered to fail if temperatures high enough to produce piston damage is present. Good insurance when bumping timing.
Engine Safety should be an important concern! Or don't the bump!
I also recommend a bottle of "Water Wetter" made by "Redline", added to coolant to improve the system's ability to recover from combustion chamber Ping threshold temperatures. Great water pump lubricating properties too. More good insurance.
My mentor "Subford" (Google him) & I have discussed the "Ignition System upgrade/ timing bump". He does not discuss or recommend it in his posts. He tells everybody Set base timing to 10 BTDC only.
I told him I run my 87' 302 at 16 BTDC. Twice a year I make a round trip to Washington w/ a Harley strapped to the bed, tools...basically 1,500 lb. payload. I fill run through both tanks w/o stopping & average 75-80 mph w/ A/C blasting.
I show him my link regarding prepping engines for the bump: https://www.f150forum.com/f10/about-...ng-bump-53159/
His reply was, "That prep's the engine to handle the extra stress added by the bump. But there's alway those to won't. They'll just bump the timing 16 BTDC, ignore the ping, and the next thing they know, they're sitting on the side of the road w/ a hole in their piston, waiting for AAA for a tow."
Don't prove him right! Do it right, or don't do it. Or go w/ 12 or 14 BTDC max. The more bump, the more prep.
Flush & change coolant?
Seafoam treat the engine?
Switching to synthetic oil is a good idea too.
I don't recommend bumping timing w/ Platinum plugs. Unless they are "Fine wires". Like the new Motorcraft Finewires, or ac/delco rapidfire finewires. They aren't cheap.
Standard Platinums can burn through pistons if a ping condition occurs and allowed to continue. Also "never" use Bosch in your truck. Bosch plugs in a truck is like taking your sister to the Prom. Just don't do it!
Motorcraft Stock copper cores are intentionally engineered to fail if temperatures high enough to produce piston damage is present. Good insurance when bumping timing.
Engine Safety should be an important concern! Or don't the bump!
I also recommend a bottle of "Water Wetter" made by "Redline", added to coolant to improve the system's ability to recover from combustion chamber Ping threshold temperatures. Great water pump lubricating properties too. More good insurance.
My mentor "Subford" (Google him) & I have discussed the "Ignition System upgrade/ timing bump". He does not discuss or recommend it in his posts. He tells everybody Set base timing to 10 BTDC only.
I told him I run my 87' 302 at 16 BTDC. Twice a year I make a round trip to Washington w/ a Harley strapped to the bed, tools...basically 1,500 lb. payload. I fill run through both tanks w/o stopping & average 75-80 mph w/ A/C blasting.
I show him my link regarding prepping engines for the bump: https://www.f150forum.com/f10/about-...ng-bump-53159/
His reply was, "That prep's the engine to handle the extra stress added by the bump. But there's alway those to won't. They'll just bump the timing 16 BTDC, ignore the ping, and the next thing they know, they're sitting on the side of the road w/ a hole in their piston, waiting for AAA for a tow."
Don't prove him right! Do it right, or don't do it. Or go w/ 12 or 14 BTDC max. The more bump, the more prep.
Last edited by ymeski56; Aug 16, 2011 at 10:07 AM.
Wondertwin2
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,564
Likes: 0
From: Ohio
I've seafoamed, haven't changed coolant, the plats are motorcraft but I'm not sure if they're fancy. I've got a free oil change thing from pepboys. Which I don't want to take to, but if I can switch to synth on the cheap, i'd like to. I've been running wolfs head as it burns oil at a slow rate.
The trucks nowhere near tip top, and I didn't plan on doing the full bump without everything needed.
(That nowhere near meaning the money to fix my exhaust is nowhere near my pocket.)
The trucks nowhere near tip top, and I didn't plan on doing the full bump without everything needed.
(That nowhere near meaning the money to fix my exhaust is nowhere near my pocket.)
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 58,557
Likes: 1,165
From: Long Beach Calimexifornia
I've seafoamed, haven't changed coolant, the plats are motorcraft but I'm not sure if they're fancy. I've got a free oil change thing from pepboys. Which I don't want to take to, but if I can switch to synth on the cheap, i'd like to. I've been running wolfs head as it burns oil at a slow rate.
The trucks nowhere near tip top, and I didn't plan on doing the full bump without everything needed.
(That nowhere near meaning the money to fix my exhaust is nowhere near my pocket.)
The trucks nowhere near tip top, and I didn't plan on doing the full bump without everything needed.
(That nowhere near meaning the money to fix my exhaust is nowhere near my pocket.)
In regards to the ignition system upgrade & timing bump, I haven't done this much research on anything since college. Maybe not even then. Trust me...loose the Plats!
If "fix the exhaust" means "manifold leak"...fix that before bumping!
Last edited by ymeski56; Aug 16, 2011 at 02:29 PM.
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 58,557
Likes: 1,165
From: Long Beach Calimexifornia
Pretty much any brand, as long as they're a brass set. Acell, MSD... I'm not a Bosch fan for truck applications.
Last edited by ymeski56; Aug 16, 2011 at 05:26 PM.