I know all the steps to adjust my 93 Prelude with automatic transmission and 2.3L engine.

The service manual says timing is to be adjusted at 650-750 rpms. Does this mean that I first adjust the rpm BEFORE I advance/retard the distributor?

What's confusing me is this. If I advance the timing to get the green mark to line up with the crosshairs, then what I have done is increased the rpm, so now I am no longer at 650-750 rpm, I may be at 850 rpm or higher. What do I do then? Readjust the idle screw to bring the idle back to 650-750 rpm? If I do that, then doesn't that then throw the timing off yet again?

Does anyone understand what I am saying? If it needs to be timed while the engine is at 650-750 rpm, then essentially moving the dist either way will throw off the rpms... thus you can't adjust the timing at 650-750 cause it's like a dog chasing his own tail.

 

bump, i'd like to hear the answer also

 

Maybe I'm an idiot, but I didn't know that adjusting the timing would change your rpms.

 

start your car... let it warm up to running temp... jump your service connector... hook up the timing light... set it at 15 degrees.. lock it all up and your all set
adjusting idle screw shouldnt be nessicary.. but maybe

 

huh...so all you're adjusting is the distrib settings? No belt moving or cam gear adjusting? (obviously never timed my motor before)

 

by degreeing a cam all that really does is change your powrband not to mention stock cam gears are NOT adjustable... not timing.... thats cam phasing.... ignition timing is when your dizzy fires the cylinders... if its off the car will run like ***.. no "belt moving" or cam gear adjusting...

 

from what i know the books dont really tell you about advancing or retarding your car. when the book tells you to adjust your car for timing it wants you to set the time for stock idel. which means you should set the timing so that the car is ideling at 700 + or - 50. in other words when you line up the mark it should be idealing at 700 + or - 50.

 

adjust the timing at stock idel, advance it where you want it to be then adjust the idel back to stock. the idel screw should not change the advancing.

 

hey man, Idle speed and timing are not related. First, the car should idle at 750 +/-5 rpms. so, no ac, no lights, etc. if its not idling in those parameters, then you need to adjust the idle speed (not the timing). Once the idle speed is set, THEN check to see where the timing is.

Neil

 

Hm, I think what happened here is that the dist was not advanced enough. When I advanced it a bit, the engine started to rev up, thus making me think it was adjusting the rpms, (which it was), but now I understand to readjust the idle screw back to 700 rpm.

Do you guys keep it at 15 degrees or do you advance/retard it from that position any?

I'm really looking for the smoothest possible idleing. Would it be smoother at idle to advance like 12 degrees or lower?

 

It is a bad idea to over-advance any ignition system, doing so can cause harm to your motor. Keep it around 15 +- 2*