My car:'94 Honda Civic EX, turbo
I just changed the head gasket, and got everything all back together and got the car running. My problem is that I can't seem to get the ignition timing set for the life of me. It is way retarded and even if I advance the dizzy all the way it's still not close.

The closest I could get it was to raise the idle a bit (to about 1000rpm), and advance the dizzy all the way, but even then it was way too far retarded.

What seems odd is that it seems to be running good, it had a few hiccups, but overall it's running steady.

Any ideas? Could I be somehow getting an innacurate reading? Is there something that could be retarding the timing that far?

 

OK, after checking about everything else, I'm starting to think that it may be a vacuum leak.....any ideas?

 

Did you jump the ECU plug?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by spnfed &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Did you jump the ECU plug?</TD></TR></TABLE>
Yup.

 

TTT, need some help

 

i just did a complete rebuild on mine and when we were done putting it back togather it seemed to run fine but when i double check the timing it was off. it sound to me by what you are describing exactly. we noticed that the timing was off one tooth. after we fixed that it timed fine. so my sugestion would be to double check to make sure at top dead center that all of your cam marks line up with the marks on the head an front cover.

 

That is a possibility I guess. Last night I took off the timing belt than reset the timing again. I've done that three times now. I'm starting to think that I'm retarded!! (I've done this plenty of times before, I don't know why it's giving me trouble now) It's running and I have driven it around a bit, but the timing is still way retarded so it's quite sluggish. Maybe I'll try it again tonight.

 

I would make sure that u r setting the everything up with the marks at top dead center and not at the(red) 16degrees btdc. that will make it retard if that is the case.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SLOAZZ94 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I would make sure that u r setting the everything up with the marks at top dead center and not at the(red) 16degrees btdc. that will make it retard if that is the case.
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Are you suggesting NOT to set the cam(s) when the crank-pulley is LINED-UP on the RED mark ? (RED = 16-DEG BTCD)

 

I'm still having trouble. It's running, but something is definately off, and hell if I can figure it out.

None of the marks on my crank pulley really have any color to them any more. Of the 5 marks, which one are you guys refering to as the red one?

 

there are 3 lines really close to each other .. the middle one its the red 1

 

Will ****, which way is it? I have been lining up the timing belt cover mark with the whiter of the two marks that are together. Does that even make any sense.

Damn, I've done this like 20 times before, but for some reason I'm having so much trouble now.

Do I line it up with the red mark or not?

 

u line it up to the white 1 ... not sure about having 5 lines .. but there is 3 lines together.. the middle been the red 1 .. then either 1 or 2 .. and if im not mistaken the farthest 1 (not the 1 closest to the other 3 lines) is the white 1 .. hope that makes sence

 

there are 3 lines together....two green ones with a red in the middle. Then there is a white line that is all off by itself a little further over. When you are setting up tdc with your cam and everything you want to set the crank on the white line. Also what kind of timing gun are you using when checking your ignition timing? Is it one where you can set the desired degree? If its one of those then you try to line up the white mark with the mark on the timing belt cover. If its the kind that you can only advanced it 1 or 2 degrees at a time and find btdc then you will want to line up the red mark with the timing belt cover.