The distrubutor is turned all the way foward...thats advanced? The problem is when I turn it back...the car runs like ****...bad idle and everything. I believe the timing is set so far off that I can't fine tune it with the distrubutor...so how do I go about changing this? I can't check the accual timing yet because I have no timing cover to see the marks(cover is on the way). So what to do??

 

What?! If you moved the distributor all the way towards the front of the car, (headlights) then that is retarding. If you move the distributor towards the steering wheel that is advancing. Sounds like you need to get a timing gun and some instructions. Here is a link.
Oh yeah, this is my first post. So newbs own you!
http://www.c-speedracing.com/howto.html

 

Set your distributor half way between its full range of adjustment. That should be about right. All the way in either direction will run like ****. Firewall = advacned and front of car = retarded.

If you point the timing light at the timing marks on the cams, you'll see TDC when they're together. You can use that to figure it out.

 

start car and let it get to Normal Op Temp, the fans will cycle on/off twice.
find the service connector to be sure the ECU pulls knock/retard, get a small peice of metal and bridge it. you will see a CEL come on, its ok its just the service connector doing its job. unplug the IAC and the engine will fall on its face at 500rpm. (first line over 0rpm) check the timing with the gun. if it is past the bottom most line, that is more than 18BTDC bro... not healthy. middle notch is 16BTDC or nominal. if you are looking at the dist, counter clockwise is advancing, clockwise is retarding. find the desired setting, fasten dist. cut ignition and replace the IAC plug. remove the key. take out the 7.5amp fuse for the radio/ecu backup and let it sit out for 30 sec-2 min. that will clear the 14 you just made with the IAC being unplugged. replace the fuse and start the car, test drive and you should be fine.

the whole idea about power gains from ignition timing advance is this in a nutshell.
if you light the mixture too soon, you will make the pistons work against themselves due to raised cylinder pressures closer to TDC than ideal which wears engine components like rod bearings to name a few... anywhoo. the idea is to light the mixture at the precise time that the force of the explosion will finish when the angle of the rod is ideal, hence already crested and on the way down... i.e. 12-15ATDC in our motors which is lighting the mixture in most cases at 15-18BTDC.
I would try each, the more advance you have the more you shift the powerband down a skoch. If it fits, try 17-18 I run there and its a great compromise for temperatures here in FL. too much timing advance will make you not only lose peak power but prematurely age your components.

hope that helps.

mike



[Modified by MikeSarr_GSR, 10:07 AM 10/22/2002]

 

alright newbie...I just learned something, but I had my directions correct when standing infront of the car....I assumed wrong that you would take your directions by where your standing. So with that said.....timing is advanced. Kinesistech........the car runs better with it advanced as it gets... anywhere else it goes to hell. ...so is that normal?

One solution to what may be wrong....is that the cam gears are twisted...meaning the gears are not where they should be aligned to with the cam. correct?

 

by IAC...you mean idle air control

thank you MikeSarr...you have been much help!

and to you loud mouth newbie

 

you could have improperly indexed cam gears. forget all that crap about who's new and who's not. its irrelovant. roll the bottom end to TDC, if you know how to do that cool. thats lining up the timing hash with the white line before the timing marks on the crank pulley. I am assuming you have a B motor which is DOHC. Same principle applies to SOHC, however more tricky on dual. Anywhoo, roll the motor block to TDC, then look at the cam gear hash marks. there is a 90 degree hash mark when they are pointed "UP" which is TDC in cyl #1. if there is an irregularity, you will see it. you have to pull the valve cover off to see this. each tooth your timing is out, it needs 10.28 degrees of timing compensation. hence, the reason why we index cams hope it turns out good.

response: glad I could help


[Modified by MikeSarr_GSR, 10:13 AM 10/22/2002]