Timing adjustment
08-Apr-2004, 09:14 PM
#1
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Timing adjustment
Hayne's manual suggests unbolting the distributor and moving the entire thing a few degrees. Is there an alternate way of doing things?
I put in some long overdue spark plugs last week and my car detonates louder than usual. This all started a couple of weeks ago when I changed my distributor. Prior to that, she was as quiet as can be.
On a slightly separate topic, where can someone get a timing light, and what's the price range on them?
I put in some long overdue spark plugs last week and my car detonates louder than usual. This all started a couple of weeks ago when I changed my distributor. Prior to that, she was as quiet as can be.
On a slightly separate topic, where can someone get a timing light, and what's the price range on them?
08-Apr-2004, 10:11 PM
#2
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first off timing your car is very simple. Make sure your #1 cynlider is at TDC when you are putting your distributor on. Secondly make sure your rotor points to the #1 plug. Then all you do is bolt up the distributor enough to the point where you can still turn it.
Then inside your car jump the blue jumper spot near the passenger side and start your car. This allows the ECU to not adjust the timing as you are playing with it.
A timing light can be very cheap I picked up a inductive one for $40 at a automotive store. These are ones that just clip over your #1 wire and hook up to your postive and negative for power on your battery.
To set the timing it will be on the left side of your car and if you look at your timing cover you'll see a couple of pieces of plastic off the side of it.. one will look somethhing like this | | and the other will be a arrow just below it. What you wanna do is turn on your timing light and point it down to the flywheel and you'll see 3 marks on it. the first one is -2 BDC and the middle one is where you want to have it at and the 3rd is the +2 tdc (I think). Just make sure that when you are doing the timing it all lines up to the middle mark and it should be good to go.
After all this bolt up the distributor and do a final check to see if your timing is proper then tighten up the distributor.
After your timing is setup remove the timing light and shut your car off. Proceed to under the hood to the fuse panel and remove the 7.5amp fuse and your negative battery wire for 10 seconds. Put back on, get in car, remove paperclip from diagnostic port and start car.
If there any problems or errors in this feel free to modify. The other option you have is going out to walmart or canadian tire and grabbing a Haynes or Chilton manual which will tell you how to set you timing too.
Then inside your car jump the blue jumper spot near the passenger side and start your car. This allows the ECU to not adjust the timing as you are playing with it.
A timing light can be very cheap I picked up a inductive one for $40 at a automotive store. These are ones that just clip over your #1 wire and hook up to your postive and negative for power on your battery.
To set the timing it will be on the left side of your car and if you look at your timing cover you'll see a couple of pieces of plastic off the side of it.. one will look somethhing like this | | and the other will be a arrow just below it. What you wanna do is turn on your timing light and point it down to the flywheel and you'll see 3 marks on it. the first one is -2 BDC and the middle one is where you want to have it at and the 3rd is the +2 tdc (I think). Just make sure that when you are doing the timing it all lines up to the middle mark and it should be good to go.
After all this bolt up the distributor and do a final check to see if your timing is proper then tighten up the distributor.
After your timing is setup remove the timing light and shut your car off. Proceed to under the hood to the fuse panel and remove the 7.5amp fuse and your negative battery wire for 10 seconds. Put back on, get in car, remove paperclip from diagnostic port and start car.
If there any problems or errors in this feel free to modify. The other option you have is going out to walmart or canadian tire and grabbing a Haynes or Chilton manual which will tell you how to set you timing too.
08-Apr-2004, 10:25 PM
#3
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Very detailed. I have the hayne's and it's almost identical to your suggestion making it the right one! 
Thanks for the help, I'll try that tomorrow. My car is almost perfectly timed, I just need to jiggle a degree or two, for this I don't think I'll need the timing light. Maybe just losen and hand-rotate the distributor? Like trial and error until no more knocking?
Possible sticky bb?
Thanks for the help, I'll try that tomorrow. My car is almost perfectly timed, I just need to jiggle a degree or two, for this I don't think I'll need the timing light. Maybe just losen and hand-rotate the distributor? Like trial and error until no more knocking?
Possible sticky bb?
09-Apr-2004, 12:14 AM
#4
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use the timing light regardless, they are cheap enough and very useful. Especially if you have a few friends. Because you maybe out say 6 degrees when you think you are out 2. Or you could be more retarded than advanced and thats not good either. And the other thing you want a timing light for is because after you tighten up the bolt, it can move your distributor a bit and knock your timing out again so sometimes having two people is handy as well.
so sometimes having two people is handy as well.
09-Apr-2004, 12:24 AM
#5
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just a correction... since a timing light goes off (strobes) when spark is sent to the plug #1 the marks are going to be 12 to 14 degrees BTDC.... (forget which one but it's in that range.) theres a whole explaination why I'll get into later.... anyways the -2 and +2 that Firebane was discribing is retard and advance the timing markings are for retarding and advancing the spark by up to 2 degrees.
anyways why the spark goes off 12 to 14 degrees BTDC ... well thats because when fuel explodes it takes time to reach maximum cylinder pressure inside the combustion chamber... and you want maximum cylinder pressure created at about 12 degrees ATDC. this will result in better mechanical advantage and more torque... the end result is this delay from ignition to max pressure results in the need for the 12 degrees or so offset from TDC. hope this helps.
anyways why the spark goes off 12 to 14 degrees BTDC ... well thats because when fuel explodes it takes time to reach maximum cylinder pressure inside the combustion chamber... and you want maximum cylinder pressure created at about 12 degrees ATDC. this will result in better mechanical advantage and more torque... the end result is this delay from ignition to max pressure results in the need for the 12 degrees or so offset from TDC. hope this helps.
09-Apr-2004, 09:24 AM
#6
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So it is a *good* thing to be somewhat advanced to give the fuel enough time to ignite fully?
I think the book says that a normal ignition timing for a D15B7 is 10 degrees before TDC. Does this mean the mark on the crank is 10 degrees early or is it actually TDC?
Anyway, picking up a timing light doesn't sound so bad anymore. Fiddling around with the distributor and randomly guessing the timing doesn't sound so good anymore.
I think the book says that a normal ignition timing for a D15B7 is 10 degrees before TDC. Does this mean the mark on the crank is 10 degrees early or is it actually TDC?
Anyway, picking up a timing light doesn't sound so bad anymore. Fiddling around with the distributor and randomly guessing the timing doesn't sound so good anymore.
09-Apr-2004, 10:46 AM
#7
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no .. it's good to have it set to the timing marks exactly.... thats what the ecu expects .... the other marks are just there to let you know how much your off by .....
basically you line it up with the mark.. that mark would be 10 degrees before TDC (or whatever it is) is there to make timing adjustments easy ... imagine if thetiming mark was TDC how would you know where 10 degrees BTDC was?... anyways line it up and have fun...
basically you line it up with the mark.. that mark would be 10 degrees before TDC (or whatever it is) is there to make timing adjustments easy ... imagine if thetiming mark was TDC how would you know where 10 degrees BTDC was?... anyways line it up and have fun...
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