Adjusting Timing?

[deevergote]

Adjusting the timing moves the powerband around. You don't gain power, you just change when you make it a bit.

You cannot accurately adjust your timing without a timing light. Doing so is pointless. Just go buy a light and do it right. They're like $30. If you can't afford the proper tools to do a job, don't mess with it. Common sense.

[Honda Power]

OK asides from all the jokes and stuff on how I shouldn't adjust.
Did I advance it or retard it?

[H22A91CB7]

OK asides from all the jokes and stuff on how I shouldn't adjust.
Did I advance it or retard it?

That looks retarded. (Literally?)

Get a timing light, jump the check engine connector, pull the rubber plug on the transmission and set the timing to 15* before TDC. Your car will thank you and run better. The distributor will be adjusted pretty close to the center of its adjustment range.

Yes the dizzy does look retarded. Set if back to where you originally marked it.

[phayze]

Yes the dizzy does look retarded. Set if back to where you originally marked it.

how do you no the dizzy looks retard

[evil_demon_01]

how do you no the dizzy looks retard

Because it has been rotated towards the firewall.

[phayze]

Because it has been rotated towards the firewall.

oo kk so if mine look lik that it mean its reatard to ...and that would cause back fire ??

[batever]

why jump check the engine light is this necessary?

jumping the service connector tells the ECU to run base timing with no adjustments. That's what you want since what you're doing when "adjusting the timing" at the distributor is setting the base timing. In normal engine operation the ECU modifies/advances the timing from the baseline timing according to engine rpms etc etc. You don't want that when you're setting the baseline for the ignition timing, so jump the service connector.

[batever]

so let me get this straight, loosen the dizzy,

jump the connector, crank the engine and i guess the ecu will put it back to factory?...what do i wait five mins or something while the ecu does it thing or some?

No that's not how it works, I don't think the ecu physically moves the alternator body to modify the timing. (how could it, the thing is bolted down with three bolts).

You need to set the alternator in the right position using a timing light.

What you need to do is go to Autozone and buy the cheapest inductive timing light they have, it'll be 40-50 bucks. Hook the pickup on it to the #1 spark plug wire and put the positive and negative clamps on it onto the battery clamps.

Warm the car up until idle drops to 800, then stop the car and jump the ecu.

Restart it with the jumped service connector and aim the timing light at the flywheel (pull the little rubber plug out of it) . It will light up the timing mark.

Now you'll see how far off your base timing is.

Stop the car and loosen the three mounting bolts on the dizzy with a 12mm socket and a short 3" extension ( for that one under the dizzy), and rotate the distributor little by little (tightening the bolts back down and restarting the car to check your progress with the timing light) to get the timing mark in the right place. The red mark that indicates 15 degrees before TDC should appear right between the timing pointers. The two little marks on either side of the red mark indicate 2 degrees below 15 degrees and 2 degrees above 15 degrees.

(Obviously, turn the car off while you're adjusting the alternator.)

There you're done.

Don't forget to take out the jumper wire from the service connector before driving the car or revving the engine beyond idle speed.

My engine timing is like one degree retarded, which is within the two degrees that are permissible, and works great, when I get around to it I'll move it the extra one degree to be right at 15 degrees.

running the car with majorly retarded timing causes higher engine running temps and higher engine temps particularly at the cylinder exhaust valve is my understanding. Plus it will cost you major power.

[batever]

oo kk so if mine look lik that it mean its reatard to ...and that would cause back fire ??

doesn't necessarily mean that your timing is retarded but it is highly likely. Depending on the way the valve timing is set by the timing belt (how the timing belt is installed) , the alternator could be back to adjust for that. If so, then the timing belt might be off by a tooth.

The only way to really know if your ignition timing is off is with a timing light.

Backfire is caused by fuel igniting in the downpipe, I believe, so the backfire issue *could* be related to timing if unburnt fuel is getting out of the cylinder exhaust valves and into the exhaust. I would make sure all your spark plugs are in good shape too and you don't have a lot of oil leaking over the plugs too, because oil fouling a plug or excessive oil in the cylinder can cause the combustion event to not use up all the fuel vapor and fuel vapor would get exhausted.

However I'm not sure about all of that, I'm just been learning more about the details of engine operation right now and that's my take as of this moment.

If your timing is off by more than 2 degrees from 15 degrees before TDC then it can cause some engine problems like overheating and lack of power for severely retarded timing. Certainly setting the timing dead on at 15 degrees before top dead center would be a start at dealing with any engine issues you are having.