Christos

Hey guys. well, i bought a timing light, hooked it all up, and disconnected my ECU (im pretty sure. there was a single wire like, right next to the firewall with a single tube-like relay)

anyway, when i started my car up, and tried to check the timing, i didn't see any mrk on my dampner! arrrgh. so either i really didn't disconnect my ECU, or its too covered in grease and crap to see it. i did hose it and the timing marks with engine cleaner, but i still don't see anything.

Also, i picked up a offset timing wrench, but i have no idea where my distributer hold-down bolt it.

Somehow i figure its between the distributer and the firewall, which is blocked by endless emissions tubing, and wire harnesses.

man i suck.

thanks for the help guys!

Vader

Christos,

The EST bypass connector is here:



The distributor hold down clamp bolt is at the right side of the distributor - you can almost see it here:



The timing marks are indexed for the #1 cylinder (left front). If you are connected there, and the EST is in bypass, you should be able to see a line across the harmonic damper outer ring somewhere near the timing tab on the chain cover.

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Later,
Vader
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"No matter how hard you try you can't stop us now"
Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0

Christos

Man you are awesome vader!

So the hold-down bolt is in the "right side" of the distributer, is that facing from the front of the engine back? so its on the same side as the #1 cylinder?

also, is there an easy way to get to it with all my TPI goodies connected?

Im gonna head out and get a flashlight, and see what i can find. Im still a bit disturbed because when i disconnected the ECU last time, and hooked everything up, i couldn't see a timing mark. they arn't likely to wipe off or anything i hope!

At least i know for sure now that ive disconnected my ECU, thats exactily the wire i disconnected.

Vader, If you ever come to southern california, my car would love to meet you! haha

thanks!

Christos

Hey vader! everyone. finally found my timing mark! it looks like it it WAY off. not sure, but im going to post a picture of what it looks like, and where the timing mark is (with the ECU disconnected)

It is a little yellow dot, took me forever to find!

Here it is:






The yellow dot is a bit bigger than it is on my harmonic dampner, but just ot get the point where it is!

Where on that marking should it be? between the first two pikes? (from left to right). My emissions sticker says the base timing should be at 6* of advance.

Thanks guys!!!

hope this solves my various problems. from the looks of it, the timing looks WAY off.

hope the picture posts, if not, here is another URL you can copy and paste to.
http://www.homegrownvideo.com/timing.gif

excuse the domain, its where i work!

Damon

You're at about 6 to 8 degrees right now.....

AFTER TOP DEAD CENTER! That's WAY retarded.

The deepest part of the "big V" on the timing tab is TDC. To the left of it (as you face the front of the motor) is BEFORE Top Dead Center. To the right is AFTER Top Dead Center.

You want the mark to be right at 6* BEFORE TDC. Each small peak is 4 degrees. The first one is 4, then 8, then 12. You want it right between the 4 and 8 BTDC points.

Your motor will run a lot better.


[This message has been edited by Damon (edited December 17, 2000).]

Omar

In case you still cant find your distributor hold down bolt, I circled it. It's that small hole next to the obvious big distributor hole. This view is as if you were standing at the passenger side fender. Vader, how do you do those nice arrows?



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1989 IROC-Z 5.7L

[This message has been edited by Omar (edited December 17, 2000).]

Vader

Christos,

If you're absolutely certain the dot is your timing mark, then the timing is as retarded as a ***** driver.

Typically, stock harmonic balancers have a groove cut in the outer ring, not a dot. Clean the balancer a little better and you should find a definite marking. You can clean out the groove and fill it in with a paint marker, crayon, or chalk. This is fairly easy from the underside of the car.

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Omar,

Thanks for the clearer photo. I wasn't going to tear mine down any farther just to show the bolt (LOL).

I edit the photos and can paste or draw in other images and text. It takes a little time, but has paid off. You can't imagine how many times I've posted the same photos for different problems. My server space is getting cramped, however, and I'll have to find another home for some articles and photos or wipe them out. Maybe if I talk really nicely to Dirk I could get some of HIS server space, you think?

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Later,
Vader
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"No matter how hard you try you can't stop us now"
Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0

JP84Z430HP

I think Vader is just **** about all the little details! I wish my engine compartment was as clean as his!

The amount of detail Vader puts into his posts is remarkable, and very helpful. I wish I had what it takes to be like that!

Sorry Vader, I know you hate the compliments!

Christos

Well vader, im not too sure if it is my timing makr or not. i totally hosed my harmonic dampner with engine cleaner, to get some of the crap off of it, but i still couldn't find a mark anywhere. finally, on the far side of the pulley, i saw a little yellow mark. that was on the dampner (i checked with another light, to make sure i wasn't staring at a stationairy dot!)

Anyway, i thought it might be it, ive looked in there forever and still havnt found the mark. so im just going to assume that the little yellow marking was from nailpolish or something from the person who owned the car before me, and cross my fingers.

Man i hope this is my problem! but knowing how cars work, and my luck... ill probably screw somethign up.

thanks for all the help, and the pictures lol you guys rock. Ill double and triple check that mark, and see if i can get at my distributer holddown bolt. got the special wrench and everything.

Bort62

Christos it Really should be a Groove, not a Dot, You should be able to Feel it with Your Finger


Ill see about getting a picture up


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60 Ranchero - Project ( Money Hole )
85 Z28 LG4 - Daily Driver
**Mods**
MSD Superconductors - Vaccum Advance Distributor
14" Open Element - Mech Qjet
KYB all around - Smog EQ Mostly Removed.
Best ET as of yet : 3 hours + to Drive To the Nearest Track

Christos

awesome. the thing is covered in grease and crud. ive blasted it with engine cleaner, and it hasn't helped too much. pretty hard for me to get my hands in there.

man, i basically sit here at work, and have access to a digital videocamera, and all sorts of streaming video goodies. i should just buy a tape, and make a few videos of my car, showing various problems, with audio so i could post links to streaming videos of my problems. hahaha i think its a bit too much, but i could do it.

Anyone here running windows media 7? If i do get that bored, i might do a few short high-quality streaming videos, or if anything, use the old emblaze so anyone could see ti without any plug-in.

would much rather have videos of my car looking sweet, and not hurt like it is.

anyway, ill grope around or the timing grove. see if i can find that yellow dot again with the engine off, and see if there is a groove there.

sad as it is, i really hope my timing is the problem, it would rock.

After i got in the accident here in aliso, my car hasn't run good at all.

thanks vader, you are magic! post a reply if you think a few videos would help out!

Christos

Cool! finally.

Well, i finally got ot the distributer hold down bolt, and checked my timing.

from what it looks like, the shroud which covers the harmonic dampner is broken (plastic) and so thats why i can't find any markings on it.

I just turned the distributer a bit to advance it, i used some cracks as a mark, around 10 degrees up, and it seemes to run a bit better now, no loud backfires anymore anyway. cool! hopefully this will help out for a while. i think i advanced it too far, i was flooring it uphill, and it sort of lost power and gained it and lots it again in the higher RPMs.

Im assuming that means i advanced it too much.

but on a bright note, it doesn't sound anywhere near as bad as it did before. i still think the hole in my y pipe isn' thelping thihngs, but if anything, i can always retard my timing a bit, and drive it around more to test it.

Anyway, THANK YOU SO MUCH guys, you really rocked, there was no way i was going to figure this out without all the help and imput i got from you all. awesome!

83Z28

Is it common for the timing tab to break off? Because I've looked and looked for it, but I can't find it. Either that or I'm not looking for it in the right place. Maybe I'm stupid, but where is the tab?

83Z28

nevermind. I'm stupid. Now, is the EST bypass on a LG4 located in the same spot as the TPI? I don't think it is. Where should I look for mine?

83Z28

nevermind. I'm stupid. Now, is the EST bypass on a LG4 located in the same spot as the TPI? I don't think it is. Where should I look for mine? Because when I checked it after disconnect a 4 wire connector that I thought was the EST, I got about 14 degrees advanced. I don't think this is accurate.

83Z28

nevermind. I'm stupid. Now, is the EST bypass on a LG4 located in the same spot as the TPI? I don't think it is. Where should I look for mine? Because when I checked it after disconnect a 4 wire connector that I thought was the EST, I got about 14 degrees advanced. I don't think this is accurate.

83Z28

sorry...i wasn't trying to up my post count...i promise

Enkil

Christos:


My timing was advanced too far once and it lost all sorts of power in the high RPM range. Even if I was in park, if the car was at WOT it couldn't climb above 4000 RPM's. One way I tested about where the timing should be set at was I'd adjust the timing, and then stomp on the gas real quick. Whichever timing setting got the engine reving up the fastest, that's where I left it. I'm not sure how good that advice is though.. heh.

Also, it's not good to do that in the middle of the night in an apartment complex like I did.

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89 iroc-z
everything stock, except for a mirror that fell off