Firebird Mess85

I know the basics of how to set the timing. I know where the grooves and I believe the engine gets set to 6* BTDC. I have a timing gun without a dial and the bolt on by the distributor is already loosened.

I just need to know what to do with the gun. There are no markings on the grooves but I know where TDC is and what the grooves mean. If anybody has any pictures that show steps or video, that'd help a ton. I learn better visually. I have read some stuff talking about EST and I have no idea what that is or if I have it.

Thanks.

EDIT: Last time I tried to set the timing I got zapped by the wires when I went to move the cap. Don't know if that adds anything important.

TIMMYS89GTA

iTrader: (28)

est wire is a tan wire w/black stripe near the a/c box.It has a conn. on it that needs to be unplugged when setting the timing.
If your balancer has no markings that you can see,you have some cleaning to do.They should be there somewhere. If not,you have a mess and more expense on your hands.

Firebird Mess85

Do all cars have this? What's the best way to get anything in there to clean it? I have some little dash markings, I meant I don't have any writing on them. Why would I have a mess and more expense on my hand, just curious?

Firebird Mess85

bump

jv9999

iTrader: (1)

Something like this. It's down there, may need some cleaning.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

A carb'd '85 will have a flat 4-wire connector that goes from the base of the distributor to the firewall harness rather than the single wire described above. It is often tucked down/back where it is difficult to see - look for it. It has to be disconnected before you set the timing - although I don't know if it makes any difference, I always disconnect the connector, start the engine, set the timing, shut off the engine, and reconnect the connector. While disconnected, the SES light will come on and a trouble code set. The light will go off after you reconnect it - the trouble code will remain in memory for 50 starts (I think it is) or until power is disconnected from the ECM.

The timing tab I believe you've already found, true? If not, on the '82 & '86 I had, it was at 12 o'clock relative to the damper, rather than the ~2 o'clock like so many other SBC's. Wipe the tab off - there should be numbers on it. The valley of the large "V" in it is the "zero" mark. As you are facing the engine from the front of the car, the marks to the left of the "zero" are advanced - that's the direction the 6 degrees should be. Each mark represents 2 degrees - typically, the peak of the first "V" advanced from zero is 2 marks (peak = 4 degrees), then each alternating peak and valley is at 2 degree increments. So, 6 degrees will be the "valley" after the first peak to the left. The damper itself only has one mark.

If you get sparked when you touch the cap, you've either got a leaking cap or spark plug wire. Either way, you should replace them. They often are allowed to go too long.

Firebird Mess85

Yes I have already found the tab and knew what number each valley etc. meant. There is rust on the tab but I did some research before to know what was what.

As far as the flat 4 wire connection you were refering to five7, I have an '87 305, don't know if that makes a difference.

I just need to know how to use the timing gun.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Your user info says '85. You never said anything about an '87 until now.

Yes, it makes a difference, since they changed to small-cap distributor and separate coil in 1987. The flat 4-wire connector went to the single tan wire that TIMMYS89GTA described.

The timing light should have two battery clips and an induction clip. Connect the battery clips to the battery or other 12v source, and put the induction clip over the #1 spark plug wire (some induction pick-ups have a direction arrow requiring it to be pointed at the spark plug - haven't seen that in awhile, though). Disconnect the ESC wire, start the engine, shine the light at the tab (probably have to depress a trigger on the timing light to get it to flash), adjust the distributor to the 6 degree advanced mark, tighten the distributor clamp, recheck the timing setting, shut off the engine, reconnect the ESC wire, disconnect the timing light.

Firebird Mess85

Whoa....confused still. Went at it again tonight. I can't find the est wire so I disconected the one I though it was (Single wire on AC Box at the far side of passenger side). Connected the gun stuff, got the car up to operating temp and then aimed the light at the tab. It strobed, I moved the distributor and it kept strobing. This is the issue, what the hell am I looking at on the tab, the light is all over it. Do I stand at the front of the car or the side when I aim it? After a while of aiming the gun and trying to figure it out, the engine that did sound like it was idling good all of a sudden dropped in idle and sounded like it was going to die so I shut it off. Then I let the fan run for a minute and started it up again still not able to figure it out but it didn't do the low idling without my touching it like previously described. But, by the time I was calling it a night there was smoke rising from the passenger side of the engine sorta by the exhaust manifold/head area and out of the heat riser on the driver's side. Dunno if it's just as simple as an exhaust leak but I didn't feel like doing any damage to the engine so I just shut it off.

Another thing was that I already had the bolt by the distributor cap loosened cuz my dad was messing with it a couple months ago but I can't get it tightened. I couldn't fit a socket in there so I went to autozone and bought an offset distributor clamp wrench set and that fit but I couldn't move the bolt because there isn't enought free space to rotate between the intake manifold and some thing sticking out of the manifold with a sensor attached to it (not the egr).

Theking

iTrader: (1)

Ive made a "Set Timing Manual"

Passengerside :


This is the EST connector (disconnect it):


Put the timing light pickup on cylinder 1 (sparklpug/wire 1):


Aim it like this:


This is what youre looking for:


And this is with the engine running at 6 BTDC (EOS 350 photo):

Firebird Mess85

when the light is strobing though, what am i looking for? It just seemed to light up the whole tab area.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

You're looking for this:

Firebird Mess85

I mean what am I looking for the light to do. All I can tell it's doing is slowing or speeding up the interval it flashes at when I adjust the distributor.

rosco88ta

iTrader: (3)

You're looking to see if the timing mark on the harmonic balancer matches up to the 6 degree mark on the timing tab. When you move your dissy it should move the mark on the balancerto a different spot on the timing tab. You want it to be on 6 degrees on the tab. Get it yet?

gurkgurkgurk

what u want is for the mark on the balancer to appear still, you cant tell sometimes since the strobe kinda freezes it there if u get a flash light and looked it , itll move really fast but the point of the gun is to freeze it so u can see where it is and where it needs to be.