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View Full Version : wow. I am getting O-L-D



Mark Rudy
12-25-2004, 03:19 AM
Ok, after 2 weeks (mostly because I threw out my back doing it), my engine is now swapped. Running same oem 88 LXi engine from an auto trans car in my manual. what a pain swapping engines are these days hehe.. I remember back in the good old days - front engine, rear wheel drive... 2-3 swaps in a day. LOL

anyways... this may be the stupidest question in the world but I am going to ask anyways... where the heck is the single bolt I have to loosen to set the timing? the manual says single bolt, every car I ever had has had a single bolt, but for the life of me I cant find the dang thing.. I seen 3 10mm bolts in a pyramid configuration, but I seriously doubt these are for setting timing... My timing is a bit too far advanced in the new engine and rather than pay an outlandish fee to have a shop set the timing, I would prefer to break out my timing light and do it myself..

assistance?

BTW.... anyone know if the throttle body or intake internals were different between the automatic and standard lxi's? it seems that the drone under accelleration is noticibly louder (sounds nice too btw) in the new motor than in the old one :werd:

AccordEpicenter
12-25-2004, 10:11 AM
no the tb or intake manifold etc are the same between auto and 5 speed. 86-7 LXi and 88-89 LXI had a different intake and exhaust manifold and 86-89 LX/DX had a different cam than LXI and different pistons (i think it was pistons?) Make sure everything is hooked up right, like the vaccuum lines esp the ones for the intake manifold runner switching, if those arent working or if theyre not hooked up, the engine will be louder under 5k rpm because theyre always open then (88-89 Lxi-SEi Only). As for the 3 bolts you found on the distributor, you are correct, you need to loosen all 3 and rotate the dizzy by the base to get what you want, and right below the dizzy in the block in the front of the engine near the tranny is a little window (somtimes it has a rubber plug in it) and you should be able to use those timing marks on the flywheel. Hmm you must not have done too many of these swaps, I can do them in 6 hours or so, but ive done quite a few and know how to do them efficiently, but they can be confusing at times or just downright frustrating... Oh well welcome to the board.

smufguy
12-25-2004, 12:23 PM
Thats one thing i need to learn. Setting and adjusting the valve timing. Swaps, well seems like everyone has their skill. Its fun pulling the motor out, cleaning it and putting it back. ;) hehehe, ITs awsome.

racerx
12-25-2004, 03:21 PM
I believe you have to remove the vacuum advance hoses from the dizzy before you do the ignition timing. Am I right? I can't remember, but I'm pretty sure that's important.

I guess you could set it without, drive it, set it with, drive it, and keep the most powerful setting.

AccordEpicenter
12-25-2004, 08:54 PM
ive heard it debated... but i just time them at idle. Ive never seen anywhere in the factory manual that you need to yank the vac lines. Smurf, the tricky part is to time them when you have an aluminum flywheel with no timing marks on it... thats tricky, youll never guess how i did it

MarioBurke
12-25-2004, 09:55 PM
ive heard it debated... but i just time them at idle. Ive never seen anywhere in the factory manual that you need to yank the vac lines. Smurf, the tricky part is to time them when you have an aluminum flywheel with no timing marks on it... thats tricky, youll never guess how i did it

werd dawg. that is why I put a pen mark on my flywheel. otherwise you can still time it using the TDC mark on the cam gear. just remember it spins at half the speed of the crank or flywheel.

Via the shop Manual
as far as timing

1. Remove the Rubber cap from the inspection window of the cylinder block

2. Start the engine and allow it to warm up (cooling fans come on twice)

3. disconnect the vacuum hoses from the vacuum advance diaphragm and, while the engine idles, check each hose for vacuum and plug the hoses.

4. Reconnect the hoses to the vacuum advance diaphragm, then connect an advance tester to the engine. while the engine idles, point a timing light toward the flywheel or drive plate.

5. Adjust ignition timing, if necessary, to the following specifications.

6. Loosen the distributor adjust bolts and turn the distributor housing counterclockwise to advance or clockwise to retard.

7. Tighten the adjusting bolts, recheck the timing.

8. Disconnect the outside vacuum hose (# 15 or #25) from the diaphragm and apply vacuum (more than 20 in Hm) to the outside diaphragm with a vacuum pump. The timing mark shoulld advance an additional 6 degrees.

9. Disconnect the Vacuum advance diaphragm and pinch the end of the hoses using fuel line clamps. THe timing should be 4 degrees BTDC.

10. If the advance is not as specified, check the advance diaphragm and the distributor advance mechanism.

hopefully that will help??

AccordEpicenter
12-25-2004, 10:26 PM
pretty much, mario b.... I used the cam gear's tdc marker (0) on my adjustable cam gear and when it lines up with the 1st stud on the valve cover, thats cyl 1 tdc, so then you can use a dial back light to set it using the tdc.. Looks like you time them at idle (its important that the engine is up to full operating temp tho) with the vac lines on the dizzy. If you have the time and tools testing the advance/retard is a good thing, ive personally had accord dizzys lock up so i had no advance/retard whatsoever

A20A1
12-26-2004, 08:05 PM
I believe you have to remove the vacuum advance hoses from the dizzy before you do the ignition timing. Am I right?...

It's to set the base timing without vacuum advance... you line up the pointer with the T mark or the line right next to it... instead of the three marks " l|l " that are for advance

MarioBurke
12-26-2004, 08:30 PM
Base timing is your timing. once base timing is set. the computer does the rest when the vacuum advance is plugged back in.