distributor timing issue

[erotomania]

Ok so I thought it would be cool to do the EFI swap on my LX. That was in August. "Finished" it in about 3 weeks. But getting it to pass smog has taken me ever since then... still working on it now (maybe 2 days a week), as time and money permit. EFI swap.... great freakin idea right?

I've been running into problems non stop. I am getting tired of hanging my head under the hood every free minute I get.

Needless to say, I failed CA smog miserably. CO emissions are through the roof. My ignition timing was at 33* btdc. I can't get it even close to 15 like it should be. I can get it anywhere from maybe 25 to 40 something degrees.

I checked the timing belt alignment and it is dead on. Marks on the cam gear line up perfectly when cylinder no. 1 is at tdc.

I took apart the distributor as much as I could. Replaced the stator and reluctor, adjusted the air gaps, new cap + rotor. One thing that doesn't look right is the governor weights. They flop around freely, and the governor springs don't appear to do a damn thing... they don't hold the weights down at all. Maybe that is it?

Or could the crank angle sensor be bad, giving an incorrect reading?

[carotman]

When you fif the EFI swap, did you change the distributor bracket?

Also, when you adjust the timing, do you unplug the 2 vacuum ports ont he distributor and plus them with a screw or something?

[erotomania]

I think I found the solution. I was suspicious of the condition of the governor weights and springs, so I bought another junkyard distributor. Turns out the governor weights and springs were completely worn in my original one, giving me full centrifugal advance at all times. This is what caused it to be way advanced. Rebuilt the junkyard distributor and then tried to set timing... right on target! piece of cake.

[carotman]

Sweeet!

Did you have pre-ignition problems? (engine clink-clank)

[erotomania]

There was a little pinging going on in low rpms under high stress but not much beyond that. To be honest with you I think the perfomance felt a little better than it does now with stock timing.

So back to the CO emissions, high CO % means that you're running rich or not burning fuel completely, right? You think the excessive advance could one way or another cause unburnt fuel? Or would that be more along the lines of a bad ignition coil?