Timing my car

[carotman]

Well, I got my hands on a timing light (finally)

heh I'm just too cheap to go buy one.... these things are expensive.

I got a question tough. The Carbed Accords need 20 degrees and the EFI need 15...

So, my timing mark on my car will be too far away from the spec... right?

So I need to give it less advance or what?

Or I'm completely off track

Thanks for your help.

[ACCORD EX]

my dad used to adjust timing by turning the distributer and trying it on the road it he hears knocking he adjusts it again !

that was when he hadn't a timing light or timing specs !


MIKE

[dj99]

OK, carotman, I did this recently to my LX, and yours is the same procedure.
1. engine off. pull rubber timing plug.
2. hook up the timing light
3. start engine, get to normal operating temp, (cooling fans come on).
4. make sure idle RPM is right (on label under hood)
5. pull and plug 2 hoses to vacuum advance unit (part of distributor)
6. shoot timing light. Your pointer should line up with a white mark. If not, loosen and move your distributor until it lines up.
7. hook up the hose marked #2 to the vacuum advance and see that the timing moves very close to your red mark. if not, your advance may be bad. the second hose is there to move the advance an additional 4-6 degrees under load.

My timing was a bit off the white mark, and runs good now. Those zany mechanics will not see my car ever again! Back when I was ignorant, I actually let them change the distributor o-ring for too much money. I have a Helm manual on the way!

[Jareds 89 LX-i]

This may take some time, but if you have some patience I think it would work to get the timing set right at 15. Your timing mark now is at 24* (the MIDDLE of the 3 lines on the flywheel), and the lines on each side of that are in 2* increments. If you were looking at the flywheel at a front/straight angle, TDC would be on top, and 24* would be on the bottom, so therefore 15 would be somewhat in the middle of them. Turn the flywheel by hand until you can see all 3 marks, and look closely at the spacing between the marks. Then just take a long skinny paintbrush and make evenly spaced marks/lines (same spacing as 3 lines on flywheel) on the flywheel (going up, towards the TDC mark). It shouldn't be too hard to eyeball this one. Just turn the flywheel a little as you go, then go back and count the lines (remember, they're all 2* increments -- so, 24, 22, 20, 18, etc). Then just make a mark at the 15* mark with a different color paint (I used red, it shows up pretty good), and VIOLA! This may not be perfectly accurate, but it's probably pretty damn close. Oh and I hope you have a nice, bright, focused light to get down in that little hole. It can be tricky to see sometimes. :p

Hope that works for ya!

[guaynabo89]

I would suggest getting your hands on a proffesional timing light. Thats the one that you can adjust.

The flywheel has a red line on it for TDC. Set the timing light at 15 degrees and when you see the red TDC line then you got it.

I had to get a professional timing light cause I have an aluminum flywheel and it only has a mark for top dead center.

[dj99]

To guaynabo89:

Referring to my previous post:

If you unplug the hoses from the advance and plug them, you will see a white mark to set the timing. This is like a "factory" setting. It makes the timing light with advance unnecessary. When you plug the top hose back in, your timing should then be back at the red mark. If not, your advance is bad.

If you are using the red mark to set your timing AND have a bad advance then you are not setting your timing properly, and can mess up your engine.

[guaynabo89]

If I remember correctly carotman did a carb to efi swap. I think he is saying that the flywheel he has is the carbed one with the carbed timing marks. Which means his timing marks on the flywheel are off with his efi swap.

dj99

If he does disconnect the vacuum hoses. The timing for efi is 4 degrees btdc. Yes this is the correct way to do it but not intirely necessary. He will still need to time his car off the red tdc mark on the flywheel.



Carotman correct me if I'm wrong about what I think your problem is.

[dj99]

I see the dilemma. Don't know if the white mark would be the same for carb & EFI.

[Jareds 89 LX-i]

The white "+" mark (which is TDC) would be the same for both, because TDC is TDC no matter what motor