I don't know how to adjust the timing on my car. Also, it's not running, and I was speculating that part of the issue was that the timing is totally out of whack. How does one adjust timing, and can it be done on a car not running? Thanks.
Timing adjust
- Thread starter Black Sun 5.0
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cenok is family
15 Year Member
no you can't time a car without it running. i guess technically you can, but you'll have no way of knowing where the timing is at. you have to pull the SPOUT connector when adjusting timing too, so the ecu doesn't automatically re-compensate for the timing change. pull it while the car is off, before you start doing your timing adjustments. the spout connector is hanging off the harness right under the distributor. it looks like this (you pull the grey part):
DON'T LOSE THE SPOUT CONNECTOR. put it in your pocket or something. here's a write up actually, i don't feel like typing it all out. it's really easy though.
http://www.muscularmustangs.com/timing.php
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Is the engine in the car? If so can you crank it over at all? If you can then I think that you can get it close enough to get it running and then check it again while it is running. I think that you can have a friend crank the car while you check the timing.
Here is how I like to check the timing.
I locate the 10*, 12* and 14* marks on the balancer and put some white or silver model paint on them, one line for each of them, so you will have 3 lines. Then I clip off the inductive clamp on my timing light to the #1 plug wire and connect the power leads to the battery. Then start the car and pull the spout connector, DO NOT LOOSE IT. If you look down between the accessories on the passenger side of the engine you can see a pointer sticking off the timing cover. Point the timing light at the pointer and balancer and pull the trigger. Everytime that the #1 cylinder fires you get a flash of light from the timing gun, kinda like a strobe light. You should be able to see the marks you made on the balancer. At a minimum the mark on the 10* line should line up with the pointer. If it doesn't or you want to advance your timing then you loosen, do not remove, the hold down clamp bolt at the bottom of the distributor. Then you can slowly turn the distributor to either advance or retard the timing depending on what you need. When you have the timing set where you want it then tighten up the hold down clamp bolt and recheck your timing make sure it didn't change when you tightened the bolt up.
Here is how I like to check the timing.
I locate the 10*, 12* and 14* marks on the balancer and put some white or silver model paint on them, one line for each of them, so you will have 3 lines. Then I clip off the inductive clamp on my timing light to the #1 plug wire and connect the power leads to the battery. Then start the car and pull the spout connector, DO NOT LOOSE IT. If you look down between the accessories on the passenger side of the engine you can see a pointer sticking off the timing cover. Point the timing light at the pointer and balancer and pull the trigger. Everytime that the #1 cylinder fires you get a flash of light from the timing gun, kinda like a strobe light. You should be able to see the marks you made on the balancer. At a minimum the mark on the 10* line should line up with the pointer. If it doesn't or you want to advance your timing then you loosen, do not remove, the hold down clamp bolt at the bottom of the distributor. Then you can slowly turn the distributor to either advance or retard the timing depending on what you need. When you have the timing set where you want it then tighten up the hold down clamp bolt and recheck your timing make sure it didn't change when you tightened the bolt up.
cenok is family
15 Year Member
hah can you reword that so i can understand, because i have a really nice, advanced inductive timing light with an lcd display and oodles of buttons, but i don't really know how to use it, i just do it the old school way, turning the distributor til it lines up on the balancer where i want it. lol yeah i know, pretty sad i don't even know how to use my own chit. lol
If I follow foxfan correctly he is saying something like this.
You want 15* of advance with the SPOUT out. So you set the dial or the LCD on your timing light to 15*. Then you mark the 0* mark on the balancer so you can see it when the light flashes. Then all that you need to do is pull the trigger and adjust the dizzy so that the pointer lines up with 0* mark. If you want 13* you just set the dial or LCD to 13* and adjust the dizzy until the pointer lines up at 0*. And pretty much repeat if you want to change your timing. This way you don't end up with a bunch of different marks on your balancer.
Me, I'm to cheap to go buy another timing light and just work with the one that I have had for the past 15 years.
You want 15* of advance with the SPOUT out. So you set the dial or the LCD on your timing light to 15*. Then you mark the 0* mark on the balancer so you can see it when the light flashes. Then all that you need to do is pull the trigger and adjust the dizzy so that the pointer lines up with 0* mark. If you want 13* you just set the dial or LCD to 13* and adjust the dizzy until the pointer lines up at 0*. And pretty much repeat if you want to change your timing. This way you don't end up with a bunch of different marks on your balancer.
Me, I'm to cheap to go buy another timing light and just work with the one that I have had for the past 15 years.
cenok is family
15 Year Member
If I follow foxfan correctly he is saying something like this.
You want 15* of advance with the SPOUT out. So you set the dial or the LCD on your timing light to 15*. Then you mark the 0* mark on the balancer so you can see it when the light flashes. Then all that you need to do is pull the trigger and adjust the dizzy so that the pointer lines up with 0* mark. If you want 13* you just set the dial or LCD to 13* and adjust the dizzy until the pointer lines up at 0*. And pretty much repeat if you want to change your timing. This way you don't end up with a bunch of different marks on your balancer.
Me, I'm to cheap to go buy another timing light and just work with the one that I have had for the past 15 years.
ooooohhhhhh ok i see now! i always have the balancer line up with zero and set the timing on the gun! that's freakin awesome! hah yeah i used to have an old school basic timing light that belonged to my grandfather. i seriously think it was over 30 years old. lol. needless to say, it finally went out and i broke down and got a good one.
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