How do i adjust the timing?

Foxfan88 · Apr 17, 2005

I've got a serious case of spark knock and i want to get rid of it before i screw something up?

notchback · Apr 17, 2005

go to sears and get a timing light and 1/2 " distributor wrench

then fire up the car, pull the SPOUT connector from the dist harness, loosen the hold down bolt, hook up to plug wire #1 ,rotate the dist to 10* if you want stock, then tighten it...plug the SPOUT back in....good to go

bsedwebt70-5.0 · Apr 17, 2005

I like to play with my timing - 1/2 wrench on the dizzy bolt and twist it counter-clockwise just a tad till it stops pinging under hard acceleration. I do mine by ear usually until it feels perfect - takes a few trips down the road - no special tools or anything - just make the car happy.

Paul Perreca · Apr 17, 2005

10* is stock? is 14* like too much advanced on a stock car, or is it ok - i read alot of sig's that say advanced timing like 14* - i honestly dont know how this changes anything, dont know what it does
Paul Perreca

Mark89coupe · Apr 17, 2005

All I have on the car is the pointer and the groove in the balancer. How would I be able to tell where my timing is?

Papageof · Apr 17, 2005

Mark89coupe said:
All I have on the car is the pointer and the groove in the balancer. How would I be able to tell where my timing is?

You have to get an inductive timing light from sears or the parts store.

Mark89coupe · Apr 17, 2005

Ok. What does that specific timing light do? I have an older timing light, what would be the difference?

Papageof · Apr 17, 2005

Well, the light you have will probably work. All you have to to do is connect it to power, and the no.1 plug wire. Loosen the distributor/pull the spout, shine the light at the pointer and adjust.

The light will blink every time the no.1 plug fires. Line up the timing marks on the balancer with the pointer and you will be set. Stock is 10deg, some people can run more. I have run 14deg with out much trouble but that was in the winter and on high-test. Your best bet is to set it at 10deg make sure all is well, then you can go up in to deg increments until you get pinging.

Mark89coupe · Apr 17, 2005

I did the at the other day but there was no way of telling where the timing was. It was about 1/2 inch above the pointer. Afetr I put the plug back in it was 1/2 inch below the pointer.
Would a numbered tape work on the balancer? Who sells it?

Papageof · Apr 18, 2005

Well... could be that your timing is way off. Unlikely if the car runs well, or maybe your balencer has slipped. This is somewhat common on older 'stangs. It is a two piece design with an elastomer in between. As they get old, the outer ring can slip on the new one. Another posibility is you used the wrong no.1 plug wire. Number one is on the passenger side.

You can get the timing tape from summit or jegs, but try marking the setting you want on the balancer with white-out or something and then setting it. I do this so I can see the mark easier.

HISSIN50 · Apr 18, 2005

Papa, i had thought of the same thing - it almost sounded like he had a balancer like on some GM's (there is just a slit in the balancer at 0*). i cant remember if stang balancers have slits too. if i did not see numbers on there, i would replace the balancer. that just aint good. LOL.

87gtconv · Apr 18, 2005

I use white out on 10* markings and 14* so I know where I am at at all (most) times.

Mark89coupe · Apr 18, 2005

Ill get a new balancer. Which one is best?
I did have the correct 1 cylinder.

criticman · Apr 18, 2005

Tums work well to mark the timing degrees too.

And no, 14* is not too much.

I found out mid-week that I have been running at 21* thanks to the idiot who set my timing over a year ago when I didn't know how to do it myself. I am guessing he had forgotten to take out the spout connector.

Anyway, back down to 14*...dyno'd on Saturday, put down 216RWPH, 284 lbs/ft torque. The car is running a lot smoother at 14...proving that there is such a thing as having timing too high yet not detonating (how I didn't, I don't know - I even did a half tank of 87 when I was near-broke thinking the guy had set me at 12-14*).

Papageof · Apr 18, 2005

criticman said:
Tums work well to mark the timing degrees too.

And no, 14* is not too much.

I found out mid-week that I have been running at 21* thanks to the idiot who set my timing over a year ago when I didn't know how to do it myself. I am guessing he had forgotten to take out the spout connector.

Anyway, back down to 14*...dyno'd on Saturday, put down 216RWPH, 284 lbs/ft torque. The car is running a lot smoother at 14...proving that there is such a thing as having timing too high yet not detonating (how I didn't, I don't know - I even did a half tank of 87 when I was near-broke thinking the guy had set me at 12-14*).

Yowza, 21* huh? With my luck, my top and bottom ends would be in diffrent states. I wonder if my balancer is off a little too because the car pings some at 12-14* but this may be fuel presure related too. I still don't have a gauge yet. But, if I back it down to about 8* or so the stumble in my idle will go away... along with all my pep. Of course my car is a piece too.

Hissin will correct me if I am wrong but, if your balancer is off kilter your engine should be vibrating a little, or a lot depending on how far out the ring is. If yours doesn't have the hash marks for diffrent deg settings I would seriously think about replacing it. At the minimum you will need timing tape to get it right, unless Hissin knows a trick (he's knows em all) for finding 10-14* that I don't.

Balancers are not expensive if you get a stock replacement. Fluidampers and the like will set you back some bread though.The tape may work for you, but you have to put it on each time you want to check/adjust your timing, I doubt that tape will stay on there too well. You will have to pull the radiator to get it off/on though. They make a puller/installer you can rent for the task so you don't have to buy it. Just don't use a hammer.

HISSIN50 · Apr 18, 2005

Papageof said:
Yowza, 21* huh? With my luck, my top and bottom ends would be in diffrent states. I wonder if my balancer is off a little too because the car pings some at 12-14* but this may be fuel presure related too. I still don't have a gauge yet. But, if I back it down to about 8* or so the stumble in my idle will go away... along with all my pep. Of course my car is a piece too.

Hissin will correct me if I am wrong but, if your balancer is off kilter your engine should be vibrating a little, or a lot depending on how far out the ring is. If yours doesn't have the hash marks for diffrent deg settings I would seriously think about replacing it. At the minimum you will need timing tape to get it right, unless Hissin knows a trick (he's knows em all) for finding 10-14* that I don't.

Balancers are not expensive if you get a stock replacement. Fluidampers and the like will set you back some bread though.The tape may work for you, but you have to put it on each time you want to check/adjust your timing, I doubt that tape will stay on there too well. You will have to pull the radiator to get it off/on though. They make a puller/installer you can rent for the task so you don't have to buy it. Just don't use a hammer.

someone is giving me wayyyyy too much credit.

you are right on - torsional vibration can go up if the outer ring is slipping. if it slips a little, it wont necessarily vibe a lot - the much bigger issue is wondering at what point the outer ring will let go -either shaking the car to death or letting go altogether (they have launched through radiators, etc). not cool!

i think i mentioned earlier that i would not bother even trying to put tape on a balancer with no marks - that just aint right! by the time one got done indexing the crank to apply the tape, i would rather just put a new balancer on (as said, nice street units can be had for 70 bucks or so. good price).

good luck.

Thenemesis · Apr 18, 2005

hell just loosen the distributor.. turn it a bit until it sounds better... and then jump in it and see how she does.. if its not quite right then turn it a bit more.. repeat until right lol

HISSIN50 · Apr 18, 2005

Nemesis, i used to do the same thing, but i would make sure to check before doing that or afterwards, so i knew what relative ball park i was in.

the way you do it is what we all do - but we check the numbers before or after. no magic number is right, so the ultimate test is listening for detonation and adjusting accordingly. if you told me i could only use a light or only listen, i would take listening.

Thenemesis · Apr 18, 2005

well im used to my dads ol hotrod theories.. lol we put HEI in my buddys gto sunday and we stuck it in and started it up.. moved it a bit and thats all we did.. lol I havent had the chance to time a EFI 5.0 before so i guess i will take trhat in to mind

How do i adjust the timing?

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