Timing 101

[Makdaddymac]

hey all,
my uncle just drove my car and he agrees with me when i say my car seems extremely weak for is mods...this car at worse has 240whp! and at best 280whp which is either way is more than stocker. So we played with the timing no timing light in hand<flame suit on> and then the car felt to rev way harder. but it would not start up? too advanced if im correct?
i know the timing is not right on this car since i did the heads, my balancer markings were almost off and i put what i thought was the right notches back on it. anyways the car seems to do way better with the timing advanced, and i hear you guys running all sorts of timing advanced some retard for more top end? but i want the safest timing to feel the car blow the tires off(bottom end). something is wrong, or maybe i just got use to what a fast car feels like and the 5.0 just aint cutting it.
im sure its just a timing or maybe a tb cable isnt opening the plate all the way? clutch is disengaging properly? not enough backpressure,it just doesnt seem to want to blow off the line,chirp gears etc etc, the 95gt with aod i had for like a week felt way more torque down low?

 

[mavmavv]

Well, before you do anything else, go get a 20 dollar timing light and set it to the factory 10* of timing and advance from there.

Its rediculously hard to listen to an EFI engine and time it like you can a carbed car. Id say its impossible, but im sure someone here can.

 

[Makdaddymac]

ok, i have a timing light but i dont knowhow to use it with the marking on my balncer. i have to white lines one is closer to the ground and one is closer to the pointer tthing, i put the light for 14degrees and the pointer thing is lined up with the top white mark? but i dont think thats right. dont i have to start at a 10* spot and like ad 4 notches if i want 14degrees not just line up the white marks?
http://forums.mightymustangs.net/index.php?showtopic=239
according to this^
when turning counter clock my car gets weak and idles poorly and doesnt rev right? so my advancing must be too much or something????!??!?!?!?

 

[lickem]

youll need to find out what those white marks represent, i bought my balancer used off ebay and there were 3 white marks on it that the previous owner put on it, one is top dead center (0) the other is 10 and the 3rd is 14 i believe. if your white mark is for 20 degrees then obviously its not doing you any good

when you check or adjust your timing make sure you remove the spout connector at the distributor and of course make sure that you hook the timing light to the #1 wire.

the dial on the back of the timing light is to make it easier to adjust to that perticular degree since its obviously easier to see something in your hand then it is all the way down on the balancer, if you want your timing at 14 degrees then put the dial on the back of the timing light to 14 and when 0 is alighned with the timing pointer then your are golden.

if you want to do it reversed then make sure the dial on the back of the timing light is at 0 and then when the balancer is at 14 at the timing pointer then your good.

 

[RYC CUKR]

exactly what lickem said.

If you want to use the dial on the back of the gun then turn it to 14. shoot the balancer and align the 0 mark with the pointer. This will set you at 14* of timing. If you want a different degree of time just adjust the dial, shoot the balancer and light the 0 mark up the pointer.

If you want to line the 14* mark up with pointer. Set the dial on the back of the gun to 0 and adjust the dizzy until the 14* mark lines up with the pointer.

Personally I use the advance dial on the back of the gun. Just makes it easier. You only have one mark on the balancer at 0 that you have to worry about. Not 3 different white marks at different degrees.

If you do need to do something to see the degree measurements on the balancer better here is what I do. I use some of the neon sidewalk chalk and rub it on the balancer where the timing graduations are. It reflects real nice with the timing light and isn't permanent so you don't have to guess which line is 10* and which is 14* a year down the road.

Hope this helps. If you really get stuck hit me up. I'm local and could swing by and give you a hand if ya need one.

 

[ryan218]

set it at 14* run 93.

 

[Strype]

Did you remove the spout?

 

[RYC CUKR]

Forgot to mention that. whoops

 

[Strype]

I know I was timing my car Sunday and WHT306 was like, "Did you remove the spout?" and I just smiled and told him he passed the test.