what gap/timing should i use?

M

manxk

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Sep 9, 2004

#1

• Sep 9, 2004

• #1

i'm gonna go get all this done tonight.. (buying new spark plugs and some other crap)

few mods are

msd ignition
xpipe exhaust
8.5mm wires
UD pulleys
3.73 gears

just wondering what i should set my timing at (93oct), also what gap to use on the spark plugs (and which type to buy) - car is a 95gt 5.0 5speed.

thanks all..

 

D

Daggar

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#2

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• #2

If you insist on running 93 on an otherwise stock Mustang then set the timing waaaaaaaay advance then back it off till the pinging goes away. You could probably start in the 16* neighborhood. A better reccomendation would be to gap your plugs between .05 and .045, set your timing at around 14* and run 89 octane. If it pings then back it off till it stops. You're throwing money out the window running 93 gas. It does not burn as hot or completely as lower octane gas and will not provide you a performance advantage greater than what you will gain by running a lower octane gas.

 

M

manxk

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so are you saying there would be no difference between 87 and 93? in every car i've had one fill-up from 87 to 93 always showed to run better. Not talking sport cars either..

i also left out a few smaller mods (intake and crap like that)

 

D

Daggar

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#4

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• #4

There's is certainly a difference between 87 and 93 octane. What I'm saying is that your current motor is not configured (compression ratio is not high enough) for you to require 93 octane gas. The higher the octane the harder it is to ignite and burn. If you were running a blower, or nitrous, or 11:1 compression then yeah... you gotta run 93 octane (at least). With a stock stang... you're losing performance and paying money to do it too. You're one of the thousands of folks who's mistakenly under the impression that higher octane gas will make your car run better. That is false.

 

M

manxk

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so i should just stick with 87/89? try maybe 14* timing?

i just want the full potential..

also, any decent plugs these cars seem to like? You gotta remember (though i havent told anyone ) before this i drove nothing but 3000gts/stealths, so i'm pretty used to filling up with 93 and everything that comes along with it.

 

D

Daggar

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Well if you're not opposed to playing with it for a couple tanks of gas to determine which runs best then try this:

Fill up with 87 and set your timing to 14*. If it pings knock down the timing a little till it stops then reset your trip meter and drive like you usually would. Do the same with the 89 Octane. Don't bother with the 93. i consider that a waste of time. Best mileage and seat of the pants wins. My 86 GT liked the 89 octane best but keep in mind that the compression ratio on the 86 is a tad higher that other stock 302s.

As for your spark plugs. Autolite Coppers work the best in our cars. I understand that the race version of the stock autolite for your car comes unshrouded out of the box. Lots of folks here seem to swear by them. I've always run just the regular ole vanilla version and indexed them.

 

M

manxk

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#7

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• #7

Daggar said:

Well if you're not opposed to playing with it for a couple tanks of gas to determine which runs best then try this:

Fill up with 87 and set your timing to 14*. If it pings knock down the timing a little till it stops then reset your trip meter and drive like you usually would. Do the same with the 89 Octane. Don't bother with the 93. i consider that a waste of time. Best mileage and seat of the pants wins. My 86 GT liked the 89 octane best but keep in mind that the compression ratio on the 86 is a tad higher that other stock 302s.

As for your spark plugs. Autolite Coppers work the best in our cars. I understand that the race version of the stock autolite for your car comes unshrouded out of the box. Lots of folks here seem to swear by them. I've always run just the regular ole vanilla version and indexed them.

Click to expand...

that's cool, i used nothing but coppers in both my stealth/3000gt.

ok, and last stupid question (sorry, never messed with timing before) - is this something i can do myself ( i'm decently skilled at this stuff) or should i just go ahead and have someone who already knows what they're doing do it?

 

D

Daggar

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manxk said:

that's cool, i used nothing but coppers in both my stealth/3000gt.

ok, and last stupid question (sorry, never messed with timing before) - is this something i can do myself ( i'm decently skilled at this stuff) or should i just go ahead and have someone who already knows what they're doing do it?

Click to expand...

It's not tough at all. You'll need a timing light that allows you to adjust the advance or retard (this type takes the guess work out and makes it easy). Disconnect the single wire plug that runs to the snout connector on the distributor. Loosen the half inch bolt on the dist and start the car. Set your timing to the desired * then tighten the bold back down and reconnect the plug. Have I forgotten anything? If you don't already have one, then get yourself a Hanes or Chilton manual from your local parts store. It's good for allot more than just telling you how to set your timing. It's a piece of cake.

 

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Scorcher2005

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Sep 9, 2004

#9

• Sep 9, 2004

• #9

u forgot to add that you need to mark the timing marks so they will be seen. White out and yellow/white/pink/orange paint marker work well.

 

D

Daggar

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Scorcher2005 said:

u forgot to add that you need to mark the timing marks so they will be seen. White out and yellow/white/pink/orange paint marker work well.

Click to expand...

good call!

 

M

manxk

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#11

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sounds good

 

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Scorcher2005

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#12

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• #12

I've actually never done it myself. I plan on ordering a new cap/rotor/plugs soon and will do it then. By the single wire connector, what do you mean? I see there is a plug in the front right under the cap but that has like 5 ir so wires in it. And when you point your timing light at the crank pulley, where do you aim it at? It doesnt look like much access to it. What i can see though is a little bracket witha hole in it - am i supposed to aim it there? And whats the reason of pulling out the module/plug thing?

 

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Scorcher2005

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#13

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anyone?

 

D

Daggar

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#14

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Just point your light at the balancer. It will be obvious where the timing mark on the balancer is at that point. Then just align with the flat spot facing the eyelet and that will be your present timing. With an adjustable gun you can set it to your desired timing setting then just rotate the dist until the line on the balancer lines up with flat portion of the indicator.

 

S

Scorcher2005

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no adjustable gun here - it just flashes every time it senses the spark. So your saying just look through the little hole in the "bracket" (a metal piece on top of the crank pulley on the left)? Also, what is the connector im supposed to take off the dist.?

 

S

Scorcher2005

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Sep 10, 2004

#16

• Sep 10, 2004

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anyone? O yeah, and to index the spark plugs, the point is to make sure the shroud is facing towards the headers, right?

 

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Scorcher2005

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Sep 11, 2004

#17

• Sep 11, 2004

• #17

???

 

HISSIN50

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#18

• Sep 11, 2004

• #18

there are more than a few folks whom have had similar observations about higher octane than 87 making an otherwise stock motor run well. remember, many things on these motors are not factory spec anymore. simply having a lot of carbon build up in the chambers can raise the compression tangibly (let alone preignition issues from carbon pretending to be a spark plug).

while i run 87 and tune around it, there are those (including some folks in here whom i respect a good deal) whom have said that 89 was necessary to run decently (let alone all the grades of gas across the country and how it is blended, etc). im just saying that there are rules of thumb, but no absolute answer.

if you worked on the Mitsu, a stang should be cake. good luck.