timing without a timing light!!
6th Gear Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 5,956
From: Howard City, MI
RE: timing without a timing light!!
I could imagine when he says he is flat out broke and can't afford it, he means he is flat out broke. Wait till you can get one or borrow one(or let these money bags donate one to ya)
The Rogue Mod
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 21,918
From: Maryland Sucka's!!
RE: timing without a timing light!!
ORIGINAL: hellas85stang
here s 1 for yall..lol what do yall set ya totle timing at..not your initial..but totle....2 diff things..
here s 1 for yall..lol what do yall set ya totle timing at..not your initial..but totle....2 diff things..
6th Gear Member
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 8,439
From:
RE: timing without a timing light!!
Here's another suggestion, get a job. If you can't do that, I'm sure that a shop or autozone would check your timing for free or advance it for you for like 5 or 10 bucks. If still can't afford that, just wait.
4th Gear Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,082
From: texas
RE: timing without a timing light!!
i kow several guys say they can by ear..but timing is initial and totle timing...and every1 i see says that i get a light on it and its like 5-6-7-8 degrees off and thats alot.....besides mostof those shade tree guys dont even knowwhat ittakesto truly time a engine...
4th Gear Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,375
From: Seattle, WA
RE: timing without a timing light!!
For the first 9yrs I owned my GT, I did not own a timing light. Never used one. Set it by ear. It is not that hard to do IF YOU ARE A LITTLE CAUTIOUS.
Don't gun it straight out of the driveway.
Take it easy and run the rpms up slow and in stages.
Run the car up to 2500 or so, and close the throttle (leaving it in gear).
If all seems well (you will know if it isn't) then run the rpms a little higher next time.
ONLY MAKE VERY SMALL CHANGES TO THE DIST ORIENTATION.
MAKE CHANGES WHILE THE CAR IS COMPLETELY WARMED UP / HOT
I suggest marking the initial setting you have before making any adjustments. A white paint pen works well. This way if everything goes haywire, you can turn back to where you are now.
There is another "old school" way.
I am not completely familiar with it, but it involves using a vac gauge at idle.
Maybe someone else knows better?
I don't think this would be appropriate for efi though.
If the car runs fine then you probably don't need to mess with it anyway.
My thoughts on the timing light are this.
It is a great way to set to stock timing. If you are adjusting your timing for power however, you will advance it until you hear the motor complain, then back it off a bit. This is the standard process anyway.
Why do you need to know the timing degrees for that? It is just a useless number without the engine performance to put it in perspective.
I do own a timing light now. The only reason is that I am doing my tuning with a tweecer, and all the EEC-IV timing tables are given in total timing.
My thoughts
jason
Don't gun it straight out of the driveway.
Take it easy and run the rpms up slow and in stages.
Run the car up to 2500 or so, and close the throttle (leaving it in gear).
If all seems well (you will know if it isn't) then run the rpms a little higher next time.
ONLY MAKE VERY SMALL CHANGES TO THE DIST ORIENTATION.
MAKE CHANGES WHILE THE CAR IS COMPLETELY WARMED UP / HOT
I suggest marking the initial setting you have before making any adjustments. A white paint pen works well. This way if everything goes haywire, you can turn back to where you are now.
There is another "old school" way.
I am not completely familiar with it, but it involves using a vac gauge at idle.
Maybe someone else knows better?
I don't think this would be appropriate for efi though.
If the car runs fine then you probably don't need to mess with it anyway.
My thoughts on the timing light are this.
It is a great way to set to stock timing. If you are adjusting your timing for power however, you will advance it until you hear the motor complain, then back it off a bit. This is the standard process anyway.
Why do you need to know the timing degrees for that? It is just a useless number without the engine performance to put it in perspective.
I do own a timing light now. The only reason is that I am doing my tuning with a tweecer, and all the EEC-IV timing tables are given in total timing.
My thoughts
jason
5th Gear Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,645
From: So-Cal
RE: timing without a timing light!!
ORIGINAL: r.barn
timing light cost $39.99 not that expensive. you can come up with $40 right? look in a pawn shop too for one for $20 or something.
you set it to base timing mode by removing the following small plug with car off.
unplugged and in "base timing mode"
you'll need a 1/2" socket, swivel adaptor, and couple long extensions to reach distributor hold down bolt.
loosen it, but dont remove.
you'll probably have to clean off balancer to see marks too, little sandpaper does wonders.
hook up timing light and GENTLY twist distrib., doesnt take much.
make sure you got premium gas in the tank from now on too.
test drive make sure on pinging
timing light cost $39.99 not that expensive. you can come up with $40 right? look in a pawn shop too for one for $20 or something.
you set it to base timing mode by removing the following small plug with car off.
unplugged and in "base timing mode"
you'll need a 1/2" socket, swivel adaptor, and couple long extensions to reach distributor hold down bolt.
loosen it, but dont remove.
you'll probably have to clean off balancer to see marks too, little sandpaper does wonders.
hook up timing light and GENTLY twist distrib., doesnt take much.
make sure you got premium gas in the tank from now on too.
test drive make sure on pinging
ORIGINAL: GTvert_5.0
im a 19 year old college kid that is flat out broke. how do i know if it is set at the base timing? how does the distributor have to be?
im a 19 year old college kid that is flat out broke. how do i know if it is set at the base timing? how does the distributor have to be?
