timing varies....
#1
Race Director
Thread Starter
timing varies....
My timimg is set to 8 degrees initial with a digital timimg light. I change the timing light to 36 degrees to check mechanical advance and rev it slowly. The timing mark on the balancer is all over the place in relation to the tab. It will go from very advanced to retarded and back to advanced and all over. Its bouncing all over the place.
Right now I can only think of two things that will cause this:
1. Misfire
2. I'm not steady with the throttle and as the RPM varies the mechanical weights are opening and closing. The only problem with this theory is the timing mark should never cross '0' but it does.
BTW...I set the points with a feeler gauge and my dwell reads 43. I cant get the dwell within range.
Thanks,
Jim
Right now I can only think of two things that will cause this:
1. Misfire
2. I'm not steady with the throttle and as the RPM varies the mechanical weights are opening and closing. The only problem with this theory is the timing mark should never cross '0' but it does.
BTW...I set the points with a feeler gauge and my dwell reads 43. I cant get the dwell within range.
Thanks,
Jim
#3
Race Director
Are you sure that the balancer isn't the cause? For the longest time I thought that my problem was with the distributor but then pulled off the old harmonic damper and found that the rubber had completely rotted away. The outer ring was almost spinning free.
#4
Race Director
Thread Starter
#5
Racer
first make sure that the timing light is only on the #1 plug wire or cap of the distributor and that is not touching any other plug wire or terminal on the cap. If it does it will read from both and it will bounce all over the place.
If that is not the issue then see the other posts so far (i.e. distributor)..
Good luck
Chris
If that is not the issue then see the other posts so far (i.e. distributor)..
Good luck
Chris
#6
Melting Slicks
Make sure the plug wire is good... switch to another wire and see if the flash is steady (of course you can't take a reading like that) if it is you have a bad wire / plug. You may have a bad pickup on the light. After that it becomes mechanical.
#7
Tech Contributor
Member Since: Aug 1999
Location: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
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You gotta' fix this before you try setting the timing. Why can't you get the dwell in range - will the screw not turn..? You have to get 30-31 degrees dwell before ever attempting to set timing.
#8
Race Director
Thread Starter
Lars, when I turn on the meter it reads 45. After grounding it and touching the negative coil post it reads 43-ish. The screw turns (the point gap changes as well, verified with cap off) but the dwell reading doesnt change as I turn it.
#9
Race Director
Thread Starter
first make sure that the timing light is only on the #1 plug wire or cap of the distributor and that is not touching any other plug wire or terminal on the cap. If it does it will read from both and it will bounce all over the place.
If that is not the issue then see the other posts so far (i.e. distributor)..
Good luck
Chris
If that is not the issue then see the other posts so far (i.e. distributor)..
Good luck
Chris
#10
Team Owner
If that doesn't fix your problem, you might suspect the timing light being defective....especially if the engine doesn't sound all that bad. If Timing was jumping around as much as you indicate, it should be running really rough. Borrow a light from a neighbor/friend and see what it shows.
#11
Race Director
Thread Starter
If that doesn't fix your problem, you might suspect the timing light being defective....especially if the engine doesn't sound all that bad. If Timing was jumping around as much as you indicate, it should be running really rough. Borrow a light from a neighbor/friend and see what it shows.
It runs rough. My distributor endplay is .045. Time to order some shims.
#13
Tech Contributor
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Location: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
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Then your meter has an internal; ground and is no good. Set the point gap to .016" when wide open and let it go - this will produce just about 30 degrees of dwell. Once set, re-verify timing since a change in dwell produces an equal change in timing.