Rebuilt L98 First Time Start Up EST Question
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2023
Posts: 383
Likes: 124
From: St. Petersburg, FL
Rebuilt L98 First Time Start Up EST Question
I have rebuilt my L98 and it’s in the car and almost back together, it’s an every weekend project that started on Halloween and hope to fire it up in a couple weeks. When I go to fire it up for the first time, should I leave the EST connected or unconnected ? I have a lot of history with SBC and will have the timing “eyeballed” but was wondering how I should go about setting the timing on a brand new engine with EST ?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2023
Posts: 383
Likes: 124
From: St. Petersburg, FL
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 2,256
Likes: 3,084
From: So Cal
2023 C4 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
You can get an electronic distributor within a degree or two. Closer than "by eye".
Once the distributor is installed for correct #1 TDC, install the cap and everything to make it run. Put the balancer marks on where you want to set the timing to. (At this point it doesn't matter if you are on #1 or #6, the marks work for both.) Turn the key to RUN. Twist the distributor cap CCW until you hear the coil fire and the fuel pump run. Turn it CW beyond where it fired, and go CCW again until it fires. Do this a few times to get a feel (literally) where the firing point is. I move it CCW just a smidgen more than the firing point. I'm usually within a degree when I check it with a ligh after its running.
You don't have to disconnect the EST bypass wire for static timing because EST doesn't become active until 400 RPM.
Once the distributor is installed for correct #1 TDC, install the cap and everything to make it run. Put the balancer marks on where you want to set the timing to. (At this point it doesn't matter if you are on #1 or #6, the marks work for both.) Turn the key to RUN. Twist the distributor cap CCW until you hear the coil fire and the fuel pump run. Turn it CW beyond where it fired, and go CCW again until it fires. Do this a few times to get a feel (literally) where the firing point is. I move it CCW just a smidgen more than the firing point. I'm usually within a degree when I check it with a ligh after its running.
You don't have to disconnect the EST bypass wire for static timing because EST doesn't become active until 400 RPM.
