Call me stupid but I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong in trying to time my car. I disconnected the brown connecter for the computer advancement, clipped on #1 spark plug wire, and I get a timming of about 20-30 degrees. I know thats not right. About 25 degrees is where its running best. Is there somthing I'm forgeting to do? I had the same problem when I tryed timming my friends ford. Pretty bad when you can comptly rebuild a engine but can't even time it right.

 

what exactly is the problem? it could be that the engine that you built just has to have that much timing to run right. remember anytime you change something in an engine, ie cam, intake, comp ratio, you will have to tune a little or alot differently. you cant just build an engine and expect to be able to tune it to the stock engines specs.

 

I have only changed the heads, and some little bolt on things including a chip on this engine. I tried timing a stock 95 302 in a truck and and had the same problem where timing was up in the 20's and the suggest timing was agound 9 or something. I didn't think the timing was supose get that high unless you got a lot of serious mods done.

 

If your car is computer controlled, it will alway adjust to original setting, unless you had it reprogrammed..... whenever your changing something; ie: heads, cam, injectors, etc... the program must reflect that modification... if not then it wont run to full potental... You can check with PCMFORLESS.com and ask their advise....

93Z Will

 

What is this brown connector you are disconnecting and where is it? AFAIK, it is a black weatherpak connector and the wire is a tan/black wire.

Are you sure you got the right plug?

Are you sure the timing tape is in the right spot?

Are you sure your light is good?

Are you sure your harmonic balancer is not slipping?

Simple questions but just had to be sure.

If it is the base timing, nothing the PCM does should change that. Sound like you need a new chip. I highly recommend www.fasterproms.com as they are truely custom. The chip is burn to your specs. You install it and run it and take engine readings with the Diacom software. Send readings back and they will reburn. Do it all again and you will have a custom chip like mine. Feel free to ask me any question about their service. It is $500 for the first time they make a satisfactory one. Later on, if you want to change it, they charge $150 for each set of stuff like this that you want them to do.

 

The wire is the wire buy the coil that is brown (with a white stripe I think) And the tach dosen't work after disconnecting it. I pretty damn sure the number one spak plug wire is the driver side forward. I'm not sure how the harmonic balancer could slip, but I'm sure that's not it since it's the same problem on every 80+ car I've looked at. Thank you for questions though. I hope you can tell me what I' doing wrong.

 

DING! DING! DING! We have a winner. That is where the problem is. That is not what you do. The wire I am refering to sits between your strut tower (pass side) and the blower fan (firewall) and it is all by itself. Your tach should not drop to 0. What it sounds like you are doing is disconnecting the tach signal wire which does nothing as far as what you want it to do.

On the 302, it is a SPOUT connector which is a harness coming off the distributor that ends with a piece of plastic.

 

I have to go try that out. Thanks.