OK I know I am not the smartest guy in the world. HGow the heck do I set the lead timing and the trail timing. I used a timing light and it didn't seem to help when I tweaked the rotor. any help would be great...

 

Tweaked the rotor?


There are various write ups. Plus if you're at this level of the learning curve, go get a haynes repair manual for the car.

You need to put the timing light on the leading plug of the front rotor. Adjust per the color (red or yellow) based on the emissions sticker you have on the hood. Loosen the distributor bolt on the base where the slotted hole is. Turn the dizzy until the timing marks line up and tighten the bolt down.

To set trailing, you need to loosing one of the vacuum pods and slide it in or out. Hook the timing light up to the trailing plug on the front rotor.

Trailing and Leading plugs are labled by a L or T on the rotor housing.

 

when checking leading you clamp on to the lower front spark plug wire and thats the one that will be affected by turning your dizzy. the trailing is the front top wire and that is adjusted by the vac diaphragm thats closest to you on the dizzy. just loosen the screws and slide it to adjust.

 

Since we're talking about timing, is there any way to tell which coil (Assuming neither is wired to the distributor) is leading and trailing?

 

Both coils are physically the same.

I forget which ignitor is for leading/trailing but you'd have to follow the wires.

 

after following the wires how would I tell? I'm almost certain mine are wired backwards since i can unplug the leading coil and there is no difference, but if i unplug trailing, it tries to die.

 

does your car idle/run strangely with both hooked up? idk try swapping them?

 

It kind of...lopes. it bounces from 900 to about 1100. i tried switching them and i didn't hear a difference, but i guess i should swap them again and then pull one of the leading plugs and see if it tries to die. that would mean it's correct, wouldn't it?

 

Ignitor on the front of the distributor is leading. In stock configuration rear coil is leading but, as mentioned, it doesn't matter. What matters are the wires on the negative coil terminal. Yellow/blue wire goes to negative terminal on leading coil. Yellow/green goes to negative terminal of trailing coil. Black white wires go to the positive terminals on the coils. Doesn't matter which.

 

that's what i wanted to hear, thanks. I'll go investigate.

 

OK I will give it a shot. I have the Haynes Manual and even downloaded and printed the service and shop manual for it. I appreciate all the help and advice. I will keep you posted and on my X-mas card list...lol.

 

Figured I'd post it here instead of starting a new thread. I can not see my timing marks on the pully. Are they grooves with paint or just painted lines?

 

Should be two small notches about 1/2 inch apart. Probably no factory paint left. I dab a little white paint on them to make them easier to see.

 

theyre only a half inch apart?.... that explains why mine was so far advanced. cant really see my marks too well either.

 

I'll have to get down there and find them and mark em'

after reading a bit on how to time these cars, i'm guessing i set trailing to one and leading to the other, eh?