Timing issues
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 35
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From: Ohio
Timing issues
Hey guys, if I could get some advice that would be amazing I know there are a bunch of threads on ignition timing but many of them are pretty confusing to me so I’ll just start with I have a 79 bridge port motor with a 48 ida 83 body 83 distributor I have newer BR8EQ14 plugs that have only been ran a couple times so, they should be good, I have a hard time trying to get my motor to start most of the time it will just crank so I figured I should set the timing correctly and maybe that will help. So I only have 1 blue mark on my pully which i assume is TDC I don’t have the red or the yellow markings on it possibly because the motor is a 79? Anyway so I adjusts that balancer to about 22-24 degrees as going with the racing beat recommendation of 24l and 5t btc I lined up the notch with the dimple on the distributor and when I put the rotor on it lines up with L1 on the distributor cap I drop it in put everything back on tighten the bolt so I can still move it once it gets running! and when I try to start it it cranks normally for a about 5 seconds then it starts to pop and it will crank slower for a second speed up and pop? I would like to try and get it started so I can use a timing light and get everything set correctly but im just so lost am I doing something wrong? Any advice I can get I’ll take sorry for the lengthy post just needing some help
You need to ignore the pulley mark as it may not be TDC depending on how it was put together. You should manaully find TDC. Theres some threads on doing that on here.
This happened to me and i had mistakenly installed the pulley 180 degrees out of rotation. Spent 3 weeks messing with it with no results until i finally decided to set the timing based on the actual engine and not what the pulley was saying. Like TG said, there are a bunch of threads on this. I used the flywheel trick and took a spark plug out to make sure that my chamber was at TDC or as close to tdc as possible. It does not have to be exact to just check if your front pulley is correctly installed.
https://www.rx7club.com/1st-gen-arch...timing-525909/
https://www.rx7club.com/1st-gen-arch...timing-525909/
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
From: Ohio
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
From: Ohio
This happened to me and i had mistakenly installed the pulley 180 degrees out of rotation. Spent 3 weeks messing with it with no results until i finally decided to set the timing based on the actual engine and not what the pulley was saying. Like TG said, there are a bunch of threads on this. I used the flywheel trick and took a spark plug out to make sure that my chamber was at TDC or as close to tdc as possible. It does not have to be exact to just check if your front pulley is correctly installed.
https://www.rx7club.com/1st-gen-arch...timing-525909/
https://www.rx7club.com/1st-gen-arch...timing-525909/
Let me add to KCREPUs thought:
The mark is actually a small (!) notch in the BACK side of the pulley rim. That is the pulley's TDC mark. As to mounting the pulley in the correct position, my 1980 had a PIN/Peg on the pulley mount (on the motor) that would only allow my pulley to mount ONE way, by matching up the corresponding hole in the pulley....
Stu Aull
80GS
AZ
The mark is actually a small (!) notch in the BACK side of the pulley rim. That is the pulley's TDC mark. As to mounting the pulley in the correct position, my 1980 had a PIN/Peg on the pulley mount (on the motor) that would only allow my pulley to mount ONE way, by matching up the corresponding hole in the pulley....
Stu Aull
80GS
AZ
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Also just to make sure, there is a standard procedure for installing ("stabbing") the distributor.
The dist. gets installed with the engine set to TDC ad the dimple lined up on the dist. gear. The dist. does not get installed with the engine set to the timing you want...!
Set engine to TDC (flywheel method, etc) and then stab in the distributor. You will see that it all lines up if you install it correctly, I think the L1 pickup will be perfectly aligned with one notch of the reluctor.
Reading you post you made it sound like maybe you were trying to time your engine by stabbing the distributor with the engine set to the timing you want. it will be way off.
The proper method sets 0deg L timing (static). You then twist the distributor to achieve your total advance.
The dist. gets installed with the engine set to TDC ad the dimple lined up on the dist. gear. The dist. does not get installed with the engine set to the timing you want...!
Set engine to TDC (flywheel method, etc) and then stab in the distributor. You will see that it all lines up if you install it correctly, I think the L1 pickup will be perfectly aligned with one notch of the reluctor.
Reading you post you made it sound like maybe you were trying to time your engine by stabbing the distributor with the engine set to the timing you want. it will be way off.
The proper method sets 0deg L timing (static). You then twist the distributor to achieve your total advance.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
From: Ohio
Also just to make sure, there is a standard procedure for installing ("stabbing") the distributor.
The dist. gets installed with the engine set to TDC ad the dimple lined up on the dist. gear. The dist. does not get installed with the engine set to the timing you want...!
Set engine to TDC (flywheel method, etc) and then stab in the distributor. You will see that it all lines up if you install it correctly, I think the L1 pickup will be perfectly aligned with one notch of the reluctor.
Reading you post you made it sound like maybe you were trying to time your engine by stabbing the distributor with the engine set to the timing you want. it will be way off.
The proper method sets 0deg L timing (static). You then twist the distributor to achieve your total advance.
The dist. gets installed with the engine set to TDC ad the dimple lined up on the dist. gear. The dist. does not get installed with the engine set to the timing you want...!
Set engine to TDC (flywheel method, etc) and then stab in the distributor. You will see that it all lines up if you install it correctly, I think the L1 pickup will be perfectly aligned with one notch of the reluctor.
Reading you post you made it sound like maybe you were trying to time your engine by stabbing the distributor with the engine set to the timing you want. it will be way off.
The proper method sets 0deg L timing (static). You then twist the distributor to achieve your total advance.
What i did, since the pulley was out i took a piece of tape, marked it with the distance every 5 degrees and then marked about +/- 25 degrees from TDC on the pulley. Makes it easier to adjust timing later with more markings.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
From: Ohio
okay so I found the 2 notches which I will post shortly now my question is what degrees are these set at? I placed it at the first notch and installed the distributor and it the rotor was pointing to L1 so good so far, took a second to start but it started up with no trouble so is that my TDC marking or is that like 5 degrees or something
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
From: Ohio
okay so I found the 2 notches which I will post shortly now my question is what degrees are these set at? I placed it at the first notch and installed the distributor and it the rotor was pointing to L1 so good so far, took a second to start but it started up with no trouble so is that my TDC marking or is that like 5 degrees or something
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