I "fixed" my ignition problem by moving the CAS rotor 90 degrees from where it should be. Car runs great now but I can't get the timing set to specs because the pulley timing marks are nowhere near the pointer. I'm really puzzled about what is going on here. This is a '88 rebuilt n/a. Plug wires are all correct. Help!!

 

rotate the pulley back 90*

 

are you sure you are connecting the timing gun to the right plugs ?

 

Timing gun on L1.

 

I'm assuming the rotors can only be installed one way in relation to the e-shaft, so the key at the front end of the shaft is always at the same location at TDC for any 13B engine.

Were the pulleys or hubs made differently for different years?

 

I'm using the old pulley on a new hub. I guess I'll try to find tdc via the second rotor's plug holes, which will narrow the problem down to the pully/hub (I think).

 

Is this a recent rebuild??? Curious, because I have a answer if it is. On one engine I installed the timing gear with the champer in the wrong direction, and it resulted in me not being to set the timing right, until I gutted the slot on the cas so it could rotate more. At least thats what I blamed it on. Flat would not time right no matter how many times I stabbed it.

Also, when you stab the cas after aligning the marks on the bottom of the cas.....are you taking the top black cover off the cas, mentaly making a note of the position of the moving teeth to a fixed point on the cas housing, and when the cas is stabbed, making sure those marks are now aligned???

The pulley bolts should only allow the pulley to be installed one way. The pattern is not concentric(??). But, force could have overcome that feature, if you know what I mean.

 

It's a recent rebuild. I checked for real tdc, and the pulley is about 90 degress off, i.e. I'd have to relocate the pulley clockwise for the pointer to line up. As it is, it runs fine, the CAS bolt is pretty much all the way to the left side of the slot.

I don't recall anything unusual when I put the thing together. I guess I need to take another look.

 

The pullies only go on ONE WAY. Can't rotate them or anything; the holes are not perfectly squared.

Remember, unless the car is idling at EXACTLY 750RPM (which is 0-deg. advance/retard), it'll not line-up with the marks, due to the computer either retarding the timing in idle mode, or advancing it in acceleration mode. If everything's outta whack, you'll have to massage it up/down to exactly 750RPM.
TPS/air-bleed/idle mixture adjustments are crucial to getting a correct timing reading.

 

So I definitely determined that the pulley does not show TDC, because when I see an apex seal through L2, the pulley marks are off to the right (passenger) side of the engine. I'm not eager to pull the hub or even the pulley to find out, but I'm still curious how this can be, since everyone says all hubs and pulleys are the same.