Do I Have the Vehicle in Gear to Set the Timing

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The car's timing refers to the ignition and the process past which the spark plugs fire, creating a spark in the car's combustion bedroom. Your timing must be at the correct setting for your automobile to perform at top level, affecting the speed and efficiency at which the engine fires. Y'all can suit your car's timing with a timing light and a set of wrenches, tools available at whatsoever motorcar parts store.

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Learn if your auto needs to be adapted or non. Modern cars that are controlled by electronic ignitions don't need to have their timing adjusted, just quondam-style iv-stroke engines require that the timing be adjusted periodically to optimize the efficiency of the engine, making sure that the spark fires at the appropriate moment in the ignition cycle.^[i]
- If you hear telltale signs of the timing of your machine non being quite correct, such equally pinging, backfiring, or if the car runs too rich or too lean, you will need to either have it to a mechanic or suit the timing yourself.
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Understand the ignition cycle. The four "strokes" in the 4-cycle engine refer to the procedure of intake, pinch, power, and exhaust. The timing of the ignition refers to the point between the compression and the power strokes at which the spark plug fires, creating the combustion that results in your horsepower, forcing the piston downward into the cylinder.^[two]
- When the piston comes up during the compression stroke, just before the piston gets to the pinnacle of its compression stroke (which is called "meridian expressionless eye"), the spark plug should burn. Over time, this tends to get misaligned somewhat, resulting in a less-than-optimum spark plug firing time. The distance earlier the "tiptop dead" eye is the ignition timing, and it's represented past a row of graded numbers on the balancer or flywheel through an admission hole.^[3]
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Learn the ignition timing number. Look for the ruler-fashion row of numbers on the front of the engine's harmonic balancer (or flywheel), which should have numbers in a higher place and beneath zero. Typically, when your car comes from the manufacturer, ignition base idle timing is set to a industry specification before top dead center. The timing advances as the engine's speed accelerates, however, resulting in a variable that volition need to be periodically adjusted using a timing light.
- Numbers to the left of zero on the timing tape refer to the piston as it travels down, while numbers to the right of naught refer to the piston's upward motion. Moving the wheel right is chosen "advancing" the timing, while moving the cycle left is "moving back" the timing.
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Hook up your timing light or timing gun. Claw your timing gun up to the power and basis terminals on your car's battery, and hook the sensor that accompanies the timing gun to your number one cylinder spark plug wire. Follow the instructions detail to the timing light yous're using to hook it up properly.
- The "gun" works by illuminating the timing marks in a strobe fashion as it spins, allowing y'all to see the indicate at which the spark plug is firing on the timing index. When the spark plug fires, the sensor sends a signal to the light, which strobes in the gun, illuminating the numbers at the proper moment.
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Accept a helper rev the engine. To bank check your timing number and see how it is firing, have someone rev the engine while you illuminate the timing numbers with your low-cal. You obviously want to make sure the automobile is in neutral, and proceed your hands a safe distance from the engine as it revs.^[4]
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Smooth the light directly onto the harmonic balancer and notice the number. Though the wheel is turning, the light should seem to "freeze" it at a detail number. This is the timing number. Note the number of degrees to the correct or left of zip.
- Equally the RPMs increase, the bespeak at which the spark plug is firing should also increase somewhat. This is normal, because ignition works on a curve, allowing for the speed increase and adjusting the timing accordingly.
- To bank check for full timing, you lot want to be sure to rev the engine to at least 3500 RPMs. This will allow y'all to brand sure the curve of the ignition timing is being set, as well equally the initial timing.
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Account for vacuum timing, if necessary. If your auto features vacuum timing advance in addition to mechanical timing, and you'll need to loosen the benefactor adjustment bolt before you start the engine. Adjacent, remove the vacuum advance hose from the carburetor and plug it with a rag to check your timing.^[v]
- Vacuum timing works past making small adjustments at at low RPM by rotating slightly to adjust for the timing.
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Adjust the timing, if necessary. Now that you've found your ignition timing number, how do you know if you demand to conform it? All models of cars will have differing timing values, depending on the twelvemonth it was manufactured and the diverseness of transmission used. To larn whether or not y'all need to adjust your timing, detect the optimum timing number for your make and model and adjust if necessary.
- If y'all don't know your timing number, talk to a licensed mechanic or employee at your local auto parts store to consult their manuals and find the proper timing number.
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Loosen the bolt that secures the engine's distributor enough so that the benefactor can be turned. To arrange your timing, all you need to do is plow the distributor housing one direction or the other, depending on whether or not yous desire to advance or motility dorsum the timing.^[6]
- If the rotor turns clockwise, yous'll advance the timing by rotating the distributor counterclockwise, and vice versa. It'll accept some impact to become it right, then it helps to have someone to rev the engine, check the number, and twist the distributor.
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Adjust while the engine is at idle speed. Grab the distributor firmly and rotate it slowly to i side or the other. Continue rotating until the timing mark is in the right position. Marshal the timing marks past standing to move the distributor and checking with your timing lite. When you've got it gear up where you want it, lock it dorsum down past tightening the benefactor bolts.^[7] Reconnect vacuum hoses.
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When in doubt, full timing should be somewhere between 34 and 36 degrees. A typical small-block Chevy'southward timing curve needs to exist set somewhere in this range for maximum performance, when the engine is existence revved at 3500 RPM. At this point, the timing should terminate advancing and should remain steady.^[8]
- Full timing minus your base timing number should meet your engine specification for full accelerate degrees. If the number is not as specified then you lot may take a distributor mechanical advance trouble.
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Tighten the distributor commodities when you are satisfied the timing is set correctly.

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Clean the timing mark index on the harmonic balancer and mark the elevation dead center mark with a white or yellow paint marker to make information technology easier to view.
Information technology is always a good idea to make clean your car's parts after y'all remove them and cheque for wear before reinstalling them.
Remember that you are working under the hood of your car with the engine both off and on. Exist sure to have the necessary safety precautions such as wearing close-toed shoes and gloves and not wearing loose clothing that could get caught in a moving part nether the hood of your motorcar.

The distributor is handling high ignition voltage. A damaged benefactor or worn spark plug wires tin can deliver a painful daze when handling it with the engine running.
Be sure to allow your car's engine to cool before commencement any piece of work on removing parts that might exist hot.

Things You'll Need

Owner's manual for your vehicle
Set of socket wrenches
Timing light
Safety glasses
Gloves, close-toed shoes
Lubricant or degreaser (optional)
Paper towels or shop rags

About This Article

Article Summary X

To conform timing, start past finding the optimum timing number for the make and model of your vehicle, which you tin notice online or by request someone at your local auto parts shop. Then, use a timing light or timing gun to check your vehicle's current timing number to meet whether or not it needs to be adjusted. If it does, loosen the bolt that secures your engine'south distributor then you're able to rotate it. One time that'due south loose, just rotate the distributor until the timing marker is in the right position and and so re-tighten the bolt. To learn how to use a timing light or timing gun, scroll down!

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