Wow never have I seen the such rudeness on here. I was only trying to help and contribute. You don't have to agree with me but for the next 6 post to be about how wrong you think I am is quite unnecessary.
From You to start with!!! You said in another thread that that most shops don't have the equipment to time our trucks and that Ford dealers don't even carry the equipment anymore since 2002 and they admit that timing by ear is what you will get from them. Several others have said that taking you truck to local shops to be timed is a bad idea. The shops around me will time it by ear for you too I asked a few years back. Several didn't even know there was a timing meter for our trucks. So in reality probably 80-90% of the trucks out there on the road are getting timed by ear because most shops don't have the equipment to do it and believed that timing by ear is how it's done. Unless somebody is timing thousands of trucks a day somewhere.
Sorry didn't mean to include you in the us category but the majority of the owners don't even visit this site. They just take there truck to their local mechanic and let him tell them what's right.
Lets see "threads I'm referring to" are all over the place!!! Maybe you guys should read a few. Where do you think I got the idea from in the first place. Every other timing thread on here mentions timing by ear or how the motor sounds and acts as you bump it up or down.
Pay attention to the thread. Gary hadn't said anything about renting timing meter yet when I posted my comment and you might be on a first name basis but I don't know him.
I had heard of the timing meter rental program but it has been while and couldn't remember who did it much less if i read it here, at ford-trucks or the diesel stop or so I was not going to be able to help him there. Just because its common knowledge to you guys who are on here all the time doesn't mean the rest of us know it.
Sounds to me like you need the shovel more and should pass it around.
No its not HOWEVER!!! You admit to writing countless walk throughts on how to do exactly what I suggested and yet you put me down for just saying its a possibility and that he should read up on it. I didn't even offer advise on how to do it. Just that it was possibility and he should read up on timing threads where he would have probably come across the timing rental program anyways. He might not have the time to wait or money and its his choice and his truck in the end and he should have all the options out there not just what you think is right for him.
No just for giving advise you don't agree with even though this forum is full of advise on how to time it by ear. I also noticed that nobody else was criticized for mentioning it in there posts.
You didn't here me say it either. Just you could do it and that a lot of people have done it and he should read up on it.
Apparently you don't know as much as you think
Originally Posted by Wyreth View Post above
I know I have written countless walkthroughs on how to time one of these engines by ear...
Here's some quotes from threads that mention timing by ear:
Mel Agne tech article on Servicing Ford 6.9/7.3 idi Diesel fuel system here on Oilburners
"I consider myself to do very well timing by ear"
http://www.oilburners.net/brian/idi/FuelInjectionServicing.htm
Oldbull8 here on Oilburners said
You can try to time by ear, but it's always best to have a timing device like a Ferrett and a good digital timing light.
Agnem on Oilburners
My ear is really experienced, as are others. I find the ear tends to get it within 2 degrees
Diesel JD Oilburners
You want to listen for a distinct diesel clatter, but not real loud and harsh like a Cummins. It should have a good big truck sound, no knocking or bad noises. It should not smoke at idle. It should black smoke just a bit under hard accleration or climbing a hill, not any other time. If you don't have excessive smoke or abnormally harsh operating noise you're probably ok.
Rdsl
Advance is toward the passenger side. No more than a dimes width at a time. If it starts knocking especially on cold start you have gone too far.
gonecrazyi oilburners
I know a few guys that were mechanics at ford, I asked them how they timed these motors and have been told several times that they did it by ear
Diesel JD Oilburners differnent thread
I don't like timing by ear. It's trial and error
cdnsarguy on thedieselstop.com
Some of us set the timing by "ear". This comes from some experimentation and experience. I like mine so that when the engine is cold, as the cold advance is on, the engine rattles pretty loud, but once the cold advance drops off, then the rattle smooths out and the engine is much more quiet.
Kevin 007 here in oilburners
If you are going to time it by ear, the pump should be set in a spot that allows the motor to start instantly when hot.