Timing my 7.3

[Hank93]

Hello everyone,
New here and could use some help. I just installed a r and d rd2-hnpa pump and a full set of injectors from typ4. Getting the truck ready for our next jump. My wife and I live in a 5th wheel full time and are moving with our 3 kids from tonasket,wa to spokane,wa. We just made our first big jump from seattle to here. Now it looks like i need to time my pump. Since the install most everything seems to have gone well. It runs and drives but the warm idle is sitting just below 1000rpm's. I have tried making a couple small adjustments to the timing without a meter but the idle seems to stay the same. Looking to rent a meter from someone if possible. Any help would be greatly appreciated by me and my family.

 

[Minty Ferd]

Have you tried backing off the screw that sets the idle? My idle used to be 1000 because PO had cranked it up. Also you can just time it by ear if you are so inclined. Make a mark where it sits now just in case you make it worse then it is now. I've used a small chisel to get a nice thin straight line on both parts.

 

[Hank93]

The build sheet from justin says the idle was set to 750 is there a possibility it got moved during shipping or something?

 

[IDIBRONCO]

There's a possibility that the fast idle solenoid mounting bracket is pivoted too far toward the rear and that's holding your idle speed up. You can time your pump by ear all you want, but you'll never know where it's at. The ONLY way to get the timing accurate is to use a meter.

 

[Hank93]

When i first started out the fast idle actually had about a 3/8 gap from the throttle arm. I would love to rent a meter from someone. It seems close to impossible to source one to buy and expensive. I understand i am very new here and that whoever on here would probably be hesitant to rent to me because of this but im not sure what to do.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

There's been several members who've bought new meters on Ebay for around $200. You can adjust the rod/plunger that sticks out of the fast idle solenoid without moving the whole thing. The end of the rod is a hex shape that you can use a 1/4" open end wrench on. The bottom part that you can't see is threaded. Another place to look is your throttle cable. If it's not routed correctly or has tension on it for some other reason, that may hold the idle speed up too.

 

[Hank93]

I was able to adjust the idle to bring it down to about 800rpm. Ive looked all over ebay it seems that currently there is nothing out there. I am in the laborers union and we are moving to spokane for work since there is almost nothing where we currently are. Is there anyone here that would be willing to rent a meter to me?

 

[Jesus Freak]

Look up "time tech 3300". There's a thread that's not too old about timing these trucks.

 

[Hank93]

So i did find this one on ebay does this look right ?

DTI Tech-Time 3300-S Engine Timing Tachometer + Magnetic Probe + 1/4" Transducer | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for DTI Tech-Time 3300-S Engine Timing Tachometer + Magnetic Probe + 1/4" Transducer at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[IDIBRONCO]

That's the one, but the price sure did go up A LOT. Try looking for the same thing from other sellers. Maybe you'll find it cheaper.

 

[Jesus Freak]

That's about what they're going for.

 

[StephenZ]

So i did find this one on ebay does this look right ?

DTI Tech-Time 3300-S Engine Timing Tachometer + Magnetic Probe + 1/4" Transducer | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for DTI Tech-Time 3300-S Engine Timing Tachometer + Magnetic Probe + 1/4" Transducer at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

That’s the one I have. I got it for around $170 I think. But it’s pretty good and accurate. Just military surplus. You probably could look up the NSN and find it somewhere cheaper. But honestly it’s worth it to have it. I’m building a 2nd 7.3 IDI. Built a 6.9 back in October 2021, and have used it on all 3 engines and timed them damn near perfectly in my opinion.

Also I don’t really know how accurate your rpm gauge is, but according to this meter I can bring my engine idle down to about 590/620 rpm. I set my idle at around 680-720 on all 3 IDIs that I have built over these last few months. It really is a time saver, and you get your moneys worth out of it in my opinion.

 

[Hank93]

Ok guys, i just orderd it. Its supposed to get here the 9th through the 14th. When it gets here i could sure use some help using it. As well i really really appreciate everyone's advise. With my new lifestyle of living on the road i have a feeling that all of you here will be exponentially helpful to me and my family. I am extremely greatful that this community exists. I love my truck and look forward to keeping it on the road and pulling my home for many years to come. Thank you all for your help.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

We're here to help. We also hope you stick around for many years to come.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

That's about what they're going for.

Gotta love Bidenflation! They were going for around $200 a few months back.