Timing

[ironworker40]

I got my new timing meter and light. I had a hard time getting mag probe right. I'm going to try Garry's 3 card trick that I just seen on another thread. I have a hard time keeping rpm steady and the turnbuckle idea I saw on u tube wont work with my turbo in the way. I was thinking or a longer idle screw, But that would be a hassle. I'm going to try a wooden wedge between the fast idle solenoid and throttle lever. This is my first time timing an idi with a meter.
How steady does the rpm have to be? I was getting erratic readings from 9.4-10 The meter and light is brand new so I assume its good.

 

[icanfixall]

What cylinder are you using to time the engine. All cylinders have a number cast into the intake manifold ports about where the 2 bolts to the heads are. Either cylinder 1 or 4 can be used to time by. I use them both and they are the same. The mag probe distance standoff is important. Do try the 3 business cards thickness. Also make sure you sand to bare metal the hard line you choose to use and use a 5/16 drill bit to clean out the mag probe tube at the balancer tab. Its the tall skinny tube and not the short fat tube.

 

[ironworker40]

I use number one. Mine has the factory pickup so I placed the pickup after the bend toward the pump. Is this too far away from injector? Also after re reading the instructions I had the trigger point on low. Instructions say if using low pickup should be close as possible to the ip pump. It says to use high if placing it near injector. So I will retry it. How steady does the rpm have to be? I also will look at the mag tube to make sure it is not loose

 

[ironworker40]

The 5/16 bit fell in mine to start with. The mag pickup on this meter must be slightly bigger than yours I guess . I will measure and let you know what size it is

 

[icanfixall]

What mag probe location at the damper are you using .. The fist one is the zero mark and its the short fat tube. We use the sccond tube and that the tall skinny tube probe location. A 5/16 drill bit just fits in there.

 

[bbjordan]

Just curious, what is the difference in timing between the high setting and the low setting with the line sensor in the same position?

 

[ironworker40]

I did use the correct hole for the mag pickup. As far as the difference from high to low I didn't compare the two. I'm going to hook it up again I decided to let my gang go home early so I will have some time today

 

[ironworker40]

The difference in the timing from low to high was about 1 degrees, but it was erratic and keep changing. On high it was steady. I used plastic finger shims taped together 5/8 thick, to hold rpm's steady. Timing was at 11. It was a Montana truck before the original owner passed and then his son took it to Florida. The father used it only to go fishing pulling his 5th wheeler all over the north west, as far as Alaska. So I'm thinking they had it advanced for the altitude
I bumped it down a touch at it was 8.3 so I left it there to see how it runs. I did a 10 mile trip and it seems the same power wise but it's all flat here and I was empty so I will see when I go to the mountains. I did notice it idles smoother and it was idling higher at 850 so I turned it down to 700.
Now the bad. Some f..ing idiot either didn't tighten the passenger side nut, or left it off because its the pain in the ass one, on the ip pump, so it only had 2 nuts on it. Made it easy to change timing. I don't think it moved because there are 3 marks and it was line up with one set of marks. I hate lazy mechanics. So tomorrows job is to put one back on. The engine is way to hot now and its beer 30.

 

[icanfixall]

Your timing is a little low. Factory specs are 8.5 plus or minus 2 degrees but we all know that horribly wrong. After you have run it some I suggest advancing it to 9.0 degrees and see how you like that. Before you advance it make a center punch mark in the pump to housing joint line. then advance the pump and make another mark. Now you can change the timing to a known setting without using the meter but.. This wil only work with the pump thats on the engine now. All other pumps have a different internal timing set so the marks will not translate to another pump. With this pump and these marks you made you can remove the pump from the engine and install it again and know what your timing is without using a meter. Hope this is clear.
As for the passenger side nut.. Yeah.. Thats a real pain to reach. What I do is remove the fast idle solenoid bracket and throttle spring. Its 2 bolts with a 7/16 hex. Just remember where the bracket is positioned because the bolt holes are rather large and you may move it forward or backwards and change the fast idle setting. Really not an issue but its best to know before you work on something. A surprise is not normally welcomed after a job is done...

 

[ironworker40]

Yup I figured it was I little low but I was trying to get close to the 8.5 factory spec to see the difference from the11 it was. I didn't want to change it to try and get.2 degrees since I'm changing ip pump soon.

 

[ironworker40]

103 miles this weekend at 75 mph all highway. I got 15.9 mpg up from 14.5. But I used raceway fuel not Hess that I normally run.