I have the strange question, trying to time my engine. My timing light is telling me that its running 60* advanced at idle with est unplugged what the hell when i try to turn it drop the advance the engine runs like crap.. what am i doing wrong just installed new msd dist. somebody help!!!

Make sure you have the timing light connected to the correct spark plug wire.

Also, make sure you're unplugging the correct connector to disable the EST module.

timing light hooked up to first syd. drivers side as for est plug I think I have the right one once unplugged cause service light to come on.

A few of questions.
Is this an 87, and are you running the stock ECM?
What is syd.?


I don't know about 87s, but on my 88 the "Set Timing Connector", not the "ESC" is disconnected to set the timing.

I don't think the engine could start much less run with initial time at 60°.

What type of Timing light are you using?

I meant cyd not syd .. it is an 1988 i unplugged the tan with black line weather pack 60* that what i thought it shouldn't run the +higher i advance the better it runs I'm wondering if i have a bad timing light? I got it to start runs barely but the light shows 25* I'm going to take this light back and exchange it for another.. so dam confused

I had the same problem once. CHECK the endplay in the dizzy shaft, by pulling the rotor(while attached) up and down, it shouldnt be more that 0.010". (most GM shafts get a wear value up to 0.080" endplay, i personally shimmed the shaft to 0.008" because i had spark scatter) also im not positive but theres auto mechanical washer on the lower shaft, i think that helps advance the engine in base timing mode/limpmode to help the spark when one revs the engine in timing mode) Importantly check and see if the wires are routed correctly. you could be off a tooth on the distributor shaft gear.(happened to me...) OR your old timing chain skipped a tooth on the gears from loose chain, typically after 80,000 miles....Timing lights typically dont go bad. i bought a 9 dollar timing light at Harbor freights, and works tits(crappy but works) try testing the timing light on another car. yeppers. and also one time i had wicked issues with me Electronic Spark Controllor, retarding the engine, because of bad knock sensor. ANd if do replace your timing chain, i would NOT recommend gear to gear, cuz the noise sets false knock senor and retards the timing, hurting performance. but you can get away with it by using a resistor. haa, i dont recommend that. like Courtney Love....But id bet on Brittany spears bald head, that its your distributor off by ONE tooth, or the timing chain. (some engine builderz of the "big boy Horse Power ballasy time of your life mean machine mother f's" purposly advance the timing chain for radical cams (thats tight) . BUT typically only on non computer cars, so ya, thats not good on our cars..because ya, we have state of the art :laughing: -mikey

thanks for the the help .. dist. brand new MSD .005 play installed a another new knock sensor just incase . same thing motor has less them couple hours run time ( new gm zz4)timing chain? maybe so i was also thinking i have a tooth out but now which way should i move it one clockwise or one counter clockwise? again thanks for all the help i have recieved

are you running a factory damper and timing pointer or after market? the factory pointer is positioned about 12 o'clock, and most aftermarkets are at 2 o'clock. the wrong damper or the wrong pointer could give the illusion of being way out. just a thought

Make sure the outside balancer ring has not slipped.

With the distributor's cap off, turn the engine crank clockwise, and line up the harmonic balancer timing mark to 0*, check to see if your rotor lines/angle straight to cylinder 1 inside the distributor. If, its not it...it might even be pointing at cylinder8 (hence timing issue), then your would have to get a long screw driver, (make two reference marks with chalk,,one with original rotor setting with a number 1 reference mark and as you pull dizzy the rotor will turn, then mark second rotor reference with a 2 next to it) and pull the distributor. you want the rotor to line up at cylinder 1 terminal in the cap, so with the dizzy out, turn the oil pump in the hole, with the flat head screwdriver a little "clockwise" and then drop in the distributor with the rotor turning it "clockwise" but not too much.if it goes in and the rotor and cylinder 1 lines up**** , then ya that it. i cant say it will work, i had the same problem with my car after a distributor rebuild.. Lining up the distributor shaft with oil pump was a bitch..but i no longer was off on the timing. harmonic timing balancer has to be synced to the cylinder 1 terminal. dead on. Good luck. . i recommend gloves rubber and maybe a thick t-shirt over the dizzy cap when timing the distributor. i started doing this after ive been shockd like 6 times. ouchies. I doubt its the following but it also possible to put the dizzy in 180* off center. so basically instead of clyinder 1 terminal, the rotor will point to 6 cylinder (verybad) verybad. thats only done when lining up the cam and crankshaft for a Timing chain swap.

Try rotating the engine so that the rotor is pointing where you want it.
Pull the distributor out to keep the pump shaft from turning.
Plug the number one cylinder to build pressure
Turn the engine again by hand until the plug pops out, the timing mark on the balancer should be very close to DTC then, move it to DTC zero. Now put the distributor back in and it should line with pump shaft.

If the timing mark is outside of the timing tab range you'll need to determine true DTC using a spark plug piston stop and temporary place a mark on the timing chain cover at the new position. Which, means you also have to find out why the timing marks are out of phase. Typically the balancer has slipped.

You don't need the tab using a digital timing light that let you set zero wherever you want then advance the timing from there (not sure though, I never used one.)

rotor was pointing to 8 cyd. after finding tdc of #1 haven't started it yet but I'm sure when i started my rotor was pointing to 1 cyd before i started turn the rotor to get it to start i will keep you guys posted

anyluck?

Yes it all good now.. what i ended up doing was checked tdc rotated balancer to 9*btdc installed dizzy drilled out #1 terminal on a old cap and then lined up the drilled out hole with rotor tighten it installed new cap and she fired right up no issues again thanks for everyones help

FYI...., and because I have no life.
The spark isn't initated until the rotor tip breaks contact with the terminal. This is where the rotor should be in relation to the terminal for it to fire at TDC. Without actual cap measurements I'd guess if the rotor was directly centered to the terminal the timing would be about 6° BDTC plus whatever you added at the balancer.

I used the timing light after and it was 12* the motor is GM fast burn 385 so timing should be around 10* from what i was told . It runs so good i really don't want to play with it anymore