Whats up everyone?
I'm the kind of person that needs descriptive sentences, and cool pictures to help me on my adventures This time I was curious about advancing my timing. I've heard this isn't a hard process, but... I'm Joe, and I don't have a clue Also, I've been noticing after i start my car in the morning and let it sit for a minute my RPM's play a little song.. They go high, then low, then high, then low, then high. Repeats till i pull it into drive. Also, when im in slow traffic after i barely accelerate my RPM's nosedive and my engine sounds like it takes a very breif pause. Annoying as hell if you ask me. Sorry for being so clueless, im still very young, and I rather not learn from my mistakes and do it right the first time.

Thanks as always,
Joe

Red 88 305 TBi Trans Am

 

Well I can't help you advance your timing, but I think when your RPMs nosedive, it is when your car is shifting to overdrive. Mine does this to if I don't acclerate fast. It will shift into overdrive at about 35 mph, and run like at 800 RPMs

 

Soundslike VSS signal may not be reaching ECU. too... Did you do code check????

 

Is the nose dive like engine stuttering? If it is, you may have a vacuum leak some where, possibly around or in the EGR valve. When you release your foot off of the gas after accelerating hard does the car's rpm's stumble? If so check the vacuum at the EGR. This will also happen in hard braking situations, where after you've completly stopped the car will or will almost stall out. The way that you say that the idle bounces sounds an awful lot like a vacuum leak.

About the timing, In order to set the static timing you have to unplug a little wire thats on the passenger side of the car by the heater blower, then the idle will not wonder while your setting it. Use your timing gun to advance it (turning distributor counter-clockwise). I have my throttle body advanced about 5* and thats pretty good, anything else and i've gotten knock.

Good luck, keep us informed,
Mike

 

Timing Gun? How much do those cost, i didn't know you needed any special tools..

thanks
joe