EDIT The picture has been swaped out with the actual correct numbers for easier use/verification. If some part of the thread doesn't make sense, now you know why EDIT

The old setting is what the car had always been run at, ever since I bought it.
I bought a timing light and advanced the timing, to this setting. The pic explaines all. I tried 4* but when I gassed it and then let off (in first gear) I heard a quick noise from the exhaust. It sounded like a backfire? Not sure really. So I set it here, at ~2* and it feels great. From a roll of 5-10mph when I give it WOT it'll spin the tires, it never had that power before! I put in 91 octane gas....everything sound good? I was afraid of going with the 4* advanced because I did'nt want detonation. Maybe the car had been driven 150,000+ miles with 2* retarded timing and coulden't get used to a 6* change? Just wanted to be sure everything's ok here.....Thanks.

 

That's probably ~2-3*. Halfway up that first peak is 2* the peak is 4* the valley is 6*...etc.

 

Ah....so it was really retarded before then...no wonder it feels so much better...

 

Yeah, from the picture that looks like about 6* retarded.

 

The only thing is....I'm in park, idle is at 750rpm and i'll step on the gas a bit, real quick and bring the rpms up to ~3000 and let off....when it comes back down it'll stop at ~1500 for a second then slowly come back to idle...Is that normal?

 

Thats about right.

 

Great, thanks guys!

 

Thats the IAC motor working.

 

That picture is awesome! Seriously I'm adding this thread to one of the stickies at the top, that picture will help SO many people figure out where to set the timeing in their cars! As far as the thread itself, this does belong in the tech/general board, so off it goes... Thanks nidyanazo!

Bruce (90RS305)

 

Glad I could help, but it was you guys that solved my question. So thank you guys.

 

I have been thinking that I have been having problems timing my 305tbi fuel injection.
this is what happens.....
when I put the timing light on the mark (and yes I have done everything your suppose to time it) and when i crank the throttle, the timing mark RETARDS THEN ADVANCES.
Is this normal????
yes the motor is warmed up,and yes i disconnected the wire to the distributer,yes Ive done everything your suppose to, to time a fuel injection motor.
I have worked on many NON computer motors and I never had a timing mark "retard then advance!" It always just advanced when ya crank the throttle.
So as ya can see Im alittle baffled about this.
I have replaced all sencors,msd distributer is new,new HOLLY TBI, mild cam,194 heads, lifters, rockers push rods,daul exhaust.
So any info would be of help....alot! this truck is driving me nuts! lol

 

I know this is an old thread but im having trouble timing my 305 correct me if im wrong but the stock timing is 6 degrees retarded and according to the pick 6 degrees retarded is between the round circle which is suppose to be 0 and the first peak? Also there is already a chalk mark on the crankshaft but it is way off the scale and is not even close to that piece of metal. Do i draw a new chalk line and where. Thanks

 

stock is never retarded. it's either advanced or at 0. It should say what the timing should be on a little sticker underneath your hood.

Make sure you're timing with the #1 spark plug wire using an inductive timing light.

And, you shouldn't have chalk lines anywhere. It's a notch, groove, on the balancer.

You should be on the jagged teeth, nowhere near a circle.

 

sorry, correction 6 degrees advanced so where should the notch be at according to the picture.

 

A crude diagram that I hacked togehter a while ago:

 

so where would 6 degrees advanced be on the first picture on this post

 

Read the second post in the thread. There's also a number etched into the metal tab along with a line. You can't see it from the picture, but it's there.

Vader's picture shows it as well.

 

I think knowledge is power, so here's another picture, maybe it'll help, slightly better angle:

 

Call me dumb here, but if the balancer shifts how exactly could you tell what the timing is. My car works like crap at 2 advanced, and even worse on 0. If I advance it to about 8-10 it works fine!
What would be the best way to tell???

ANy sounds that I should be listening for???

 

if your balancer ring has slipped (much more rare then people say), then you're out of luck. You have to go by ear, until you can replace the balancer.

As you bump up the timing, your idle speed increases, and you have to lower your idle speed screw. If your throttle blades are too far closed, you may end up with an off idle flat spot.

8-10* is a good place to be. (edit, this is kinda dependant on many things, cam mainly, but also, if your computer controls the timing, or if it's all you.. .)

 

YEah, its an LO3 by the way. When I got the heads re-built and put them on I adjusted the car by ear. It sounded pretty close to 0 degrees, so I left it. Went and passed emissions with flying colors.
Little did I know that my balancer was showing 8 advanced. I don't think I coul've passed emissions with 8 advanced??? She likes that.
At 0 it starts pretty hard.

 

well i set it just a tad below 6 degrees to start off. should i bump it higher? there was no audible pinging, but my harness didnt come equipped for a knock sensor

 

put it in a high gear, and lug it up a hill. Listen for pinging. If it pings, back it down, if not, bring it up. Until you get pinging , then bring it back a few degrees.

 

Or, for a manual trans - come to a stop, throw it in 4th gear, and drive away with the throttle wide open... if it pings, back it off a bit.

 

Wow, I woulda thought mine would just bog and stall...

 

How does pinging sound?

 

like you've got a box of pop bottles in your trunk. (from what my cousin told me, i've never actually heard it...)

 

92 firebird with recent swap from 305 to 350. Base timing wiht EST disconnected should be 0. Correct? Then with EST connect it should advance approximately to 20. Correct?

Would love some info on this.

THanks

 

sorry if this is out of place guys but i replaced my timing cover with one that doesnt have a timing indicator on it and happened to throw the old one out before setting my base timing(its a project) Basically im trying to find TDC so i can tighten the rockers and every manual i look in explains the way of looking through that indicator....i know i will have to do this again when im setting the base timing....how can i find TDC?

 

A trick you can use if really needed, you can pull spark plug one, roll up a small paper ball and stuff the hole. crank the motor till you hear a pop, which is the paper blowing out, and check your rotor under your distribitor and see if the rotor is pointing to number one cylinder. If it is your now at tdc.

 

haha. Just for that i'm taking pictures of the stock motor that I pulled out of my vette. balancer slipped, motor was overrevved, and broke two piston skirts.

I had another vehicle, a 2.8 truck about 10 years ago, that the balancer slipped. My uncle overrevved it (5 spd) and threw a rod.

-- Joe

 

the dealer also sells little timing tabs for a few bucks that you just screw on, no need to have the cover with the one welded on.

 

Pinging sounds like you are shaking a glass jar full of gravel. You'll know it if you hear it.

 

ok quick one for ya setting timing for first time, car wont start, have someone crank while holding timing light on the balancer, is this acurate?

 

Might be close enough

 

adavance the timing till it kicks back on the starter, then back it off a little. - once she's running, adjust timing apropriately.

 

i know this is an old thread but i'd like to know if i did advance my timing would i have to run a higher octane of fuel than the regular 87 to keep from knockin?

 

Only if it is knocking or keep advancing the timing until it does knock then back it of two to three degrees, and you should be good to go

 

Going to try to advance a tiny bit without a timing light. Can someone give me an idea of how much I have to move dist. cap counter clockwise for a degree or two? Is the bolt that I have to loosen to move the cap easy to get to? Do I need a special tool? Sorry for dumb ?'s...lol.

 

You will need a distributor wrench to get to it

 

Does anyone happen to know the size? Can I get one at autozone...etc.

 

yeah just go there and ask for one. Its a tool almost in a zig zag one side is 9/16 the other is half