Hi all

Just took my car to a garage, the guy knows his stuff however he didnt have any info on my car to start tuning it up. He wanted to look at the timing but didnt know what needed to be disconnected in order for him to check the timing, my handbook said to disconnect some wires for 1 type of engine, or a black and tan wire for another one but i didnt know specifically what the book was talking about, something about a VIN S engine or another type of VIN, all i know is my car is an 87 GTA with the 305 TPI, its all stock apart from a K+N filter.

The more info you can give to me so i can pass on would be fantastic as i dont know anything about tuning engines.

 

The wire is on top of the A/C box(big ol' black thing in front of the passanger side). You disconnect it because when it is connected, the computer controls the timing. You then set the timing where you want it, tighten down the distributer clap, and connect the wire again.

 

thats what i did. i also bumped the timing up to 10 degrees instead of the stock 6.

 

could someone provide me a picture of this connector.. I've heard it was on the passenger side but I have one that has the tan wire in it on the drivers side not to far from the ESC.

 

Its a single wire, with a weatherpack connector. Mine drapes over the blower box. You can also try to ground the diagnostic terminal on the ALDL terminal if its fuel injected. It puts the ECM into diagnostic mode and sets the timing to its base setting. Thats what i do, warm up the engine with the diagnostic terminal grounded, set your static (base) timing with the timing light. Turn off the car, unground the ALDL connector and then restart and set your dynamic timing.
I set the static timing on my TPI to around 13 degrees BTC. 305 engines are very timing sensitive. You can adjust the timing by turning the distributor.

 

so the stock setting is 6 degress, maroon88iroc has bumped it upto 10 degress and lucid has put it too 13 ? what does this do exactly, make it run smoother ? as i say im no mechanic.

So i should tell the guy thats working on my car too set mine at 13 degrees then

 

Don't rely on what other people post for their timing for your engine; the best way to set it is by doing small adjustments and the driving it to see if it runs better or worse. Each engine seems to have its own base timing it likes.

 

Nice info about using the ALDL. I may try this. When I have disconnected my wire in the past, it still seems to show way off, no where near TDC.