ok i just went to sears tonight and bought a crastmen timing light cause for somereason after i put my headers on the car started to spark knock really bad. sounds like metal tinging around so i know that is what it is.. so i know that i have to unplug the brown wired plug at the back of my car but what else do i have to do? please explain in detail if possible. i knwo some things bout cars but not enough yet!!!! and should i test the timing before i unplug the plug? what should the base timing be? i always run 93 octane gas in my car so i also know that isnt the case the gas station i get my gas from is always busy so i knwo there is water in the gas either so it gots to be the timing right ? i hope so.. thanks for your time!!

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1988 firebird ws6 formula350tpi msd 6al box blaster 3 coil accel 8.8 race wires hooker shorty headers hooker cat back system pro shift light a pillar gauge pod and water temp and air/fuel ratio gauges autometer oil pressure gauge b&m mega console shifter, march underdrive pullies, tpis airfoil cvr high torque starter (love it)
best 1/4 mile run of 14.44@ 96.53
this run is before the new exhaust system

 

Unplug the brown wire first, and then check the timing. You hook the power and ground wires from the light to your battery, and clamp the other one around the spark plug wire going to the #1 cylinder (front on driver's side). Then aim the light down at the crankshaft pulley and pull and hold the trigger. You should see a little white dot spinning around down there, along with a piece of metal with notches cut in it. The one notch that is bigger than the others is 0* BTDC. The points of the triangles formed by the other cylinders are 2* increments of timing. Base timing should be 6* BTDC, so you should see the white mark appearing 3 spots out from the big notch. If it needs to be adjusted you simply loosen the distributor hold down bolt a little, until you can rotate the distributor (you should have to put some effort in to move the distributor, don't loosen the bolt too much). Then while watching the timing mark rotate the distributor, one way will advance the timing, and the other will retard it. Once you get the mark to where you want it, tighten the bolt back down, plug the brown wire back in and go.

You should set it somewhere between 6* and 10* BTDC, if it's already at 6* and you're getting spark knock, something else is the problem, you shouldn't need to retard it anymore than that. Also, are you sure it's spark knock, and not just an header leak? Some people will get them confused.

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Black 88 GTA L98
!Airbox, !IAT, !MAF, !TB, !Plenum, SLP 1 3/4" headers, Dynomax Hi-Flo cat & cat-back, Corvette Servo
14.389 @ 95.2 mph, 2.001 60' {Before headers, new times coming soon)

[This message has been edited by Scott 88 GTA (edited October 24, 2000).]

 

ok i just adjusted teh timing and i put it at 14* adn it seems to run a lot smoother at idle and when i really get it on it i dont hear the sound anymore. i do think that i might have a header leak. how could i remedy this? the guy at the parts store told me the mr gasket ultra seal was or is one of the best.

 

To get rid of the header leak you just need to tighten your bolts down again. When you first put the headers on they were stretched into position, but the heat cycles they go through under normal operation will relieve those stresses, and if you check I'll guarantee a few of your bolts aren't as tight as when you put them on. You'll just have to periodically tighten the bolts down again for a week or so. I'm still doing it with my headers.