This may sound stupid, but... The other night, I checked my timing. Disconnected the EST line, hooked the light up to the battery, put the inductive lead around the #1 wire. Marked the notch on the balancer, started the car. The engine was pretty cold but I got a timing readout of about 10 1/2 degrees. Fine by me. The next day, when I replaced my cap and rotor..I checked the timing again because I was going to adjust it. So I do the EXACT same thing I did the previous night, except use a ratchet to rotate the crankshaft pulley (because the notch wasn't in a good position to easily mark)...so I did the same thing, but this time I get a timing readout of 4 degrees! It's running the exact same timing as before, I can tell...so, any ideas why it would be telling me I'm running at 4 degrees now? I don't get it... Thanks guys.

 

Any takers?

 

Engine should always be at running temp when setting timing. If the motor is cold(just started) it will be revving higher at idle thus reading more advance on the crank.

 

Yeah, I should've realized that.. That could explain why I read at 10 degrees before, but then that means the second reading is correct...4 degrees..? Maybe I am running at 4 degrees but I don't see how that's possible... Just too low...the car still has excellent pickup and response..runs strong. I MUST'VE screwed something up..just doesn't make sense..

 

Your timing gun quite possibly could not be the most accurate. That would explain why it is still running decent. We all learn as we go, nobody is born with it. I had a good learning experience years ago with a VW distributor that I replaced and did not seat the shaft properly in the keyway- It took me two days of scratching my head and trying to get the car started before I relized what error I had done.

 

The timing gun is a nasty looking Actron that was laying in my friend's dusty, dirty garage...so that's a definite possibility. Are they supposed to light up when they have battery power but aren't getting the pickup? I thought they were...this one didn't light up until I started the car. Thought the sucker was broken.

 

No, it should only flash when the pickup senses a spark. I use my dad's old Actron from the '70's, and it still works great. Could your distributor hold down bolt have loosened, and the distributor retarded itself by 6 degrees? How does the motor run at 10? And I'm guessing you have the correct plug wire for the #1 cylinder, right?

 

Tom..didn't touch the hold-down bolt. Didn't have anything to get to it with so I didn't loosen it. Motor runs just fine as of right now...has plenty of giddy up.. Isn't acting like the timing's off by very much if anything. I mash the gas, it'll give some tire spin (thanks to my drivetire, which WAS a Radial T/A but is now a racing slick :P ) and haul butt off. Can't be running at 4. I'm just trying to figure out why I would get the reading of 4. I marked the notch on the balancer and put a little paint on the 10 mark on the timing marker... the notch aligned roughly with 4 degrees. And yes, it's on the correct plugwire! Lol