How do i set the timing in my 87 2.8 MPFI? i need to eliminate the auto advance so i can set base timing. thanks for the help!

 

I just copied this over from another post..enjoy! And as usual, if I'm wrong, someone please correct me!!

How to check AND adjust base timing:
Find your balancer timing plate. See the degrees? Figure out what you want to set it at. Stock is 10 degrees. Looking for more umph? Do 12. You MIGHT need to run mid-grade gas with this, but most don't. Mark this degree line with white-out, nailpolish, etc. Mark it neatly if you want your timing to be more accurate! Find a notch in your balancer itself. It's got a few.. Mark the notch as well. Start the car. Let it warm up nice and good, and make sure it gets to normal idle. Turn it off. Now, look on your passenger side in the engine bay..by the fender, there is a single wire connector right there..that's the EST (Electronic Spark Timing). Disconnect it. Get in the back of the distributor and find the hold-down tab. I forget exactly where it usually is..but loosen it..just enough to be able to move the cap. It takes two people to do this by the way. One of you hold hold the cap in place..don't wiggle it or move it AT ALL! I assume you have an inductive timing light....so the big plastic piece, clip that around the wire going to your #1 cylinder (passenger side, closest forward). Connect the black to the negative, and the red to the positive on your battery (duh... lol) Someone else, start the car. Aim the gun and pull the trigger. BANG. You should see the mark on the balancer somewhere around that tab. Chances are, it probably won't be lined up quite right with the mark you made on your tab. While one person has the light, the other VERY SLOWLY rotate the distributor cap until you get the two dashes to line up together. Clockwise advances timing, counterclockwise retards it. Once they match up, tighten the hold-down back down and turn the car off. Re-connect the EST and be happy..it's done. Remember..the EST plays with the timing, so don't check or adjust your timing with that connector in..it's gonna read probably around 25 degrees instead of 10 or so!

 

I know how to set the timing, but what I don't know is how to bypass that EST. it's not a siungle wire connector on the V6 from what I understand, just the 5.0 and 5.7. i know my 94 silverado with 350 is done with removing the wire, but the V6 camaro manual said something about shorting the ALDL pins to ground. never heard of doing that before!

 

Yes the EST is a single wire on our V6 cars. It is on the passenger side in the very back right under the cowl. It is tan with a stripe on it. It comes out of the loom only for about a foot. Just enough to expose where the two wires connect. It is also about a foot and a quarter away from the edge of the engine compartment. If you need a picture I can take one for you.

 

i'll see if i can find it before you go take a picture of it, thanks alot for the info. what were the manuals talking about grounding the diagnostic link pins for? do i still have to do that if i pull the wire?

 

I have no idea what that means. All I did was disconnect the wire and then do the timing like you normally would.

 

Shorting the ALDL pins?? Uhm... Sounds like they're describing checking trouble codes, not timing!

 

No, it wasn't to short the pins to pull the codes, I know how to do that, the Haynes repair manual for 82-92 v6 camaros states to short 2 of the terminals to ground to bypass the EST (electric spark timing)

 

Well isn't that just retarded. I suppose it can be done that way too.. The ALDL never ceased to amaze me...I miss working with it. It can pull codes...it can engage the torque converter clutch manually...it can apparently bypass the EST if you can't find the wire...does the list ever end??

 

i don't know, I have the Haynes manual for the 1982 to 1992 camaro and here is what it says on how to adjust the timing:

"It is imperitaive that the procedures included on the Vehicle Emmisions COntrol Information label be followed when adjusting the ignition timing. The label will include all information concerning the preliminary steps to be performed before adjusting the timing, as well as the timing specifications.

Locate the VECI label under the hood and read through and perform all preliminary instructions concerning ignition timing. Note: if instucted by the VECI label, place the Electronic Spark Timing(EST) in bypass mode by disconnecting the single wire connector. It is a tan wire with a black stipe that comes out of the wiring harness conduit near the rear of the right-hand rocker cover. Do not disconnect the four wire connector at the distributor" - Haynes Manual for Camaros, years 1982-1992.

the only thing that I read about any kind of jumper wire was for timing lights that don't have an inductive pick-up. You need to use a jumper wire of the same size as the ignition wire for the light to tap into. I don't have an inductive lead on my light, but it has a sort of "jumper" on it. It looks like a "T", where you take the ignition wire off the distributor, put the "T" connector on it, and attach the ignition wire to the top of it. It just basically wires the light in parallel with the ignition system.

Hope this helps out and explains a few things. If i had a dig. cam. I would take a pic and show you guys exactly what I mean when I'm talking about my timing light.

 

Non-inductive pickup lights are a pain in the ***. Checked my timing on the Camaro with one once..borrowed it from my grandpa. Thing was old as hell but still was dead-on. He had a funny spring thing, with one small end and one big end. We invented a method here. We clipped one end of the spring to a terminal on the distributor cap, clipped that ignition wire onto the other end, and then connected the lead to the middle of the spring.