Well, I just bought a '86 V6 Firebird yesterday, check out the thread in A&D.

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/showthread.php?s=&postid=1373875#post1373875

Anyway, I was about ready to see if it runs until I saw this thing sticking out with nothing atatched and was wondering what it was?


Also is there supposed to be a fastener holding the MAF to the hose leading to the aircleaner? There is one holding the hose to the aircleaner, but the MAF has notches but nothing to hold it in?

I am sure I will have more questions later, esp. if it still doenst start but this is it for now.

 

seriously guys, one of you should know this, or can you at least go look at your car and see if it looks the same.

 

mine does not look the same

but i have an 89.

 

I've got one too...I believe it has something to do with the timing, but thats as much as I can tell you...sounds like a good one for Tom...

 

Can't really tell from the pic, but that's the location for the timing tabs. That's used to determine engine timing when you have a light. I think you should have another hose clamp on the hose for the MAF, don't want any air leaking in.

 

hey i think i have one of those on my bird and some line runs to it i will check for ya in a bit.

 

Some engines have these, but no the other part. It's so you can put a magnetic pick up in there to pin point your timing. So far I have never seen an engine magnet on the balencer so it can be used.

It would be kinda neat to be able to use. then you will be able to tell that you are absolutly at 10 BTDC, but going by the mark is just as good.

 

So can I just leave it as is and not worry about it or does it need a cover or something?

 

You can just leave it. there is no cover for it.

 

that is for a mag timing probe, you use it when you have your car on a scope. The balancer has no magnet, the probe is magnetic, it can just read the mark on there because the magnet is so close to the balancer, all you have to do is program an offset in the scope. works really good at pinpointing spark scatter, I use one all the time at work.