My car has 235,000 kms on it. It's set at 10* right now but it's running like a$$. Should I bump it up or down a couple of degrees? Will this harm the motor if it's not timed to the mark?

 

bump it down to about 6 or 7.

 

???

No, No, No- You want to bump it up to about 12* or 13*. As a motor ages, the timing chain slacks off. So by advancing the timing a few more degrees will livin it up.

 

Gotta be careful with this, my 2.8 has 207k miles on it, I bumped the timing up to like 14 with new plugs, wires, cap etc etc, and it detonated extremely bad, melted two of the plugs to the electrode and blew one electrode completely off the plug, and now the car is knocking at the wrist pins very badly. Best piece of advice, put a new timing chain in it and keep it at 9* like it is supposed to be.

 

"Running like @ss" isn't much of a description for us to be working with either. Overadvanced, it will ping like crazy and feel kinda jittery and rough. Underadvanced and it's going to be down on power pretty bad, and it'll probably have some idling issues as well.

I'm assuming it's been underadvanced....so I would agree with vsixtoy and bump it just a couple of degrees. If the problem doesn't start disappearing...well, maybe your issue isn't with the ignition timing.

Since stock is 10* I wouldn't say to bump it above 12. Anything over and you're gonna start needing some higher octane fuel. **** gas is only good for so much...

 

It feels really sluggish and is having hesitation problems (from acceleration). The plugs are black sooty and look like they're really hot on one side of electrode. (can't explain).

 

Black/sooty....that's no timing problem man. Sounds like you're running wicked rich. Plugs should be a light tan color generally. Check your ignition system out, and make sure your fuel pressure is ok. Do ALL the plugs look like that, or did you just pull 1 or 2?

 

they're all sooty around the threads. The electrode is tanned colour. Tanned on one side and white on the other side of the tiny little ceramic piece that holds the electrode itself.

 

Sounds like you've got a little bit of a funky burn there but I doubt it's any problem.

Ok then, back to the timing assumption...sluggish and lacking power sounds like underadvanced. So, per original statement, bump it a few degrees and see what happens.