Timing check question

[Dweezle]

HI all, i have just changed plugs, air filter, oil etc etc... and while at supercheap i bought myself a induction timing light. thought i might try my hand at advancing the timing. I hooked it all up and started the car.
Now the timing mark is a bit faint but it looks to me like it flicks between 10 and 12 degrees. should it be SOLID on 10 or is that normal, or even is it my eyes messing with me or is there something a bit wierd going on??
Sorry if this is a bit of a NOOB question.

[Steampunk]

It's normal

[Dweezle]

It's normal

so to adjust the timing i just take what it seems to be sitting at most as the setting then?? it looks like it is sitting at 10 degrees and then jumping/twitching to about 12 every few seconds. i just dont want to push it if its meant to be locked solid onto 10

[Wuey]

Did you jumper the TEN and GND terminals in the diagnostic box? If you didn't, the timing mark will jump a few degrees constantly either way. Also, make sure the engine is fully warmed up, turn off accessories such as a/c and blower fan that will cause the idle to fluctuate. If the radiator fan turns on, wait for it to turn off before you aim the light at the timing notch.

[Dweezle]

ahhhhh THANKYOU THANKYOU.. well do i feel sheepish or what.. i'd been reading up on it all afternoon, and just didn't let that part sink in.
i think there was something in those corona's......

thanks again

[Adam_NAclubman]

Thread revival.

Engine is a NA8 BP

Just replaced the o-ring on my CAS, and also swapped the CAS to the one from my original engine because the one on the new engine had a damaged plug housing, so I need to reset the timing (which i would have had to do anyway if i'd used the CAS that was in the engine to start with as my pencil marks rubbed off while I was trying to get the bastard out).

I'm just unsure whether I should be trying to get the notch that is cut/engraved into the pulley to line up with the marks, or the white spot that is about one cm to the right of the notch.

At the moment the white mark is pretty much dead on 10 degrees and the notch is right at the left side of the markings.

I want to set it to 10 degrees, so is it correct atm with the white marking lining up to that, or do I need to twist the CAS so the notch lines up?

Cheers.

[Guran]

I'm not 100% certain about this but have read that the correct marker on the NA8 is "the yellow one". I had a look at Hammer's timing at the last track day and he had two marks. One was set at 10 degrees (left one) and the other was close to zero degrees (right one). Didn't notice any difference in colour but the left one was harder to see than the right one so I'd assume that's the "yellow one". Sounds to me like your ting might be set to about 18 degrees in that case. Have you noticed any knocking?

[Adam_NAclubman]

I haven't dríven it, not planning on it either until I have it set correctly for certain.

The notch is definitely cut or cast into the pulley, but I'm fairly certain that most other cars I've done the timing on have had second markings aswell, so I want to be sure. I guess I could set it so the notch is at 10 so that in the worst case scenario its retarded, not advanced

[Matty]

one mark (notch?) should be at 10, the other should be at TDC (0)

[Adam_NAclubman]

Cool, I'll warm it up on Sunday and set it

[StanTheMan]

so what's the deal with the 2 marks on the NA8?

whats the reason for having 2 marks

[JBT]

I think there are two marks (spot and notch) because, with the limitations on access, there is less parallax error when you spot the dot on TDC than the notch at 10 degrees before TDC.

[Guran]

one mark (notch?) should be at 10, the other should be at TDC (0)

Glad to hear I wasn't giving bum advice!

BTW, the stock timing is 10 degrees. If you want a bit more top end, 14 degrees will keep you happy. Or 18 degrees will provide more mid range torque but might require 98 RON.

When setting the timing you should also set the idle speed to 850rpm using a multimeter to measure the idle. The dash tacho isn't sufficiently precise.

[Adam_NAclubman]

Turbo & Autronic... I need 10 degrees

[Sean]

Turbo & Autronic... I need 10 degrees

Check with whoever tuned the autronic, there may be a timing check function in the ECU that locks the timing in the ECU (like the GND+TN bridge wire in an NA) and the tuner may have tuner with a zero degree base, it's not uncommon t do that on a turbo.