5SFE: 5SFE Advanced Ignition Timing Problems

[Sh0ty]

Hey, I read that advancing ignition timing to 14 degrees BTDC would give me a slight power boost so I tried it out today. The timing gun I used had a dial to select 0-60 degrees, but I wasn't sure how that worked, so I left it at 0. I couldn't locate any marks on the camshaft pulley, and it didn't really seem to stand still, just rotate very slow. I decided to give the dizzy a tiny clockwise turn anyway to hopefully raise it a degree or two, and have not encountered any detonation. I do however have slightly erratic idle (900 drops to 800, slow rise to 900, drop to 800 etc). I made sure I was connected to the first spark wire (tried the other 3 as well) and I jumped the right connection in the diagnostic box (E1 to TE1).

Does anyone have any advise to figure out if my belt even has a timing mark, and if so, how I can get it to properly sync with the firing of my first cylinder?

[datguydeni]

all i can say is keep looking for the degree. majority of us couldn't see the number.
so anyways point is Keep looking it is there. i will forward this thread to uhh mixxer. since he did help me out

[Sh0ty]

What does the mark look like? I consistently see a series of green stripes that look like this "////" followed by white text.

[masagsxr]

The drive belt does not have timing marks but the pulley should have a little notch there. But hey, since you have a digital timing gun, you shouldn't need to look down by the pulley. Maybe google how to your the timing gun you have then go from there.

Turning the dizzy clockwise is right. Thats what I did for Deni up there and was able to advance his timing 14degree

[masagsxr]

Originally Posted by Sh0ty

What does the mark look like? I consistently see a series of green stripes that look like this "////" followed by white text.

I think you are looking at the belt. You will not see the timing mark there. Look at the crankshaft pulley.

[Sh0ty]

By pulley, you mean the belt that runs to the alternator and then runs under the timing marks? 5\/10\/5

[masagsxr]

yes.. under the timing marks. You should see a notch just right below it. They usually have a white mark in there so that it is easy to notice it. If you don't, what you can do is turn the pulley manually from under the car and when you see a notch just mark it with whiteout (that white liquid eraser).

But again, since you have a digital timing light, I don't think you need to even look down there.

[countyboy3188]

I didn't have any problems when i advanced mine. I set it at 15 deg. The distributor will only go so far and a just cranked it as far as it would go to the right.

I'm running 93 octane and i haven't had any knock what so ever.

[datguydeni]

i'm running 89 octane xD

[countyboy3188]

You haven't had any knock problems have you?

[datguydeni]

not that i know of. xD runs nice and smooth. cold start idle is even lower rpm at 1500. warm up idle is the same. a little below 1000.

[Sh0ty]

Yeah, I want to be able to run 87, 89 at the most. So far I haven't heard any knock, so it seems to be working out. Does anyone have any hard numbers for power gains for timing advance?

[countyboy3188]

It doesn't really give you any top end benefits bud it does give you a little more torque in the middle of the power band. I think there might be some one out there who has tired it on a dyno to see what the difference is.

[ebouwman]

^ Ya, from what i've heard it just gives you a little gain in the lower RPM's nothing in the high rpm's, and the power difference isn't that noticable.

I would still be interested to see a dyno to see what you're actually getting, as it's so hard to tell by the seat of your pants.

[datguydeni]

mmmmm when theres another dyno day i'll be sure to take my car.
but anyways i feel a little more power @ 4k rpm. but that's just me maybe its in my head hmm lol

[Sh0ty]

Yeah, I feel a little more power. I cranked mine to 17 BTDC on 87 octane fuel and haven't encountered any pings or knocks. At the first sign of detonation though, I'll dial it back. I still have kind of erratic idle once the car has warmed up. Holds at around 900rpm for about 5 seconds, drops to 750, and raises back to 900 slowly, rinse and repeat. Any ideas? I'm positive it's because of the timing, but I want to know if there's a way to combat it.

[TomsMR2]

i ran 87 octane with 14 degrees..

if you have an advance timing gun, you set the gun to where you want your timing to be.. so you'd set the dial to 14 degrees.. and then line up the crank pully to ZERO degrees.

this is helpful if you cant actually see the crank pully timing marks.. you can set the engine to TDC and make your own match marks and use the gun to set timing anyway.. on an mr2 you can pretty much always see the marks and its not a huge deal.

[ebouwman]

I have hear that over-advanced timing does cause rougher idle.

But when was the last time you went in and changed plugs wires and distributor cap and rotor?

[Sh0ty]

A tuneup is next on my list, followed by suspension.

[datguydeni]

Originally Posted by Sh0ty

Yeah, I feel a little more power. I cranked mine to 17 BTDC on 87 octane fuel and haven't encountered any pings or knocks. At the first sign of detonation though, I'll dial it back. I still have kind of erratic idle once the car has warmed up. Holds at around 900rpm for about 5 seconds, drops to 750, and raises back to 900 slowly, rinse and repeat. Any ideas? I'm positive it's because of the timing, but I want to know if there's a way to combat it.

only thing i can think of is set your timing to 14. see if your idle goes up and down... and you'll know if its the timing or not.