Situation:
85 1/2 ton pickup w/ 180k mi failed timing area of the CA smog test but passed emissions. Truck is set to 5 degrees retarded but should be 5 degrees advanced. Truck has 30% alcohol 70% cheap gas mixture currently in gas tank to help pass emission test. Timing must be set correctly and test must be redone tomorrow

Question
1 Could the alcohol in the fuel have messed up the timing or is it just off? I suspected it has been running rich but never checked.

2 When the timing is corrected could this cause the truck to stall due to the alcohol in the fuel?

3 If the timing is adjusted with 30% alcohol in the fuel will it be valid or need to be redone with pure gasoline?

Other threads I have created on this subject are
alcohol as fuel?
Please help me pass CA smog

 

Check out this link, it's a guy who's done a lot of work on different fuel mixes,
http://www.turbofast.com.au/racefuel2.html

Sorry don't know enough about timing and such to offer any more help.

 

I think it's just off. Don't see how the fuel could affect the timing, since timing is mechanically set. Sorry, don't know about the other two items.

 

I passed. Just added gas just to be safe, adjusted the timing to correct setting, and passed the test.