Really weird issue here. I'm trying to adjust my timing to stock 10 degrees. It's currently at around 5 and the distributor doesn't have any more room to move it any further. I pull the distributor out and move the rotor over one set of teeth and put it back in. Now the truck is at 15 degrees with not enough room to move it back to 10 in the other direction! It's like I'm stuck with being off 5 degrees in one direction or another. Is there any other adjustment that I can make?

What should I do? Does this mean I need a new timing belt? Is it better for me to drive around at 15 or 5?

 

Are you shorting the check connector at idle?

 

I am, although I don't notice any difference in the engine. The CEL does blink though telling me it's in diagnostic mode. I've heard that I should hear a difference in the engine but I never have when shorting it.

 

I don't know where my head's at today. If a mod sees this, can you please move it to the 86-95 forum?

 

Leave it at 15. The truck runs better there.

 

Timing belt?

 

Is there any issues with running it that advanced? I'm going to be driving this thing for 10 hours straight next week.

 

I dont have issues at 12 and I doubt you will at 15 as long as it doesnt ping.....

 

Knocking, pinging, predetonation (all the same thing) can occur if your timing is too advanced.

 

Not in my experience. I've had mine @ ~20° BTDC on 87 octane with no knocking. You actually might like it and prefer to leave it that way.

But, I have a few questions, why is it suddenly like this? Or has it been like this for awhile? Why were you setting it in the first place?

 

i run 15 to 17. but at a lower altitude you might run into a ping

 

Evidently it's been at around 5 the entire time I've owned the truck. I bought the truck in part to learn auto mechanics so I guess this is another step in the process.

I'm moving to Boston from SW Virginia and figured I should check it before I leave. I also noticed that the chalk mark that I made dances around a little as the light flashes. I'm really thinking something is off a tooth inside there so I'll probably go in and replace the belt sometime in the future.

 

Gotcha!