Trouble With Ignition Timing On S14 SR

[chris_240sx]

As the title states, I'm having trouble getting my SR timed correctly (ignition, not mechanical).

My valve cover gasket was leaking so I recently replaced it. While I had the valve cover off I thought I would go ahead and make sure the CAS was previously installed correctly. Since I took it out, I can't seem to get the motor back in time.

Installing the CAS, we couldn't get the marks to line up 100% even after 30 minutes of trying. The closest we could get it was the housing mark in the middle of the two dots on the gear. The car started up and we put the timing gun on it and set it to 15* (second mark from the left on the crank). Driving around though I realized it wasn't right. The car cuts up pretty hard coming into power and makes no power really. It feels like I'm pulling a cement block behind the car. Also the turbo spools faster than normal and the exhaust sound "pops and crackles" more than normal.

All signs of retarded timing, so yesterday I decided to try advancing the timing a bit to see what would happen. Surprise surprise, the car ran pretty much like normal again after advancing the timing to like 25* (about two marks further right, so nearly four marks from the left on the crank total). But the timing is at 25*, which can't be safe.

Is there something I'm missing? Tips?

Thanks

[KoukiMonsta]

Is the car in 'timing mode' when adjusting timing?

[fliprayzin240sx]

Better yet, did you have the engine in TDC when you restab the CAS?

[chris_240sx]

Thanks for the replies.

Yes to both questions, unplugged the tps sensor and revved to 3k before adjusting the timing and put the crank at the second mark from the left with all valves on cylinder one closed.

[steve shadows]

Your CAS may be screwed...wouldn't be the first time...I've tuned thousand of SR motors over the past 12 years and usually when you can't get the right timing even when you're sure you punched it right it's the actual CAS! This barring ANY user error however...

[chris_240sx]

Thanks for the reply Steve,

Oh no! I'm trying to make it out to an event this weekend so hopefully that's not the case. Do you know of a way to test the CAS?

I'm not confident enough to say I definitively did not make any errors, so I'll try more tomorrow to make sure I can't get it right.

[steve shadows]

There is a way...I'm honestly trying to remember. You can test everything else out in the ignition system easily based on resistance (ohms).

Can you snag a buddy's for the event? That's what I would do. Then hash it out when you're back. I always kept a few extra CAS stashed in the garage for just this reason. The quality of motors coming over just keeps going down so who knows what it's like now.

Here is one thing you should try (sorry if you did this already) get an old KA spark plug wire smash it into the no.1 coil pack then take the other end (the spark plug end) and smash it (well it should go on easily since it's the spark plug end haha) onto the no.1 plus.

Then get the crappiest spark plug gun you can (or just make sure it's zero'd all the way out) and pull the tps, check the timing and see where you stand.

The car shouldn't run or won't run anywhere close to right if you punched it off the gear point. It sounds like bad signal which happens 75% of the time through the old black loop on the back of the coil pack harness.

Try this method. report back. email me if you need personal help i'll try to help you via email [email protected]

Thanks

[chris_240sx]

I'll ask around, but I don't think I'll be able to find one to borrow. SR's are few and far between around me. Yeah, I suppose the motor is pretty old now so it's about time for things like this to go out.

This is actually the method I used to set the timing haha. I used a spark plug wire between the coil pack and spark plug on cylinder one and connected the timing gun there. I pulled the tps and revved it some and let it settle and then set it at 15* (second mark from the left on crank). The car was showing the symptoms in the first post after setting the timing this way. The timing feels very retarded in this setting even though the gun shows 15*.

Thanks for the in depth help by the way. I can keep replying here or through your email, which ever works better for you.

[steve shadows]

I'll ask around, but I don't think I'll be able to find one to borrow. SR's are few and far between around me. Yeah, I suppose the motor is pretty old now so it's about time for things like this to go out.

This is actually the method I used to set the timing haha. I used a spark plug wire between the coil pack and spark plug on cylinder one and connected the timing gun there. I pulled the tps and revved it some and let it settle and then set it at 15* (second mark from the left on crank). The car was showing the symptoms in the first post after setting the timing this way. The timing feels very retarded in this setting even though the gun shows 15*.

Thanks for the in depth help by the way. I can keep replying here or through your email, which ever works better for you.

I'll be here for the the night.

What did the loop reveal? Did you try both methods?

The florida guys like Enthalpy like to check both and see what's more accurate. Sometimes the back loop is wrecked.

[chris_240sx]

I actually didn't know there was another way to check timing aside from using a spark plug wire.

The back loop method you say, how would I go about doing that?

[chris_240sx]

I see what you meant by the back loop now. I thought there would be more to it than that haha.

Update:
Also, car is running fine now. My issues were from my own ignorance. I was setting timing off the second mark from the left on the crank when I should have been using the second mark from the right. No wonder the car seemed retarded- I set the timing at 0* TDC thinking that was 15* BTDC. Silly me.

Thanks for the help though, Steve

[godsmack]

Yes was coming in to say that the second from the left is for tdc and the second from the right is for 15 btdc for ignition timing. Then noticed that you put that up.