[shep]

i am having trouble setting the timing on my g13a. the drama is that the timing is all over the place, when the timing is set it only takes a bit of a rev for it to be out again. some times the timing is so out that the starter has trouble turning the motor over and it sometimes runs backwards when turned off.
the motor has 298000 ks on it and is in fairly good cond. i have replaced the cap, rotor,leads and plugs.
i am a plant mechanic so zappy stuff is a bit of a mystery.
any ideas?

[Damo]

It might be distributing high voltage but the ignition system is a vey mechanical animal, so you should be well placed to at least have a little look!

The timing moving around suggests some wear in the distributor or distributor drive. The fact that it goes right out when revved is a little odd, can you move the dissy housing once the adjustment bolt is tightened down?

For starters just go over the distributor and check that everything is tight. The adjustment bolt, the vacuum advance diaphragm, and you could also remove the dissy housing from the head and check the condition of the drive gears.

[shep]

damo thanks for the reply. i should have mentioned that there is no unusual movement in the distributor. my latest thoughts on it are that their may be a lot of slop in the timing belt as it is due to be replaced.

[royce]

does it move when you are revving it or move to a new spot when you rev it and it comes back to idle?

[shep]

royce wrote:

does it move when you are revving it or move to a new spot when you rev it and it comes back to idle?

the timing is out when it drops back to idle.

[royce]

check the advance plates in the dissy are loose and not seized up

[Damo]

royce wrote:

check the advance plates in the dissy are loose and not seized up

That the one that the arm from the vacuum advance connects to right?

[royce]

thats the vacuum advance plate, the mech advance is under it and turns the shaft the rotor button and pickup is on, if you grab teh rotor and twist it youll see the weights underneath moving

[Rockhopper]

shep wrote:

damo thanks for the reply. i should have mentioned that there is no unusual movement in the distributor. my latest thoughts on it are that their may be a lot of slop in the timing belt as it is due to be replaced.

Everybody is correct in checking the dizzy, but I suspect it may actually be your timing belt, as I've seen this happen dozens of times on other types of motors

[JrZook]

Rockhopper wrote:

shep wrote:

damo thanks for the reply. i should have mentioned that there is no unusual movement in the distributor. my latest thoughts on it are that their may be a lot of slop in the timing belt as it is due to be replaced.

Everybody is correct in checking the dizzy, but I suspect it may actually be your timing belt, as I've seen this happen dozens of times on other types of motors

When the timing belt is out the timing is constantly out, not randomly changing all the time once its revved. Also check the reluctor clearance and if the module has worked itself loose.

Dan

[Scrawny]

When the timing belt is LOOSE then the timing will change around

[royce]

yeah but the engine will run like absolute shit or not at all too, and slowly retard itself to the point of going clunk clunk clunk

[Scrawny]

I had a Prado with the 3.4 V6 that broke the bolts that hold the timing belt gas tensioner on. It still ran fine, just had a flapping noise in the front end
It's more than likely dizzy related though, just thought I'd throw that in the mix

[tails83]

is the balancer loose? it may obly look like the timming is out, happened to my old holden V8. woodruff key broke and wasn't spinning the supercharger fast enough to make full boost and make the timming look like it was out.

[shep]

allrighty i have checked out the vacuum advance with a pump, works fine. the mech adv seems to be ok. i have a timing belt kit and will try and fit it this weekend. if anyone wont's a "how to do it" post let me know. i will even be half serious. has anyone used my "how to paint a sierra" info yet

[Brett]

do you have a std cam in the engine? are you checking the timing with the vac advance line on? if so pull it off! never set timing with the vac advance line on. with bigger cams is makes the vac psi stutter and the timing goes all over the place so you can't time the engine, std cams you have some vac and the timing is advanced. just taker the line off the dizzy set the timing and put the line back on.

you could be trying to set the timing with to low rpm so the engine is nearly stalling. most engines like to be set at about 1200 rpm with now vac line on

[shep]

Brett wrote:

do you have a std cam in the engine? are you checking the timing with the vac advance line on? if so pull it off! never set timing with the vac advance line on. with bigger cams is makes the vac psi stutter and the timing goes all over the place so you can't time the engine, std cams you have some vac and the timing is advanced. just taker the line off the dizzy set the timing and put the line back on.

you could be trying to set the timing with to low rpm so the engine is nearly stalling. most engines like to be set at about 1200 rpm with now vac line on

i have been setting the timing with idle at around 1000 and vac line connected. i will have another go tomorrow. cheers mate. oh and the motor is stockers.

[Brett]

pull the line off and set it.

if that doesn't work get a water spray bottle and spray it every where around the carby and manifold with the car running. if the idle speed goes up you have a vac leak some where and that could stuff it up.

[shep]

i have finally had a win. set timing no worries and every thing seemed to be smicko, but when i took it for a drive it popped and farted around and generally ran like crap. but great with no load. i have had a few carby problems, blocked idle jet and that sort of stuff so i thought i would reco the carby. when i pulled the carby down i found a piece of the carby to airbox pipe (40mm x 5mm) wedged in the carby butterfly, holding it open.
as a bonus thanks to the dust the motor ate i now have a flash new up and down bore hone, free of charge.

[BLZUK]

Bringing a old thread back to life. What was the outcome causing the timing to go out when revved? Was it the timing belt?

I'm having a similar problem at the moment, can set the timing spot on 8 deg at idle and it is fine but as soon as its revved it goes wayyy off but will return to 8 at idle.

I've pulled the distributor apart and tightened everything and nothing seems seized and seems to do what it should. There is a fair bit of up and down movement in the shaft tho

[Scrawny]

It's doing what it should then. When you rev it the mechanical weights and vacuum advance will advance the timing, can go as far as 40 degrees BTDC. If it returns to 8 at idle then all good.

[shep]

i am gonna fix it by putting a g16a motor in it.
seriously though it still randomly plays up it is just that i have decided to ignore it.
i suspect that it is something to do with the mechanical advance because if
i dump a can of inox into the dizzy it fixes it for a bit.
the motor clicked over 300000 3 months ago so it is pretty much on borrowed time anyway.

[BLZUK]

Ah nuts i missed a bit in there, i set it to 8 and then after bit of a drive i'll check it again it'll have changed to like 4 or 0.
Its not running so great either, think i may have a carb issue aswell tho

[Scrawny]

Good one Shep!! Just sing louder to drown out the noises coming from the engine

I was going to suggest turning up the stereo but you don't have one of those

[shep]

ScrawnC wrote:

Good one Shep!! Just sing louder to drown out the noises coming from the engine

I was going to suggest turning up the stereo but you don't have one of those

haha i have gone soft, i even got my young fella to clean my carpet.

[shep]

just remembered something
i had a very loose timing belt, 40mm or more deflection and a buggerd
idler pulley. might pay to check that.

[Scrawny]

Is that a Dvd screen Shep?????

Dude!!! You are gettin soft!

[shep]

ScrawnC wrote:

Is that a Dvd screen Shep?????

Dude!!! You are gettin soft!

i don't think it is a dvd thingo, it is supposed to be a cd player but i will be
stuffed if i know how to jam one in it. i just wanna be able to yell at the abc
news any way

[Scrawny]

I thought you might have put the screen in for the young fulla. Nothing like the Wiggles at full volume while driving

[shep]

it is my wagon that has the telly in it, best thing ever invented for long distance traveling. we can drive from Katherine to winton in one go and then
to port macquarie the next day and the young fella just watches movies and
eats.
the sierra on the other hand, he is ether yelling FASTER or on the highway
he sleeps. i think it is the drone of the tyres.