1st Generation Specific (1979-1985) 1979-1985 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections

Timing light

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Old 03-31-11, 03:34 PM
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Timing light

Really silly question here, but:

I did the 2GCDFIS about a year ago, and my car has run flawlessly.

I was replacing my belts today and (just because I had it handy) thought I'd pull out my timing light and see where my timing was set at.
I hook the pick-up to L1 and aimed the light down at the marker on the crank pulley....nothing (the light was flashing, but there was no mark?). Just for the heck of it I hooked it up to the T1....nothing?

I've said this many times....."Am I doing it wrong?"
Old 03-31-11, 03:54 PM
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maybe.
Old 03-31-11, 03:59 PM
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the paint came off.....look for marks with the car off...
Old 03-31-11, 04:01 PM
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seriously though, there are a couple things to check.

1. find the mark on the pulley and make sure you can see it, i find the factory pain daubs are hard to spot. i usually use some touch up paint to remark it, either spicy orange mica, competition yellow, or sunrise red.

2. if you have a timing light with a degree ****, turn it to zero. it involves math, and therefore is over my head, but the **** doesn't work on a rotary.

3. what happens if you put the light on T2? L2? (if you skipped the cap, L1 and L2 should be the same)

4. use the light and find the mark! the pulley will go on 4 different ways, maybe yours is 90 or 180 off (if you find the mark with the light on T2, then its 180).
Old 03-31-11, 04:06 PM
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Or your idle might be too high, inducing mechanical advance which would place the markings outside of the expected "range".

Or your vacuum advance is hooked up to manifold vacuum, inducing advance at idle (which you don't want) and again moving the markings outside of the expected range.

Make sure your idle is below 950, and remove/plug the vac advance lines just to be safe.



.
Old 03-31-11, 05:58 PM
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perhaps you've over revved resulting in the centrifugal force flinging the dots off lol

sorry,

yeah what's the idle at?

Is she running well? Don't mess with it!!

(I thought I was lossing my freakin mind last time I stabbed the dizzy, result no start to pull the dizzy out and was 180 degrees out of phase, father time is hunting me down lol)
Old 04-01-11, 07:30 AM
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Idles rock solid at 750 rpm.

Pretty sure engine has never been tampered with (pulley and dizzy never been removed).

I'll try to find the mark in the daylight...engine off!

I'll post back
Old 04-01-11, 08:25 AM
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use your stock or aftermarket flywheel to confirm the timing mark on your pulley
Old 04-01-11, 08:40 AM
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What Wacky said. He said more in this archived thread with pictures. Just send a Heine or 6 if it helps.
https://www.rx7club.com/1st-gen-archive-71/ignition-main-pully-timing-525909/
Old 04-01-11, 08:57 AM
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Heinies and Korean BBQ!

That's how you get the real schinizzel from Wacky

Thanks all.
Old 04-01-11, 09:52 AM
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i think you need a better dot because when it wastesparks you also see the rear of the pulley 180 out and it confuses the issue

however as a footnote


the DLI setup is wasted spark and the inductive light is also triggering on the opposite rotor that is 180 out
but there is a phenomenon that some twin post coils can be prone to showing and effects some types of timing lights

with twin post coils one of the coils fires in opposite phase to the other
( the spark jumps from the side electrode to the centre electrode in one of the chambers )

often some inductive timing lights will not pick these up at all and you have to set the timing form the other lead
( which in wastespark situ means the same timing )
Old 04-01-11, 10:49 AM
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Well....no mark on the crank pulley at all...should there be a groove on the pulley...cause I couldn't find anything...except some rusty scale.



Guess I owe Wacky some Heineken.
Old 04-01-11, 11:11 AM
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There should be a pair of grooves in the pulley, yes.
Old 04-01-11, 11:12 AM
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Originally Posted by DivinDriver
There should be a pair of grooves in the pulley, yes.
the front of the small pulley to be exact
Old 04-01-11, 08:14 PM
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here is how you locate the front pulley with the mark up

Originally Posted by bumpstart

if you have a standard flywheel on,, ( view from rear ) then the bite missing from the back ring will be pointing at the exhaust at 3 oclock
if you have an auto counterweight ,, then the bumps will at 9 oclock ( view from rear ) down the spark side
( look down inspection cover )
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