Re: Boost Induced Woes

[russ southerlin <russell.s.southerlin@ast.lmco.com>]

On Mon. 22 Sept. Terry Donohue wrote:

>Retiming the distributor (why is this done statically where every other car I've owned is timed >dynamically, with a timing light?) totally solved the problem.

Once the distributor is static timed and the engine is started then the
ECU takes over and adjusts timing as required. I checked this by using a
timing light with the engine running and as the engine was revved I
could see the timing mark on the flywheel move back and forth. Then at
idle I moved the distributor about +/-45 degrees while looking at the
timing mark on the flywheel - the timing stayed rock steady!!!!  You
only have about a +/-6 degrees window for setting the static timing (or
the engine won't start) so whenever you change the timing belt timing
the static timing has to be set (the distributor runs off the cam).

I've tried both advancing and retarding the cam one tooth. Advance does
help low end a little but I don't think I get quite as much "hit" from
the turbo at the higher rpms. Retard makes it more of a dog at low rpms
but it pulls like a freight train at the high rpms - kind of fun but not
real practical. I've had mine set a at stock now for some time as I
think this actually is the best compromine.