can't get correct ignition timing

[Trevor Engelsmeier]

even though my CAS is aligned properly i can't get 5 degrees for my base timing. with the CAS ajusted as much as possible i can only get as far as 2 degrees advanced from TBC.

any suggestions,

Trevor

[Emerson Thomas]

did you ground your switch? (can someone help me out with the proper terminology for the name of this).

[Artem Goloubov]

Take out the CAS and install it properly aligned.

It's is mis aligned that's why you have no more room to play with


Art

[Martin Raska]

I think if it's not grounded you wouldn't be able to get lower than a certain point, not higher.  The grouding stops ecu advance.

CAS a possibility.

When I saw this thread, bad drive pulley immediately jumped to my mind.  It seperates over time on these cars I've heard.  So you'd need a replacement one.

[Trevor Engelsmeier]

the CAS was put on 180 degrees out the first time, but i changed that, and the drive pulley on the front was taken off for the replacment of the fron main oil seal, so when the mechanic put it back on, it would have been right.  as a side note, when alll the t-belt stuff was put back on, a wierd sound was heard, so that is gonna be checked out.  but when my car is safely drivable and if i haven't found a solution to my timing woes, i'm just gonna log and see what kind of timing/knock i get

i was also thinking about this possibility... the CAS has a slot that fits into the cam, now would it be possible that the slot in the JDM cam might be | and the usdm -- ??  u wouldn't think so cuz when at TDC, it slides in --- fine

i'll update tomorrow

trevor

[Mike Schmid]

With the pulley the inside of the pulley will seperate, it has nothing to do with how it was put on.  There's an inner metal piece, an outer metal piece and rubber connecting them, the rubber dies.  That could explain the noise in the timing belt area too.

[Scott Girvin]

I agree with Martin and Mike on this........could be either or

- the terminal in the "ignition-timing adjustment plug" needs to be grounded obviously.  Make sure you have the right plug( should be located right behind the battery on the firewall) .  As well as make sure your jumper cable doesnt have any flakey connections.  I use a circuit tester for a jumper cable so I know that it is actually grounding out.

-if your harmonic balancer is messed........and as Mike said, has nothing to do with the way that it's installed......the easiest way to see if the pulley has turned on the rubber insulator is to put the engine at TDC by lining up the cam center marks.  When the cam marks are lined up the pulley mark should line up with the "TDC" mark on the timing belt cover.

 My last pulley was off by almost 1/2".  As a quick fix I just made a new mark  on the timing cover where the pulley mark was at TDC and used a timing light with a 5 degree retard feature.........though with a fubar'd pulley the timing mark will move around a bit........so fix it if thats the problem

[Mike Schmid]

You could do the timing like Scott said but not being able to accurately set timing because of a fubar'd pulley is the least of your worries.  If it comes apart you'll lose your accesory belts meaning you could get a tow home, overheat, damage the battery, maybe even lose power steering and if you're real lucky the accesory belts will go mingle with the timing belts and you'll bend all your valves.

Mr. T says: I pity da foo who don't change a messed up crank pulley, Sucka!

[Trevor Engelsmeier]

when cam gears show TDC, the mark is indeed at TDC.  with the 93 cas from my old engine ( to match original ecu still in the car) afjusted to its max, it brings the timing to TDC, so i gues the 90-91 CAS that came with the new engine must be oriented slightly diff to allow for a different adjustmen.  i thought the 2 were interchangable??  i'm gonna try and put the original CAS for that new motor on and see if i can adjust it/if the wiring hanress fits on

other then that she's DONE

trevor

[Scott Girvin]

Hmmmm, sounds wierd....... is the CAS that came with the JDM motor similar to your stock CAS? Like, does it have a connector on the top or is it the 90 style with the harness coming from it? If it is the 90 style it wont work

Then again, did u make sure that the terminal was grounded......absolutely sure?

Only other thing I can think of, dont take this the wrong way, but are u sure your using the timing light properly? Goin back to basics cause sometimes the best of us make mistakes.  Are you sure that your using #1 cylinder plug wire, cylinder closest to the timing assembly, for the timing light. And if so...is the timing light set to "0" advance if it has an advance feature?

just as a precaution, yes Im gunna lay the VFAQ down...

http://www.vfaq.com/mods/wayback/BradBauer/engine/timing.html

http://www.plymouthlaser.com/timin.htm

good luck

[Trevor Engelsmeier]

so i can for sure say that the engine is a 90, because the CAS has no plug for it, like the others, it has the wires coming straight off of it, a white, yellow black red wire.  the plug for the 93 CAS has a white, balck, red black wire coming from it. so far i am unable to find what wires do the same thing, i will continue to search, however if anyone here knows, that would be great.  if it is impossible to make that 90 CAS work with a 93 computer, the only way to make it work would to customize the 93 to rotate further and still have a way of securing it

trevor

[Trevor Engelsmeier]

haven't found anything yet, would it be a bad idea to just try diff combos of wire-wire??

trevor

[Martin Raska]

haven't found anything yet, would it be a bad idea to just try diff combos of wire-wire??

trevor

I think that is a bad idea.

Pin 1 = 2x output
Pin2 = 4x output
Pin 3 = 12V switched power
Pin4 - ground

[Trevor Engelsmeier]

is that for the 90, or 93 cas??

would the power/ground have continuity, that would eliminate 2 wires (provided diff color)

hmm, still haven't found a wiring diagram, and i'm trying to see how i could modify the 93 to work, it just needs to be rotated further, but the groves in it aren't long enough.

l8er

trev

[Mike Schmid]

Use an ohmeter to check the continuity of a pin to ground in order to find the ground and then check the voltage of the various pins with the ignition on to find the 12V+