Advance / retard timing

[traindriver]

From another thread there is discussion on advancing and retarding the timing simply by turning the dizzy.

When I am standing on the drivers side of my VK looking at the dizzy, which way is advancing??

If I am running BP Ultimate (98) what is the best setting for the VK EFI?

What am I listening for when I turn the dizzy?

Also, the sticker says 12 deg. What is it 12 deg from??

If I start mucking around with the timing, how do I get it back to 12 deg if I stuff it up??

Cheers
AndrewOfNZ

[ucwepn]

I don't know exactly how to do it but I do know if you are doing it by ear, its a matter of playing with it and taking it for a test drive and listening for detonation (bad)

[253@7k]

Need timing light, degrees shown on plate hanging over harmonic balancer.

[traindriver]

Need timing light, degrees shown on plate hanging over harmonic balancer.

Ahh - makes sense now.

Thought thats what it was about.

So is 14 deg in advance of 12 deg or is it backwards and 10 deg is in advance?

Thanks

[253@7k]

Advance = +degrees in timing.

Retard = -degrees in timing.

I dont know in what direction to turn the dizzy (clockwise or anticlockwise) to advance or retard. Best to consult a gregories manual or someone who knows holden 6's. (never had anything to do with themself myself.) For you I would only go another 2-4 degrees of advance, anymore (if the engine is un-modified) and she may not be too happy.

Good luck with it,
Steve.

[Outlaw Torn]

hehehe. if u are doing a hory job of the timing, i managed by listening to the engine while i turned the dizzy each way, then pulled it back to roughly halfway between when it is noticably not right in each direction., worked a treat.

[82VH]

try getting a timing light
when go to do the change check the timing and right it down before you change it.

the harmonic balancers like to splip on them. so even if it is right at 12deg. it may read higher or lower if the balancer is slipped. so don't just put it back to 12 if it goes bad

don't loosen the dizzy right up, leave a little grab because you only need to move it a little.

advance it and to test lug it up a hill and see if it pings, or floor it on the highway at 80, or take off hard from a stand still. if it pings go back in icrements of 1 deg. until it stops.

[Sammy]

ok firstly, from where you are standing, if you turn the dizzy anti-clockwise that will advance the timing, obviously the other way is retarding.

now the 12 degrees, im not sure where you get this from ?

best way to tune your car without a timing light or a dyno is to advance it (only move the dizzy a few mm's at a time, then take it for a test drive, as stated above, stick it in top gear at 60km's and put the foot to the floor, let it accelerate out a bit and see if it pings, if it does back it off a bit and re-test, repeat till it stops pinging ..... if it doesn't then advance it till it pings then do as above to stop it pinging ....

[Goon]

Timing light
White out - the liquad, yes to make marks.

Idle and mixer screw if you have those.

Screw driver to check movement of number 1 pistion by removing spark plugs.

When u buy the light, it will have a mnaual on how to use it, best getting a maunal for your car to look at timing details.

I'm not an EFI person, without it i could help, but with it...

[Goon]

Quailty of your timing light also matters, the more expensive the better understanding you will have on how it works..

I went cheap only cause i knew what i was doing at the time. Plus side is if u know a mechanic or more as you can always ask Questions and get them to always help out if sh*t hits the fan ..

[RedVK]

Hey... I am a relative newcomer to the world of holden, owning an average 85 VK SL. My 202 Black seems to be detonating....... how do I manage the timing so it's actually running properly. Right now, the rev range is extremely 'slack' as in about a 40% loss in power over other stock VK's I have driven.

Idle @ 950
High Idle @ 1150

fuel mixture is up the date - averaging 22L / 100km.
Engine runs on after ignition cutoff.

Replaced leads with 8.0mm Monster leads
Standard NGK's gapped correctly
Standard air filter element

I didnt realise this was the case with the 202 Black, but there are several issues relating to the E.S.T. also.

I am not a highly technical person, but if someone can lay out the steps, i can perform it with no worries.

Cheers

[Goon]

The idles a bit off off but not to far.

Do u have headers on this ride at all?

850-900 idle

1100 high idle

Those would be something id be aiming for, but u have a black mortor with EST so i don't know.

Mines Blue ..

[RedVK]

How do I set the timing on my EST equipped VK...

I took it to my mechanic and he tried to set the timing as normal, rotated the dizzy, 23 degs in all.... and nothing happened... how do i reset the computer to accept retuning??

help?? this is costing me more and more every day....

RedVK :-P