Adjusting Dizzy Spark

[pizza boy]

Ive read that retarding the base timing, by turning back the distributor a few degrees (4 bdtc or sumthin) can prevent the ECU retarding/advancing system from frying dizzys/rotorarms.

Can any1 clarify this a bit more? Has any1 done this? Cos i want my new dizzy to last heh.

[DeusMR2]

try this:

http://www.board.mr2faq.com/showthread.php...t=!Removed!+timing

its for an NA but I don't think that'll make much difference? The technique is the same

[Titto]

Can you copy that info and post it on here - i dont have a user account with them...

cheers

Adam

[DeusMR2]

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How to advance the timing on an MKIINA

Sorry, guys. I wish the pics would have shown up, but the board wouldn't let me post all of them in the same thread, so you'll just have to click on each link. Here's my original DIY:

This article is long enough, so I’m going to keep the introduction short. Below is a step-by-step description of my experience of advancing the timing on my ’91 MR2NA. Before most of the steps, I’ve written a brief introduction to explain the purpose of that step, then go into more detail. Much credit goes to Uncle Duke for his help. I have cited several of his statements in these instructions.

Step 1: Painting the timing marks

The timing marks are found on the crankshaft pulley. When these marks pass the degree markings on the timing tab (discussed later), you look at the two to determine the timing of the engine. For example, if you check your timing at the factory specs you will notice the timing marks on the crankshaft pulley will line up with the 10-degree mark on the timing tab, which is stationary on the engine. This tells you your timing is set at 10 degrees.

The easiest way to find the timing marks on the crankshaft pulley is to lie down on the passenger side of the car, with your head just in front of the rear wheel, and look up toward the engine compartment. You will see a pulley, shown in the picture below. This is the crankshaft pulley. There are two distinct timing marks, one on each side of the pulley, which are actually V-shaped notches. If you don’t see the marks, get in the car, put the key in the ignition, and "bump" the starter to turn over the engine, but you don’t have to start it. Get out and check for the marks again. Keep doing this until you spot them. You’ll know them when you see them. I couldn’t get both marks to show up in this picture, but you can see the one on the inside.

http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddim...DMxeTU0MQ%3D%3D

Now that you’ve found the timing marks you need to paint them so you can see them with the timing light. Get a damp rag and clean the marks. Find a small paintbrush and a bottle of white paint or whiteout (whiteout dries faster). White is the color of choice because it will show up best under the timing light. Dip your brush in the paint or whiteout and carefully paint both marks on the pulley. Try to paint only the notches themselves. Don’t get too sloppy or your timing readings won’t be as accurate. I accidentally got a little paint outside the notches, but it wasn’t enough to make a difference.

http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddim...U0MQ%3D%3D' target='_blank'

Step 2: Removing the right engine compartment "wing cover."

Removing the right wing cover will make the timing marks easier to see. This is a simple step. Open the engine lid and you will see two phillips-head screws, one in front and one in back, holding the cover on. You will also notice a ground wire bolted to the cover. Remove this bolt with a 10mm wrench or socket. Now remove the two phillips-head screws and put the screws and bolt somewhere where you won’t lose them. The cover is further held in place by plastic clips, so remove the cover by gently wiggling it while pulling inward and slightly up (Uncle Duke). Once the cover is free, set it out of the way.

Step 3: Cleaning the timing tab.

Unlike the marks on the crankshaft pulley, the marks on the timing tab are stationary. As the timing marks on the crankshaft pulley pass the marks on the timing tab, you compare the two to determine at how many degrees the timing is set. Cleaning the tab makes the marks and numbers easier to read.

The location of the timing tab is shown in the picture below. Shine a flashlight down in there and you can’t miss it. The timing tab just looks like a block of metal.

http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddim...DMxeTU0MQ%3D%3D

The timing hash marks are on the side and the numbers are on top. There is a single hash mark at 0, 5, and 15 degrees. 10 degrees is shown with a double hash mark to make setting the timing at the factory specs easier. The timing marks on the crankshaft pulley should be set between these double hash marks if reading the factory setting. Clean the timing tab with a damp rag and use a toothbrush to get between the numbers. Sorry about the blurry picture. I had a hard time getting the camera down there. You can still see what the tab looks like, though.

http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddim...U0MQ%3D%3D' target='_blank'

Now you’re ready to begin the procedure of actually advancing the timing. Before proceeding, take Mister 2 out for a quick spin to bring the engine up to normal operating temperature. It is very important that the engine is at its normal operating temperature and is idling at the usual RPM, around 800 or so. When you get back, turn the ignition off before continuing.

Step 4: Jumping the ECU

Jumping the ECU disables the electronic timing control so the computer doesn’t !Removed! the timing when you try to advance it. The connector you’re looking for is the gray one at the right rear top of the engine compartment and the cover says “DIAGNOSIS” (Uncle Duke). After finding the test connector, find the Vehicle Emission Control Information label on the top left corner of the engine compartment lid. There is a schematic that shows you which pins to short together. I found it helpful to copy the schematic onto a piece of graph paper and orient it as the connector appears (Uncle Duke). This makes it easier to see which pins you’re looking for. Use a paperclip or, preferably, a piece of insulated wire to jump the pins. This picture’s a bit blurry too, but the pins are still obvious.

http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddim...DMxeTU0MQ%3D%3D

Step 5: Hooking up the timing light.

In order for the timing light to work, it must be connected to a +12 volt negative ground power supply. Normally, this power supply is the Battery. Obviously, we can’t use the Battery on our cars since it’s way up front. You’ll have to find a +12 volt supply in the engine compartment. On the left rear side of the engine compartment, you’ll find a black fuse box. Squeeze the tabs on this fuse box and pull up to remove the lid. Inside you’ll see a red rubber boot with a "+" on it. Pull this boot back to reveal two bolts and nuts. This is your +12 volt supply. Outside the fuse box, but not far away, you’ll see four large bolts, which are attached to the left rear strut. This is a good ground connection. The power leads for the timing light resemble miniature jumper cable clamps. As shown in the picture below, connect the red (positive) clamp to one of the two bolts under the red rubber boot in the fuse box. Connect the black (ground) clamp to one of the four bolts attached to the strut. Now you’ve got power!

http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddim...U0MQ%3D%3D' target='_blank'

The last step to hooking up the timing light is connecting the inductive pickup lead to the #1 cylinder sparkplug cable. Here, it is best to have an inductive timing light as opposed to an electronic timing light. Electronic timing lights are connected between the sparkplug and sparkplug wire to determine when that particular sparkplug fires. These aren’t the best choice when dealing with electronic ignition. If you accidentally touch something you’re not supposed to, you’re going to get a nasty shock of about 40,000 volts. You certainly wouldn’t need any coffee the rest of the day! Inductive timing lights, which can be had for as little as $30, are much safer. You simply clamp the inductive pickup around the #1 sparkplug cable as shown in the picture. The sparkplug cables are labeled with white numerics.

http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddim...DMxeTU0MQ%3D%3D

Step 6: Checking the timing.

If you already know how a timing light works, then this step isn’t really necessary. But for those of you who are totally new to this (like I was) it’s a good idea to become familiar with how the timing light operates before attempting to advance the timing yourself. Double-check the timing light connections and ECU jumper to make sure everything is hooked up correctly. Also, make sure that the timing light wires aren’t dangling down inside the engine compartment. You don’t want them to be near any moving parts. If everything checks out, get in the car and start the engine. (Make sure the emergency brake is on!) The engine should still be warm, so just let the car idle normally. Now, walk to the back of the car and pick up the timing light. This picture shows what a timing light looks like:

http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddim...U0MQ%3D%3D'

You’ll notice it has a trigger. When you pull this trigger, the strobe light flashes in sequence with the #1 cylinder. From the passenger side, lean over the engine and point the timing light at the timing tab and pull the trigger. You should see the white timing marks you painted earlier flashing between the 10 degree double hash marks on the timing tab. The timing light will only strobe at that instant when the timing marks on the crankshaft pulley match the 10 degree marks on the timing tab. The white timing mark should be steady next to 10 degrees, not jumping around. If it is jumping around, make sure you’ve shorted the correct pins on the ECU, otherwise you won’t get an accurate reading. Also, make sure your line of sight is parallel with the strobe light. You should be looking directly down on the timing tab. If you try to read the timing marks from an angle, you may experience what are called parallax errors, meaning the timing mark will appear to be in a different position since you’re looking at it at an angle. If you’re having a hard time seeing the white marks, you may have to turn the engine off and paint them again. It also helps to have someone hold the engine lid up so you can move the prop rod out of the way. This makes it easier to get directly over the timing tab. Once you have a feel for how the timing light works, set it aside and shut off the engine.

Step 7: Advancing the timing.

Now that you know how to use the timing light, you’re finally ready to advance the timing. You’ll need someone to help you with this step. To physically advance the timing, you simply turn the distributor until the timing marks on the crankshaft pulley indicate the desired timing degrees on the timing tab. You first need to loosen the distributor, but before you do that, make sure the engine is off. Standing on the driver’s side of the car, the bolt you need to loosen is to the left of the distributor, illustrated in the picture below.

http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddim...DMxeTU0MQ%3D%3D

Using a 12mm socket, loosen the bolt on the distributor clamp, but not too much. Right now, you just want the bolt to be snug so that you can easily loosen it and turn the distributor later. This is important because if the bolt is very tight and you try to loosen it while the engine is running, your hand could ***** upward when the bolt breaks loose and the distributor might suddenly twist. You obviously don’t want this, so break the bolt loose while the engine is off, then snug it up a bit to hold the distributor in place. Now for the fun part. Start the engine again and grab your timing light. Point the light at the timing tab and timing marks just as you did earlier. Instruct your helper to loosen the bolt on the distributor clamp just enough so that he/she can turn the distributor against light resistance. Slowly turn the distributor to the right, towards the back of the car. While your helper is turning the distributor, watch closely the white timing marks on the crankshaft pulley. You want to set the timing at 12.5 degrees, which is halfway between the 10 and 15 degree hash marks on the timing tab. But remember that the 10 degree mark is between the double hash marks, so you’ll have to set the timing mark halfway between this center point and the single mark at 15 degrees. It can be a little difficult to see this at first, so just do the best you can. As the distributor is turned, you will see the white timing marks slowly move up the scale. When you’re satisfied with the position of the marks, tell your helper to stop turning the distributor and check the timing marks again. If they’re as close as you think you’re going to get them, slowly tighten the bolt on the distributor clamp, but keep your eye on the timing marks to make sure they don’t move. It is common for the distributor to move a little bit while the bolt is being tightened, and this can throw your timing mark off. If the timing marks move, you’ll have to loosen the distributor and try again. Once you get the distributor tightened without the timing marks moving, you’re home free. With the distributor tight, check the timing one last time to make sure it’s where you want it. That’s it! You’re finally finished! Disconnect the timing light and remove the jumper from the ECU. When you remove the jumper, you will notice the engine RPMs increase. This is normal. If you want, you can turn the car off before removing the ECU jumper, but it doesn’t make any difference either way. Put the engine compartment wing cover back on, clean up your mess, and take your baby out for a spin!

The test drive.

This part made me more nervous than anything else did because it would tell me if I did anything wrong or not. I didn’t want to have to go back and change the timing again and luckily, I didn’t have to. On your first drive, you should notice that your car has better power at low RPMs, meaning slightly more torque. However, advancing the timing won’t do much for top end power.

You may pick up a little low rev transient detonation on 87 PON (Pump Octane Number) grade fuel, but it’s not enough to cause any damage. The acid test of detonation is whether or not it pings heavily under load. Lug it down to 1500 revs in fourth gear and floor it. If it doesn’t detonate you’re okay, but a little light transient pinging that goes away by 1800-2000 RPM is okay, too (Uncle Duke).

This may seem like an involved process because these instructions are so long, but I tried to explain every step as clearly and with as much detail as I could. Even if you’re not good with cars (I know I’m not), you can do this. Now that you know what to look for, the first five steps, maybe even the first six, you could probably do in twenty minutes or less. Once you start going through these instructions and identifying all the parts and processes described, everything will come together and you’ll be glad you got the experience.

-justin91 dec 1st 2001

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sorry for the slow reply, been at work since 1!

-edit: pictures now working!

-edit 2 : pictures now really working! (i hope)

-edit 3 : picture sbetter !Removed! work or i'll... :ffs:

-edit 3.5 : ok i give up, if anyone knows how ti fix it then lemme know! the pics are quite useful in explaining whats going on!

[pizza boy]

Cheers dude thats very helpful. Has any1 tried it before tho?