Anyone know any tricks on getting the IGNITION timing correct? Evidentally the Honda service manual Has a qwerk in it. When I plug the vacuume lines to the vacuume advance unit and set the timing for 4 degrees and then connect the vacuume lines and see if it is 15 degrees, its off the scale. Pings on reving it up. I can back it off til it quit's pinging on reving. Thinking about EAR timing it and leaving it that way...
Ideas appreciated

Thanks.

I have an '88 LX w/carb, and recently set my timing for the 1st time. I followed the following advice from another website:

“To check for pinging on 1984 and up Honda Accords, Honda suggests another timing method, which allows you to verify the condition of the advance diaphragms. First warm-up the engine, connect a timing light, disconnect vacuum hoses from advance diaphragms, the inside hose should have vacuum and the outside hose should not. Plug hoses, timing should be 3 degrees BTDC (white mark), reconnect the inside hose, timing should advance to the red mark. Connect a vacuum pump to the outside diaphragm and apply vacuum, the timing should advance an additional 4-6 degrees. Remove the vacuum pump from the outside hose and reconnect the outside hose. Now set the timing to the specs given in the service manual. Here's what you have just done; you've verified the condition of both vacuum advance diaphragms and the advance mechanism. and you have set the timing accurately.”

When I plugged the #2 vacuum hose in, the timing advanced to within 1/4" of the red mark. I looked at a new vacuum advance, and saw they had an adjustable advance, but don't care to fiddle with it. I don't have a vacuum pump, so I skipped the second part, but checked it "manually" with my own suction and the distributor cap off.

Please report back with your experience!

dan

I should have said that I have already replaced the vac advan unit. I found that it was bad already. I have found that I have a bad vacuume solenoid valve that applies vacuume to the second chamber after the engine is rev'd above 1500 RPM. Still chasing the troubles out of it but will post results when done. I know the electrical signal is getting to the 6 p connector on the vac distribution unit. ANd I know vac is getting to the vac dist unit. There is a check valve and then the solenoid itself that I have to check.

Later! :bloated:

Flash!

Man I hate it when I find these things. Manual says to warm the engine to temperature, rev the engine to 1500+ RPM and then vacuume should appear at the secondary vac advance line. Trouble is.. the vacuume DOES appear when the engine is BELOW temp and rev'd above 1500 rpm. This makes sense to me since this secondary vac advance is supposed to help with cold engine performance...Geez.. Has anyone else had a few hiccups in these manuals?

I know for a fact that you don't have to pull the driver side axcel out to get the alternator off like the book says. Pull the air filter box and it comes right out....Of course you need to remove the negative battery cable first... Back out to testing.....

Not sure you should be getting secondary advance under 1500 RPM, cold. Sounds contrary to everything I've read. Just to be sure, primary advance is #2 hose closest to dist. cap.

Have you checked your ECU codes? Maybe you have a bad sensor of some type?
http://hybrid.honda-perf.org/tech/codes.html

good luck!

dan

I'm getting secondary advance ABOVE 1500 RPM with th engine BELOW operating temperature. This makes sense since the extra advance during suboperational temps can help the engine respond better. Once the engine reaches operating temp, the secondary advance vacuume is being disabled and goes away. The ABOVE 1500 RPM part agrees with the book, but the temperature does NOT agree with the book and does NOT make sense...To me anyway.:confused:

No codes present. This all started due to me trying to set the ignition timing...