NismoPick

You can find the V if you run your finger over the edge of the crank pulley.

pic:

duowing

The tab has little notches in it right? The first notch at the top is 0* and the notches go in 2* increments. We had a lot of trouble finding the notch on the crank pulley, but eventually we found it.

thxone

Ahhh word, thanks Nismo and Duowing...that helps tremendasusully lol I will have it timed tomorrow.

thxone

Hey guys, I timed the car...after I found the V mark on the pulley and marked it and the 0* 10* and 20* marks. It is pretty much spot on 20* with the engine hot. The car is running worse at 20*...stumbling, backfiring and generally has lost some power but every now and then it will make boost fine...ish. I haven't changed anything else so I am stumped. When I first started to time it after I marked the marks it was closer to 40* with the engine cold...ran better. What do you guys think? Part throttle - no boost driving is fine. Also, for some reason I can hear the turbo more now...like it makes a swish sound where as before when it was running good I could barely hear it...just the slight turbo whistle when it started to boost if that makes sense? Maybe it has a boost leak some how in the pressure pipe? Ideas? Suggestions?

NismoPick

Do you have an a/f gauge? If not I strongly suggest you get one.

Start w/ the basics...

Correct fuel pressure?
All spark plug tips look the same?
All efi connections clean?

thxone

Yeah I think I am gonna have some grimlins to chase down...I just took it for another drive after I put some tape around the oil dipstick (the rubber part) seemed to help a little but when I was almost home I got on it and it boosted fine in first - very strong then when I hit second it backfired up front from under the hood and power was down...hmmm.

NismoPick

You need to check your a/f ratio.....

thxone

Doesn't sound like that is cheap to do.

NismoPick

$40 for a gauge... 30 minutes install time...

thxone

Ok, say I do this...I don't know how to adjust the A/F ratio...I am such a noob

NismoPick

Well right now you are just doing it to diagnose your probs. Then you can adjust the AFM, fuel pressure, CHTS, or upgrade to a Z31T ecu & MAF.

thxone

Cool. I found an autometer gauge on their site...also have seen it at the local auto parts store...Payday is Friday so I guess I will grab that and a new O2 sensor...might as well right, an old O2 sensor is sure to be foobared anyway. Thanks man.

duowing

I have two things. First off, when you set your timing did you set it with the TPS connected or Disconnected? If you set it with it disconnected I'd say try it with it connected and see if that makes any difference.

Also for your O2 sensor, get under the ECU, you don't have to pull it out or anything, but there's a little green LCD on the bottom of your ECU, it will blink if it's getting a signal from your O2 sensor. Mine originally didn't then after a new O2 it was blinking again and made a difference. So check to see if that light is blinking first.

As for the timing I know I've heard set it with the TPS disconnected, but it made my car run like crap, but that was only after all of the Ignition System had been replaced. It ran really good set with the TPS connected once I had replaced everything, Ignition Module, Coil, Plug Wires, Dizzy, Cap, Rotor, and plugs. I'm not sure and I could be wrong, but to me I kind of figured it as the car runs at 20* BTDC to accommodate the lower compression, so you'd use the TPS as kind of a sensor towards advancing it, and then it would retard the timing once it switches off to accommodate the increase in compression from the turbo now that the car's RPMs are increasing due to throttle response. I could be completely wrong, but that was my reasoning for why it worked finally with it connected. It seemed like setting the timing disconnected seemed to make up for the fact that the Coil or Ignition Module was kind of crapping out on me.

snwbrderphat540

narrow band O2 sensors are useless for tuning, they will be a light show and thats about it, they will however under load tell you if your stupid rich or lean, they arent very reliable, and most people consider them worthless, i only have one since i turbo's my NA and i need to pay a little more attention to a lean condition that others, i will upgrade to a wideband everntually.

NismoPick

We've had this discussion before... and I'll voice my opinion again:

Narrow band a/f gauges work great for basic tuning, especially for turbocharged motors to make sure it's still running rich under boost. Those people who say "it's just a light show" don't know how to use them correctly.

snwbrderphat540

also now after reading it, i think look for vacumme leaks and also do these cars come with a boost guage stock? turbo death whine maybe.... would be wierd to happen right when you get it but stupider crap has happened, to me even. like my problem turned out to be not enough gas, lol. and also like how my starter died when it was out of the car not being used when it worked perfectly in the pre swap (original) car it was in.

snwbrderphat540

and i will state the mind of all people that build cars shop owner etc, good to tell you if your haveing a problem, bad for actually doing tuning. so unless its noticibly lean or rich the type you could figure out with out the guage its pointless, i have hoever noticed the meters are much more stable reading than in other cars ive seen them in.

NismoPick

Which is why I had just previously stated:


Do you suggest Thxone spend $300 for a wide band, JUST to diagnose his prob?

duowing

As far as the sound goes, my thoughts are just some kind of leak. I can hear my turbo whining like crazy when the car is cold because of the crazy leak, once it warms up and kind of seals, the turbo you don't hear much. I know my turbo isn't dieing either because it seems to move fine with no shaft play.

snwbrderphat540

not at all, im saying i dont think the A/F guage is really gonna do anything when he could pull his plugs for free and figure out if its running rich or lean to teh extent a narrow band A/F guage can read, i only have mine so i could tell if a boosted N/A engine works right under boost. cant pull my plugs in mid boost yah know.

NismoPick

So Thxone can pull his plugs mid boost to find out a/f ratio, but you can't? Hum...

duowing

I'd say it's probably worth it for the gauge, just so you can see what happens, I mean sure you can keep pulling your plugs and what not, but sometimes it would be nice to have an idea right from the gauge. Sure it's nothing amazing, but with these cars every little thing like that helps.

snwbrderphat540

im saying i did it to make sure the NA motor runs fine on a turbo, turbo motors we already know DO, so if its got a constant rich or lean state he can just check the tips, i was charting untouched waters in the Z world i knew of. thats my only reason, its a bit different, if it was a turbo motor i was using to start with i would have never purchased it. but i still think its a vacumme boost leak somewhere more than the car running lean or rich, he has a new AFM. which i guess a boost leak would cause it to run rich but w/e. if you think its just an AFM tunning thing thats what im saying the A/F guage will only do so much for that part. thats my argument.

NismoPick

Not really a new AFM... just a better one. It could still use some tuning I'm sure... but by your advice he shouldn't use the easy method of a/f gauge... he should just pull his plugs 30 times till he gets the setting right.

snwbrderphat540

cheaper method thats equally effective, sometimes we need to work a little harder.



im a commin over there to woop yo *** now