4AFC firing wrong

[oldcorollas]

When this is done, everything lines up as stated in the first post, The mark on the harmonic balancer is at the top right at 0 degrees. It is just firing too early. which is either a 1/4 of a turn before on the dizzy or 1/2 a turn before on the crank. But then you bring it back to TDC and everything lines up again?

think abotu it.

if you have the timing light on lead 1
and the spark is occurring when the piston is at the BOTTOM of the cylinder....

the car is not going to run.

AT ALL.

10 deg BTDC is a LONG way from 180BTDC...


i would suggest, you try putting the timing light onto the lead for cyl 2 or 3.. or on the lead from the coil (so it hits every spark), and try and time that way..


either that or your timing light is totally shit. can you borrow another one?

[Pimpin_1JZ]

Haha I tested the timing light on another car and it's totally fine.
---------------------------------________________
--------------------------------/----------------------------\
-------------------------------/----3-----------------1----- \
------------------------------/---------------------------------\
------------------------------\---------------------------------/
-------------------------------\----4------------------2-----/
--------------------------------\________________/

So basically bring it to TDC at the rotor button points to number 1. Fire it up and it reads under the car 180 before on the balancer (90 before on the dizzy which is at number 2) Chuck it onto number 2 and can see the mark perfectly at the right spot but just not when at number 1. I am so fucking confused.

Should I just time from number 2 and be done with it?

[Pimpin_1JZ]

2 or 3 are exactly 180 from #1 and #4 is exactly the same as #1, give or take a degree or 2 for manufacturing tolerances.
Either way, the only thing I think a timing light is good for, is checking that the mechancial, vacuum or electronic advance actually operates, so I'd ignore its use for anything else.

Just set it so that it runs well, idles fast & smooth and only pings/pinks/spark knocks/detonates when abused, when using the octane of your choice.

That's what I ended up doing in the end (for now till I can find an answer). I just went by ear but really want to try and sort it properly.

[oldcorollas]

are you chcking TDC from the piston? or the crank pulley?

are you 1000% sure the lead you are using, goes to cylinder 1?

for now put it on "number 2" then pull off the hoses to dizzy and plug up, and then do timing again...

and work out what is broke later

maybe take a pic of engine bay showing where you haev hooked up the leads etc etc