S14: Issue setting timing

[ManoNegra]

95 S14
Having problems setting timing from scratch on this mofo.
Set timing mark to TDC (second notch from the left) on the main pulley.
Aligned alternator as per FSM EM-19.
Let car warm up, turn off, unplugged TPS, connect timing gun, blah blah.

Issue is with the range of adjustability I have on the alternator.
I can only get timing to 10 degrees BTDC, still need another 10 degrees.
Have a few alternators and have done this today at least a handful of times with similar results.
Set timing once before on this motor with no isssues.
Took the car for a spin and, as expected, it misses and bogs on the lower RPMs.
Ideas?
Thinking of maybe setting main pulley to 10 degrees BTDC and going from there...?

[projectRDM]

Alternator? For timing? Huh?

[ManoNegra]

Ahh... fuck... sorry, meant to say distributor(s).
Was messing with the alternator earlier...

Still, adjust the timing mark on the distributor on the dot and at 10 degrees BTDC.
Compensate by adjusting dist. timing mark to the right and not I'm ~30 degrees BTDC.
Arghhhhhhh!!

[stinky_180]

did you remove the tps harness connector before trying to set timing? engine was warmed up to normal operating temperature?

[jhec23]

Did you pull out your distributor before that? Maybe you didn't put it back right. Check FSM

[nrg]

you're lining your distributor on the wrong mark. use the other mark instead.

[ManoNegra]

did you remove the tps harness connector before trying to set timing? engine was warmed up to normal operating temperature?

yes and yes

Did you pull out your distributor before that? Maybe you didn't put it back right. Check FSM

Did it a few times, pretty sure it was right

you're lining your distributor on the wrong mark. use the other mark instead.

That's what I ended up doing, aligning the distributor at different places.
After a few more trials, I was able to get timing to 23 degress BTDC before calling it quits.
Maybe I'll look into it again this weekend.
Car is running, a bit rough but the power is back.

[UNISA JECS]

The most important thing when setting base timing is having your base idle speed set correctly M/T 650rpm +/- 50rpm (personally I set to 675rpm).

Having your base idle set at 750rpm, 800rpm, 850rpm will only cause your distributor to be at the far end of adjustment (the higher the base idle the more off yoru distributor timing will be) and also set the timing incorrectly.

Lastly many of you might not know this but you have to follow the FSM to the "T" when setting base idle and timing to the "T" they go hand in hand you mess with one and you throw the other off a little so there both handled at the same timing, finsihing off with timing gun.

Really important here, when your car is set into "TIMING MODE" correctly you should be able to stall your car out by adjusting the idle adjustment screw all the way in with the TPS unpluged, if you cannot you are not setting timing correctly.

Also really important here if you cannot set base idle and timing by following the procedures set forth in the FSM by unpluging the TPS, then you my friend have an ECU that works slightly different and you need to go one step further and disconnect the AAC valve harness (usually a brown plug) only after you have unpluged the TPS and you could not bring your car to a stall. Now you can set base idle and timing correctly.

Oh I learned this way back in 2000, granted not ever ECU required the AAC valve disconnect to get into timing mode but some ECU did.

What happens is when you disconnect the TPS during timing mode it is suppost to close the AAC valve but instead some ECU open the AAC valve causing teh idle to be high and not being able to stall the car with the idle adjustment screw.

[UNISA JECS]

I'd like to add to some people like to have there idle a tad bit higher especially if you got cams or hard engine mounts, only after you set base idle and timing correctly, you can now go back and raise it via the idle adjustment screw.