ignition timing? how to do it right?

[E30SPDFRK]

Is the issue the icv itself? I'd rather fix the root problem than do a bandaid fix.

[E30SPDFRK]

I replaced the elbow hose under the icv because it had a crack in it and cleaned the icv with some carb cleaner, no change. I can get a new Bosch icv for about $225, should I get it or is it the icv computer (do m10's have that?)? I don't want to just throw parts at it but I know how often icv's fail with this age.

[Navarone]

Any update on this? I'm trying to chase down a similar problem.

Thanks

[Navarone]

Oh, and when I look at my distributor like this those metal fingers that are touching in your pic are about 1/2 apart in mine. Is that a problem? When I pull on the rotor it has some up and down travel and it feels like it's on a corkscrew, so rotating makes it rise. There's also some metal flakes and marks on the points in the cap like they got hit by the rotor.

[Navarone]

Timing advanced?


Metal shavings

[jeffnhiscars]

Some up and down movement is normal and as the drive gears are helical, they are in fact a cork screw. It's also normal to have some wear on the cap contacts but it looks like you only have it on one. This suggests that there may be wear bushings which are causing some shaft wobble which could easily effect timing.

The other possibility, and the reason I always keep a spare rotor in the car, is that right after an accident my car kept dying on th road. Seems th battery slid over 1/2 in which was just enough to allow the cap to hit it when I revved the engine which caused the cap to make rotor contact and snapped the rotor. Weak engine mounts raise the risk so check those and make sure your battery isn't moving.

[Navarone]

ignition timing? how to do it right?

Yeah my battery wasn't well tied down and was touching the cap when I bought the car. It's better now but I still don't have a real battery hold down bracket. There is a little bit of side to side wiggle on the rotor and shaft, but the up and down seems to be about 1/4" or more.

I just set the timing then did the penny trick to bring idle down. Runs a little more bogged down now :( I also figured out a little more about how the distributor works and might rebuild it or get a new one. I was going to show it today, drove 40 miles and the guy flaked. Fuckin a.

Thanks for the info!