Dist adjustment with new plugs?

T

thundercougar

Registered User
I reciently put in NGK V-power plugs into my n/a 3.8, Someone told me to adjust the dist to get max performance.

Its really something I dont want to play around with doing a trial and error just trying to adjust it. Ive heard it you turn it too much it will make the engine blow up.

But I though it might solve some problems such as. Bad gas mileage, When I rev it, it makes the whole car tq over, Ive heard thats not a good thing that it may be running rich.

Thanks for the replys ahead of time.
 
There are no "adjustments" on an SC. None. If your motor is torquing around you might have bad motor mounts.

There is no reason to believe that new spark plugs would cause your car to run any different fuel mixture than it did before, so no it won't make it run rich.
 
go get whoever told you to adjust your distributor and have them show you where it is located and how to adjust it.....then get back at us so the rest of us will know.......

Thanks.
 
Duh. Didn't notice that. Same thing applies though. Change of spark plugs does not require any re-adjustment of timing other than to make sure that it is set to factory specifications.
 
This is a basic "old school" procedure and very simple. You need a timing light to do it. On your harmonic balancer there are degree marks before and after a "zero" mark. There is a pointer on the timing cover on the passenger front of the motor. Hook up the timing light to the battery and the lead to the #1 plug wire. Loosen the distributor hold down bolt just loose enough to be able to move the distributor with some tension on it. Take off any vacuum advance hose on the distributor and plug it. Start the engine, point the timing light at the pointer mentioned previously and see where it reads on the harmonic balancer lines. Adjust the distributor so that the recommended number of degrees advance is obtained. The lines usually are 2 degrees per line. It helps to make a visible mark on the line that is what you want to line up to. White lead was used years ago, I'm sure it's not available anymore, but I've used regular "white out" with success. When you get it adjusted lock down the distributor hold down bolt and reconnect vacuum hose. Oh yeah, keep your hands out of the belts and fan.
 
The N/A 3.8L distributor doesn't have a vacuum advance, so there isn't a vacuum hose to worry about. However, before adjusting the timing, you have to remove the SPOUT connector. Otherwise, the EEC will basically prevent you from adjusting the timing by compensating for it.

-Rod
 
Multi-Spark Ignition

AnnivSpeCpe said:
Hook up the timing light to the battery and the lead to the #1 plug wire.
Click to expand...
This worked in the "Old Days" because there was only one HV discharge to the spark plug. SC's have Multi-Spark ignition. Your guess is as good as mine, which one the the HV discharges will light up the timing light.

There are also two different types of Timing lights. One type simply hooks up in Series between the #1 spark plug & the #1 spark plug wire. An Inductive Pick Up Timing Light hooks up the the pos. & neg. of the batt. Then the inductive pick up goes around the #1 spark plug wire. When the pick up senses the magnetic pulse of the HV discharge, it fires the timing light.

68COUGAR
 
The connection is also made in parrallel not series. Series would indicate that the connection would fire into the light then back out to the plug.

Jeff
 
Yep, In Series

J57ltr said:
The connection is also made in parrallel not series. Series would indicate that the connection would fire into the light then back out to the plug.

Jeff
Click to expand...
Yep, in SERIES! I have one of these. It only has 2 cables. One goes to the #1 spark plug, & the other goes to the #1 spark plug wire. These are the cheapest of all the timing lights.

68COUGAR
 
Does it run on batteries? you have 2 connections going to the same place.

Even the old one I have has battery connections on it then there is a spring that connects between the end of the plug wire and the plug. Basically it's just a tap, and the connection is parallel.

Jeff
 
I still want to know how SC's came to have multispark ignitions. This is new to me. Please explain.
 
OK, thanks alot for the replys. I got the codes pulled today:

dead 02 sensor

and also, I found out ive been using type f tranny fluid when I should of been using dex3.

Thanks alot guys.
 
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