For those of you that have trouble setting your base timing position using a timing light or for those of you to tight to buy a timing light, here is how to set base ignition timing to the factory ECU timing. This guide is great for those of you who have bought a 'chipped' ECU that has a program tuned to suit the factory base timing position.

Note: This guide uses a B13/N14 style dizzy but they are all essentially the same, even crank angle sensors.

First up, pull the dizzy cap off and remove the rotor button. There is usually a rubber o ring to remove and you will find 2 screws underneath. Remove the black dust cover from the distributor body. By now, your distributor should look like this:
http://img2.putfile.com/thumb/8/22402495880.jpg (http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=6289403)
The smaller outer slits in the exposed disc are the engine degree increments. The inner 4 slits are for TDC on each cylinder, with the largest slit being for cyl 1 TDC.

Now, you need to set your engine up on cyl 1 TDC using the crank pulley mark for TDC. Line the camshaft keyway up with the distributor as you refit the dismantled distributor.
Now, as the exhaust camshaft and crank are lined up with TDC, the distributor rotor shaft is either in its correct position with the larger hole under near the crank angle position sensor or is 180 degrees out. If it is 180 degrees out, then rotate your crankshaft 360 degrees to rotate the exhaust camshaft 180 degrees and line the it up again.

With the distributor installed in the car, rotate the distributor body position until the largest slit is in the middle of the black crank angle sensor. It should look a lot like this:
http://img2.putfile.com/thumb/8/22402495893.jpg (http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=6289404)

From here, tighten up the distributor bolts to lock the position and set the base timing to the ECU controlled base ignition timing position. Fit the distributor dust cover, refit the rotor button. You should find that the rotor button points clearly at the cylinder 1 dizzy cap ignition lead position and the dizzy should look like this:
http://img2.putfile.com/thumb/8/22402495847.jpg (http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=6289405)
From here, fit your dizzy cap and start the car. No timing light needed.

The GTiR ECU runs 20 degrees base ignition timing in timing mode, this is because the stock ECU advances ignition timing so that the ECU fires Cyl 1 20 degrees before TDC based on the ECU knowing where the larger slit is and also being able to count the outer slits to reference how far away 20 degrees is.
This means, that if you plugged in a GTiR ECU, base timing would be 20 degrees but if you removed the GTiR ECU and plugged in a SR20DE ECU, the base timing figure would drop back to 15 degrees despite no movement of the dizzy.

Hope the above makes sense and feel free to comment or ask questions.

For those of you that have trouble setting your base timing position using a timing light or for those of you to tight to buy a timing light, here is how to set base ignition timing to the factory ECU timing. This guide is great for those of you who have bought a 'chipped' ECU that has a program tuned to suit the factory base timing position.

Note: This guide uses a B13/N14 style dizzy but they are all essentially the same, even crank angle sensors.

First up, pull the dizzy cap off and remove the rotor button. There is usually a rubber o ring to remove and you will find 2 screws underneath. Remove the black dust cover from the distributor body. By now, your distributor should look like this:
http://img2.putfile.com/thumb/8/22402495880.jpg (http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=6289403)
The smaller outer slits in the exposed disc are the engine degree increments. The inner 4 slits are for TDC on each cylinder, with the largest slit being for cyl 1 TDC.

Now, you need to set your engine up on cyl 1 TDC using the crank pulley mark for TDC. Line the camshaft keyway up with the distributor as you refit the dismantled distributor.
Now, as the exhaust camshaft and crank are lined up with TDC, the distributor rotor shaft is either in its correct position with the larger hole under near the crank angle position sensor or is 180 degrees out. If it is 180 degrees out, then rotate your crankshaft 360 degrees to rotate the exhaust camshaft 180 degrees and line the it up again.

With the distributor installed in the car, rotate the distributor body position until the largest slit is in the middle of the black crank angle sensor. It should look a lot like this:
http://img2.putfile.com/thumb/8/22402495893.jpg (http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=6289404)

From here, tighten up the distributor bolts to lock the position and set the base timing to the ECU controlled base ignition timing position. Fit the distributor dust cover, refit the rotor button. You should find that the rotor button points clearly at the cylinder 1 dizzy cap ignition lead position and the dizzy should look like this:
http://img2.putfile.com/thumb/8/22402495847.jpg (http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=6289405)
From here, fit your dizzy cap and start the car. No timing light needed.

The GTiR ECU runs 20 degrees base ignition timing in timing mode, this is because the stock ECU advances ignition timing so that the ECU fires Cyl 1 20 degrees before TDC based on the ECU knowing where the larger slit is and also being able to count the outer slits to reference how far away 20 degrees is.
This means, that if you plugged in a GTiR ECU, base timing would be 20 degrees but if you removed the GTiR ECU and plugged in a SR20DE ECU, the base timing figure would drop back to 15 degrees despite no movement of the dizzy.

Hope the above makes sense and feel free to comment or ask questions.

hey how come my gtir dizz on my gtir motor is set advanced. the top bolt is a little toward the fire wall which is advanced. so far i've been running like that with the stock gtir ecu with 15ibs of boost and it's been running great except idles low and rumbling.

Timing light method > that.

hey how come my gtir dizz on my gtir motor is set advanced. the top bolt is a little toward the fire wall which is advanced. so far i've been running like that with the stock gtir ecu with 15ibs of boost and it's been running great except idles low and rumbling.

Easy, your running more than 20 degrees base ignition timing and the GTiR ECU is not all that aggressive so it happily takes more timing. So unless your crank angle sensor just happens to line up on that particular position, your running advanced timing. If you fitted a tuned ECU with say 5 degrees more timing across most of the on-boost map, then you would be running into problems... I will post a screenshot tomorrow to show you why.

Timing light method > that.

Feel free to do it my way and then check it with a timing light... it is always spot on. A lot more accurate, especially if your trying to get every single degree of safe timing advance out of the motor

dial back timing light + calumsult ecu with consult on board = FTW

better yet dial back to get it general....real time ecu.....dyno....whatever timing you want anywhere you want it ;)

Doing it with the crank angle sensor gets it perfect. Timing lights are good but there is a big margin for error, even if you input 15 degrees timing into every single cell of the timing table, the dizzy may still not be in the correct position.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLZPIqwMmvk&mode=related&search=

The timing light is your friend. It can be had for cheap and even you can borow one from a friend for free.

Oh Well

This is very good to know...

The timing light is your friend. It can be had for cheap and even you can borow one from a friend for free.


It must be an American thing for parts stores to have free rental tools.

Pat

dude, you are making things way more complicated than necessary, timing light FTW

Put it this way, if I spent 2 hours on the dyno getting my ignition timing settings perfect. 20 minutes later, say I need to remove my crank angle sensor(my old dizzy) and I have to line it up again with a timing light while I move the dizzy back and forth... and keeping in mind, that watching a light flash on a pin and pulley in the engine bay is hardly degree perfect and you can see how easy it is to set it even 2 degrees out and then more time on the dyno to retard timing by whatever you messed it up by.

When you assemble a motor, you check clearances, check cam timing, etc so what is wrong with making sure your CAS timing is correct.

Basically, I am saying that atleast this way it is a repeatable consistent base setting. I set 15 degrees base timing on the ECU, it will ALWAYS be 15 degrees timing on the crank pulley.

lets just say that i cannot, and for some reason, cannot get my car into timing mode, either through vacuum leaks, or what ever. i am gonna use this technique, as my idle isn't perfect, and even with a light, it would bob around just a tiny bit. i know how to put it in timing mode, but it won't go into timing mode. so if this method works, then this method is what i'm gonna do.

Change timing while you are driving:

http://blazt.biz/index.php

Change timing while you are driving:

http://blazt.biz/index.php

You can't change it while driving with that. It will put the car into timing mode at the push of a button though.

Derrrr, I meant in the car.

This way would come in handy if you and your SR20 powered vehicle were trapped on a deserted island with no timing light. ;)

dial back timing light + calumsult ecu with consult on board = FTW

It will put the car into timing mode at the push of a button though.

A dial back timing light with push button timing mode is sooo awesome. :biggthump

lets just say that i cannot, and for some reason, cannot get my car into timing mode, either through vacuum leaks, or what ever. i am gonna use this technique, as my idle isn't perfect, and even with a light, it would bob around just a tiny bit. i know how to put it in timing mode, but it won't go into timing mode. so if this method works, then this method is what i'm gonna do.

Or you could do the non-ghetto half assed way ... and make your car run RIGHT....then set your timing.

my now 16 year old NX...has no problem going into timing mode.

i have never had a problem either, on anyone's car. just need to know how to troubleshoot.

Or you could do the non-ghetto half assed way ... and make your car run RIGHT....then set your timing.

my now 16 year old NX...has no problem going into timing mode.

i never complained, just said that i couldn't ever get it into timing mode. the person who made this thread never said anything about his method is best or is better than using a light. all he said was he used this way and it works for him... and all i said was i was gonna try this method because the other one wasn't working for me.