Timing problem 22r 1987 (1 Viewer)

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H2o

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Oct 12, 2005
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I am having trouble timing my 22r, 1987 mini truck. It was running great and replaced the plugs, adjusted the valves, checked the wireset, checked ignitor, etc... but when i time it, is is advanced 8 BTDC. It sounds great, but not timing right. I took it for a short drive and seems find. I did not drive too fast nor hit the skinny pedal to hard to test for knocking.

I adjusted the valves based on the timing marks on the pully being at zero mark.

The distributor is cranked as far as it can go clockwise so i can't get it back to 0. the timing on this truck/engine should be at 0 with vac advanced pinched off and 12 with the vac advanced hooked up. Distributor was not recently removed.

I checked my timing light against another unit and that is not the problem.

The vac advance seems to work right when I hook up vacuum to it.

Timing chain seems good. guides look ok, the tensioner as well (inspected from above). There is good tension on the left (pull) side of the chain.

One question, when i was adjusting the valves, at TDC, the dot on the timing chain cam gear is not quite all the way at the top. it is very very slightly to the left. Also, i noticed that the shiny link on the timing chain was about 6 links behind the TDC dot on cam gear. Should the shiny link always match up with the dot or is this only when you install the timing chain?

Also, there is a VAV that seems to make noise. This VAV i believe is part of AC system.

Thanks.
 
I am having trouble timing my 22r, 1987 mini truck. It was running great and replaced the plugs, adjusted the valves, checked the wireset, checked ignitor, etc... but when i time it, is is advanced 8 BTDC. It sounds great, but not timing right. I took it for a short drive and seems find. I did not drive too fast nor hit the skinny pedal to hard to test for knocking.


IIRC, 5 degrees is for EFI, and 7 is for a carbed 22R.


If it's fine, why do you have a problem? I'd go drive it. Be OCD and tell us EXACTLY what it's doing. It should either: 1; jump off the line, and have a flat spot throughout the rev range. 2; be completely fine, or 3; lug off the line and jump at upper RPMs.


Did you time it with the advance cut? Or hooked-up?








I adjusted the valves based on the timing marks on the pully being at zero mark.

The distributor is cranked as far as it can go clockwise so i can't get it back to 0.



Can you pull the dist and turn it a tooth, and put it back in?


the timing on this truck/engine should be at 0 with vac advanced pinched off and 12 with the vac advanced hooked up. Distributor was not recently removed.


I don't think so, but I don't have the FSM page in my head right now to know for sure.


I checked my timing light against another unit and that is not the problem.

The vac advance seems to work right when I hook up vacuum to it.

Timing chain seems good. guides look ok, the tensioner as well (inspected from above). There is good tension on the left (pull) side of the chain.

One question, when i was adjusting the valves, at TDC, the dot on the timing chain cam gear is not quite all the way at the top. it is very very slightly to the left. Also, i noticed that the shiny link on the timing chain was about 6 links behind the TDC dot on cam gear. Should the shiny link always match up with the dot or is this only when you install the timing chain?


The head could be milled...

Also, I don't know the formula but no, the bright link won't usually line up after it's been rotated. It will, but it has to rotate a certain # of times, it'll align once, then it won't again, until a certain # of times.




Also, there is a VAV that seems to make noise. This VAV i believe is part of AC system.

Thanks.



Does it make a gargling sound? On the pass side?
 
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The VAV is on the passenger side. It has a cylinder attached to it. It makes a vacuum sound.

The head was never milled. I might try to pull the dizzy and adjust, but i was just trying to figure out other possible causes first.
 
Over time, when a chain stretches, is it possible that you would have to pull out the dizzy and reset to get proper timing adjustment?
 
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Over time, when a chain stretches, is it possible that you would have to pull out the dizzy and reset to get proper timing adjustment?

Well, what can happen is that your chain stretches AND the guides break and it skips a tooth. That is when you see timing errors.

I dont think it is MERELY a matter of a chain stretching because honestly, it just does not stretch that much. I pulled mine off at around 160k and there was 0 difference between the old and new.

I am assuming you have some mileage on that truck considering its age. You might as well just do a TC replacement for good measure.

You asked about the silver link not lining up with the dot. That is normal. The link serves as the intial alignment point for the crank and cam gear. After it is set, who knows when it realigns again (that would require some calculus).

I cant explain your timing issue. It could be many things.

Also, you dont have a 22r. You have a 22re UNLESS it is not original. Are you sure you have the right specs?
 
Its a 22r (i have a pickup).

I might pull the dizzy and reset it and see if that does the trip. right now it is working beautifully. no pinging. it is advanced to 8.
 
A 22r has nothing to do with a PU. It has to do with a time frame in engine development. 22r is a carbed engine. Carbs stoped in 1985 in pu's and 4runners.
 
Mine is carbed, stock.
 
Well, I cant debate what is sitting at your house.

I did some more research.

Seems like they did carry over the 22r to 1988. Rare as I believe most chose the EFI option.

I stand corrected.

Is your pu a 2x4?
 
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Mine is a 4x4. EFI would be nice, but the carb works beautifully.
 
which way did you turn the crank pulley when doing valves. correct is clock wise.

opposite of that MAY cause chain jumping issues.

but i dont think thats the problem
t
take out the distributor and re set it a tooth over.
 
It may be that your vacuum advance unit is stuck. Disconnect both vacuum lines and start the truck. Hook a vacuum pump to one of the vacuum ports on the dist and apply vacuum while watching timing. If timing doesn't change then do the same thing with the other vacuum port. No change in timing or not being able to create a vacuum on the advance unit means it needs to be replaced. Mine did the same thing so I found a distributor that only required one vacuum line to work the advance and all has been well since then.

Charlie
 
Found solution...

Finally got this issue resolved. I ignored it because the truck was running fine. But recently, it started backfiring very lightly when i would let off the accelerator, or when coasting down a hill in gear. It was running rough too and once would not start. I was smelling gas but when i inspected the entire vehicle, could not locate any leaks so i assume it was coming from the carb (too rich).

So I started running through a total tune up checking everything. Checked absolutely everything. The air gap was off so adjusted that.

The one thing that was not checking out was the Distributor test to turn the signal rotor (see attached pdf) clockwise and it should spring back. It turned, but did not really snap back. It was kind of stuck once i turned it.

So decided to pull the distributor and try to figure out what was going on. Using the haynes exploded view (I could not find this in the FSM though it could have it as well), I pulled the signal rotor off. It was so gunked up that i had to use a small prying tool under it to pry it off. It finally came out and it was all gunked up with old grease and a tiny amount of rust. I cleaned it, used wheel bearing grease (synthetic); this was the only grease i was able to find to use after reading up online.

I also lubricated the breaker plate with some silicone spray after cleaning it out really good with brake cleaner.

Put it all back together and now the trucks times perfectly at 0. Beautiful.

So the issue was the centrifugal advance. A part that I think most would not think of being that important. I guess it was...
 

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