Timing Question

[bigbertha]

1981 FJ60

I got the truck running reliably!! I have to thank everyone who advised me in my thread. I woulda shot the truck if it hadn't been for your input.

I now have a new problem/ question that I could not find the answer to in the archives or FSM.

The truck is running ok but there is still a miss when I accelerate in 1st and second around 2000 rpms. The truck kind of loses power for a second then picks up causing the truck to buck. This happens most when I am in town at a stop light turned green and try to accelerate to keep up with the slow normal traffic speeds to the next light. Also, my MPG still SUCKS. I can actually watch the gas gauge fall as I hit inclines.

I am idling at 650 when warm and I consistently have 20-21 Inches HG Vacuum at idle.

I just checked my timing and to my surprise it is set at 22.5 deg. If previous owner set the timing so advanced, should I leave it or is this the problem? Also, what kind of wrench should I use the loosen the dissy clamp nut? I can't get a normal wrench in it.

To retard timing I should turn the dissy clockwise correct??

Any advice is appreciated.


TIA
Vin

 

[nikos8]

It is advanced to 22.5? Are you sure that is right? I think you might need to recheck it. You should be having all sorts of problems at that setting.

 

[bigbertha]

yep

Well, unless I am using the timing light incorrectly, the bb on the flywheel only appears at the mark in the window when I have the dial on the light turned up to 22.5. I checked this a bunch of times.

I warm the engine to operating temp.

Connect the timing light to the battery and block then induction wire to the #1 ignition cord and fire away.

BB does not appear until I near 22.5 and is at the mark at 22.5 deg.


I am at 1300 feet above sea level. Low Altitude, so nothing has to be disconnected or plugged to check timing at idle as far as I know.


Any thoughts??

 

[bhk]

This is maybe a stupid question, but do you have the inductive pickup attached to spark plug wire number one (front of engine)?

edit: oops, I see you do.

 

[beaufort-fj60]

I'm not familiar with a timing light that has adjustable anything, I'm cheap. when I hook mine up it just shows the timing at what it is. what does the knob adjust? how fast the light is flashing?

 

[Aseif007]

I think you set the adjustable lights to 0 when trying to find the base timing? That is what I did. I recently bought an FJ-60 that was advanced to 17 degrees, when I set it back to the correct timing it would not run well. Turns out it had a bad vacuum leak.

 

[Texx]

Not to be too "untech"...but you guys are going at this waaay to hard. Assuming the engine is running well, or at least idles well, advance the timing by turning the dist. counter clockwise until the highest idle. Back it off just a tad, drive it. Pull a hill, go into the wind, hook up a trailer so the engine has to labor a little. Retard till you don't hear any pinging. Highest performance, and least hassle this way. Or, you can do it by the book

 

[bigbertha]

7deg

hi all-

so we set the timing back at 7 deg and the old hag runs fine. Idle smoothed out and vacuum went down from 21 in. HG to 18 in. HG. I hope that will help with fuel consumption as well. i think what happened is that the po advanced the timing to compensate for bad vac leaks and a dying fuel pump and performance issues. Either that or Toyota has some splainin to do. still don't know if she runs ok on the road, but she seems fine off the road.

i'll let you know how she goes.

 

[BILWFURIOSIL]

Right on TEXX the old school way.