Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - Failed Smog - 92 Civic DX

AaronMartinSole · 01-03-2013, 08:19 PM

So I'm working on the timing right now. Just bought a $20 timing light from the HABBA as our Boston friends would say, and I am an idiot.

-So I moved the distributor which is on the left of the engine, all the way counterclockwise towards the rear of the car, when standing on the left of the engine facing the back of the car, or standing on the passenger side, looking over the engine from the distributor. Lol. I'm the guy that has to say, "righty-tighty, lefty-loosey" and has a terrible sense of left/right counter and counter-clockwise, and a terrible sense of direction when driving. Anyway, this moved the white mark on the rubber belt to the right of the metal timing marks.

-I set the timing light at 0, and the white TDC mark went from the center to the right of the metal timing marks like 2 centimeters after I moved the distributor. The belt is rotating counterclockwise.

I forget but I tried the distributor all the way forward and all the way back and the engine responded very noticeably. I forget which way, but one way it ran with a higher idle I suppose? Much stronger and smoother.

-The smog inspector said my engine was at 10 degrees BTDC and it needs to be advanced to 16 BTDC. I believe there's a 2 degree +/-, and I've heard that slightly retarded timing, like say 14, might help smog. I've also heard that slightly advancing timing improves fuel economy! This is something I am going to do in the future.

[?] So did I just advance or retard my timing? How do I know the exact degrees I'm at? The timing light has a knob that goes from 0 up to something. I'm sorry I'm an idiot. What is that for and how do I use it?

+I put a bottle of CRC Guaranteed to Pass in. Still don't think I'll pass if I do just these two things. What else should I do? Should I do a valve adjustment? What causes crazy high NOx emissions?

Wait a minute. Should there be more marks on the belt, other than the TDC? With the belt rotating counterclockwise, with the white belt mark to the right and to the left of the metal timing marks, which way is advancing and which way is retarding?

01-03-2013, 08:19 PM	#3 (permalink)
AaronMartinSole Your car looks ridiculous Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Northern California Posts: 96 The Fantastic Festiva - '90 Ford Festiva L 90 day: 43.16 mpg (US) A Civic Duty - '96 Honda Civic LX 90 day: 34.9 mpg (US) Ranger Danger - '96 Ford Ranger XL 90 day: 17.42 mpg (US) Thanks: 23 Thanked 5 Times in 4 Posts	So I'm working on the timing right now. Just bought a $20 timing light from the HABBA as our Boston friends would say, and I am an idiot. -So I moved the distributor which is on the left of the engine, all the way counterclockwise towards the rear of the car, when standing on the left of the engine facing the back of the car, or standing on the passenger side, looking over the engine from the distributor. Lol. I'm the guy that has to say, "righty-tighty, lefty-loosey" and has a terrible sense of left/right counter and counter-clockwise, and a terrible sense of direction when driving. Anyway, this moved the white mark on the rubber belt to the right of the metal timing marks. -I set the timing light at 0, and the white TDC mark went from the center to the right of the metal timing marks like 2 centimeters after I moved the distributor. The belt is rotating counterclockwise. I forget but I tried the distributor all the way forward and all the way back and the engine responded very noticeably. I forget which way, but one way it ran with a higher idle I suppose? Much stronger and smoother. -The smog inspector said my engine was at 10 degrees BTDC and it needs to be advanced to 16 BTDC. I believe there's a 2 degree +/-, and I've heard that slightly retarded timing, like say 14, might help smog. I've also heard that slightly advancing timing improves fuel economy! This is something I am going to do in the future. [?] So did I just advance or retard my timing? How do I know the exact degrees I'm at? The timing light has a knob that goes from 0 up to something. I'm sorry I'm an idiot. What is that for and how do I use it? +I put a bottle of CRC Guaranteed to Pass in. Still don't think I'll pass if I do just these two things. What else should I do? Should I do a valve adjustment? What causes crazy high NOx emissions? Wait a minute. Should there be more marks on the belt, other than the TDC? With the belt rotating counterclockwise, with the white belt mark to the right and to the left of the metal timing marks, which way is advancing and which way is retarding? Last edited by AaronMartinSole; 01-03-2013 at 08:50 PM..