Timing - gunsight?

[SteveTheFolkie]

Just a quick question since my Bentley manual hasn't arrived yet - when I look at my flywheel I see a "gunsite" (round hole) with a line transecting it (well, if it was solid it'd transect it - as it is there's a gap where the hole is) - am I correct to assume that I set my timing (20 BTDC on my '85 NA) at that line? I didn't see any other fixed points of reference. Just re-set it yesterday and it's running fine - not pinging on 87 octane or dieseling when I shut it down (as it had been before) - so I figure I'm correct - but just wanted to verfiy -

Also can't recall a vehicle that uses three bolts to fix the distributor in place like the Saab does - thought I was getting weak until I found the one on the underside of the dist!

thanks

Steve

[jetman]

Yes and yes! Its really fun when you have a leaking dizzy o-ring and it gums up the bottom bolt.

[SteveTheFolkie]

.... dealing with wires, vacuum lines and other stuff "hovering" above the gunsite is a real joy as well - someone had set the timing to 16V turbo (16BTDC) which was giving me a bit of a ping under load and a bit of dieseling when I shut down - so I figured it was advanced - brought it back (to 20BTDC - as specified in the manual) and all seems well - starts easier also (who'd have guessed?) -

thanks

Steve

[nutcase]

The "gunsight" is for a Saab timing tool that is a sensor that reads the dowel in the flywheel. To use the timing marks on the flywheel there is a line in teh palstic cover, which is repeated on the engine itself if the cover is removed.

[SteveTheFolkie]

... so I may still be off by 5 or so degrees (estimating the distance I think the line is from the gunsite - if my recollection of the line is correct - versus the diameter of the flywheel in degrees) - I'll give a look when I get home tonight - thanks for the additional information -

At least you can reach the distributor while poking the timing light down at the cover AND there's no mechanical fan to chew off fingers or timing light wires!

Steve

[jetman]

Originally Posted by SteveTheFolkie

... so I may still be off by 5 or so degrees (estimating the distance I think the line is from the gunsite - if my recollection of the line is correct - versus the diameter of the flywheel in degrees) - I'll give a look when I get home tonight - thanks for the additional information -

At least you can reach the distributor while poking the timing light down at the cover AND there's no mechanical fan to chew off fingers or timing light wires!

Steve

I lost a $200 timing light to a dufas friend I lent it to who sheered it off in the cooling fan of whatever domestic beast he was fixing. Now I have a $30 replacement. Which actually works just fine for me.

[nutcase]

I've broken many a cheap strobe Just bought a more rugged (and much more expensive!) one in the vauge hope I can use it more than once.

[a squared]

Also can't recall a vehicle that uses three bolts to fix the distributor in place like the Saab does - thought I was getting weak until I found the one on the underside of the dist!

Most Hondas are this way.

[SteveTheFolkie]

Originally Posted by a squared

Most Hondas are this way.

.. which would explain why I've not run into one before. I drove a rather pathetic excuse for a car called the Honda 600 many many years ago - then I drove a CRX-HF for a bit - as a loaner from a friend while I was working on my VW - that encapsulates my honda experience. I've never been impressed by their vehicles - they always seemed to lack imagination and be rather bland. Perhaps when I retire in 25 years or so they'll "excite" me - but for now I'll pass, thanks. I've always migrated towards European vehicles or (for a few years in my mis-spent youth, when gas was cheap) American muscle cars ('63 Impala SS 409 dual-quad 4spd, 70 Buick GSX 455 4spd and (right before I got married) a 1969 Boss 302 Mustang 4spd) -
I'm not saying it's a bad design - just seemed a bit "overkill" to me -

Steve