Changed plugs, car seems sluggish

[Cpt_Impossible]

I am copying my post from SAU since no one seems to be giving me any feedback there

S13 240sxRB20detStock TurboStock Injectors3" Downpipe back, no cat255 pumpNismo AFPRStock intake pipeM's K&N FilterFMICStock BOV (plumbed) and HKS Super Sound (open vent)MBC

I had my car dynod, made 170rwhp on 12psi and 191 on 15psi (accidentally went too high on MBC). Around 6,200 the power would drop and the AFR would drop into 10:1. There was some concern as to the dyno calibrations but I figured new plugs wouldn't hurt. Switched the plugs from NGK 5's gapped at 1.1 (tips looked OK) to NGK bcpr6es-11 which I gapped down to 0.86mm. While I was doing this, I swapped out the engine covers for some painted and modified ones I had and remembered that long ago, I had removed the Crank Angle Sensor without realizing the implications and I had no idea what timing was set to. So I got the plugs, in, swapped engine covers, and set timing to 15 degrees btdc using the black loop. Had to turn the CAS almost all the way to achieve 15 though, if it was in the middle, it was around 25. I have heard that 15 should be right about the middle of its range of motion so I thought that this was odd, but timing belt shouldn't have skipped or anything, It is a Greddy super strong put in only like 5 thousand miles ago (assuming the tuner installed it correctly). All of the coil packs looked great, didn't notice any cracks after inspecting each.

So I get all of this done and notice that the car has a slight miss occasionally at idle (a lot better when timing was set to 15). And after driving it today it seemed slow. It revs fine at a stop and can hold any rev fine without missing, but when in motion, it seems to take longer for the tach to climb than previously. Inspected for any vac leaks and couldn't find any, even sprayed vac connections with carb cleaner, and idle didn't change at all. Inspected the open vent BOV by putting my hand in front of it while I rev and it doesn't seem to push any air until it gets vac signal to release.

Maybe because timing was set so advanced before, so before it would climb rapidly and then have knock issues up top and go into R&R? Car runs great, but just seems to lack the power it had before I did the plugs and set timing. I would think if all it was screwing me up on the dyno was plugs and timing that I should see 40whp or around that in gains from correcting it, but the car seems slower still.

Any suggestions?

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A friend suggested that instead of using the black loop by the igniter to set timing, I use the lead to coil pack #1. Is that correct? Maybe I am getting the wrong signal and set timing too far back, that would explain why the car is sluggish and the CAS is almost all the way turned down.

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So I changed out the spark plugs for the V power ones in a 6 heat range pregapped and double checked to be at 0.8mm. Didn't change idle at all, still seems to have slight misses. The NGK BCPR6ES plugs that I pulled which were only 3 days old were flat white on the grounding arm though. Not sure if I was actually running super lean or if it was just because most of the time the car was running during those 3 days was at idle and adjusting timing where the engine runs leaner rather than driving it.

I read on NICO club (US forum) that timing using the black loop for timing would read higher than it actually was and that using the black loop, you wanted 25 btdc. I tried that and drove it around and it seemed to drive as it had before the spark plug change after the ECU got used to everything. Was a little sluggish, but after a few minutes of "spirited" driving, the car seemed to run fine again.

Still though, if normal for me is 170whp, then my problem is not fixed as, I should be running over 200whp and this was certainly not 30hp faster than what I consider normal...

Anyone have any thoughts?

[Cpt_Impossible]

While I'm at it, here are the covers I put on... I didn't think out the location of the lettering very well though lol, but the venting seemed like a good idea.

[Shocker]

I'm willing to bet you set the timing wrong. Was the car idling around 750-800rpms when it was done after the car was properly warmed up?

[Cpt_Impossible]

Yes, car was up to temp and idling about 700 with tps unplugged.

I tried using the black loop, and then tried using the thick white wire on the igniter. Both gave me the same reading, but the white wire seemed to give me too many signals and almost looked solid, but yielded the same result as the black loop.

I even tried switching the inductive timing light both ways and it did not effect the results.

The timing light I am using is borrowed and I am not too familiar with it though. It is adjustable. I have it set to 0 and timed it that way, and if I turn the knob on it up to 15 degrees, it hits 0 on the crank pulley.

Is this the correct way this should happen?

[Cpt_Impossible]

Just to make sure, the indicator that I am comparing the pulley notches to is (when facing to motor from the front) a an angle, A kind of thin raised white line going in diagonally from the top right. (/)

That is the only mark I see so I am assuming this is correct, but have never set timing before.

[l0nestar]

Nothing constructive or pertinent to the thread topic to contribute. I just wanted to ask what color you painted your engine?

Battleship Grey or Grey Powder coat?

I like!

How did you do your lettering? Vinyl cut out or paint template?

[Cpt_Impossible]

Grey is like Gloss Ford grey from Dupicolor engine paints. The lettering is an Ebay Vinyl that was going to go right below the door on that front sill, but I decided against it.

What I wanted to do was Chromex the valve covers and do a black krinkle coat on the CAS and plug cover, but the chromex guy wont touch anything with baffles in it and I didn't feel like taking all the tack welds out and removing them.

[Cpt_Impossible]

Ok, so I was searching on SAU all morning and found that many of them were reporting that if you use the black loop with a cheap timing light, the reading will be cut in half on some guns. therefore, when I set it to 15, I am really only getting 7.5 and what I need to do is set it to 30btdc.

So I decided to give it a shot. Set it to 30 once the idle came down and car was up to temp, 30 was right in the smack center of the CAS adjustment range which would seem to confirm this.

The popping int he exhaust at idle is accelerated though which I guess it to be expected when you double the timing. Maybe I have a bad coil pack? It is odd that if I did it wouldn't give me any problems before changing the spark plugs to a smaller gap. If anything it should have caused problems on the large factory gap of 1mm.

Have not tried to drive on it yet though. Other than the miss at idle, the idle sounds smooth and it revs quickly.

[Cpt_Impossible]

Today, I tried doubling the timing to 30 based on the info by some that cheap timing lights can read double what is really going on in the RB when you use the timing loop. It idled and revved fine, but I didn't want to risk the motor by driving hard on it, so I broke down and did it the annoying way, stealing a plug wire from my bro's civic and putting it on cyl #1 spark plug and ran that to the #1 coil and used that wire for the inductive timing light. If my research is correct, the double timing issue with cheap lights doesnt happen when you do this and it read at 30 still. Based on this I am thinking the timing light is reading correctly so I set it back down to 15. (where it felt absolutely gutless on the street.)

[Cpt_Impossible]

Found that I had the vac line under the throttle body not blocked off. I was told it didn't do anything, and it wasn't sucking air at idle so I forgot all about it.

Blocked it off at the intake mani and now car runs great on 15btdc (even though that is almost full clockwise).