I've noticed a lot of people have popped up asking how to check the timing of their SR's. Many people use the method of resetting the CAS with the #1 piston at TDC, but I feel that it's time consuming and more hassle. The method I use is the same as heavy throttle's save for one minor detail.

You'll need a few things to begin with. An extra coil pack, a spark plug wire, some electrical tape, and an inductive timing light.

Step one is to take the spark plug wire and snip the distributor end off leaving the plug wire exposed. Take the wire and shove it into the coil pack and while holding it in tightly, tape it in place.





You should have something that looks like this,

Step two is to warm up the engine. Start er up and drive her down the road or let her sit idle for a few minutes so she can get at a steady idle.

Step three. Turn the engine off and take the #1 coil pack out and disconnect it from the harness (the bolt is a 10mm, btw). Take your makeshift spark plug wire/coil pack and plug it in. Then set up your timing light.





Step four. Disconnect the TPS plug and start the car back up. Aim the timing light at the crank pully. The mark you're wanting to line up is the second from the right. That's 15 BTDC. Take a 12mm socket and loosen the CAS mounting bolts. Now you can rotate the CAS to set the timing. Rotate it until the 15 BTDC mark is lined up to the needle. Tighten the CAS and replace the coil pack.

This method costs money, as opposed to the CAS reset method. But since I don't have to remove my valve cover and remove the CAS, I can deal with the extra charge. Plus a timing light is a very handy tool to have on standby.

How much did that thing cost you to make?

You can also grab the FSM and an extra spark plug wire and do it that way as well. You don't need and extra coil pack in that case. Are there any coil packs from USDM cars you can use?

I got my timing light to work on my SR20DET by putting the inductive clamp around the black wire with the yellow stripe near the fire wall. It is the larger of the three that run to the #1 coil pack.

my wiring job is done with a hacked KA harness, so trying to hook up to part of the harness like that won't work with me.

the cost of the part was $35 from heavy throttle. The wire was $5 from AutoZone.

I prefer doing it this way because you get the pulse AFTER the coil, not before.

USDM coil packs you can use are Z32 coil packs and '95 and newer Maxima coil packs.

I was able to pick up a signal fine from the wires going to no. 1 coil pack. No problems at all. Am I missing something here?

"Am I missing something here?" Probably not. The pulse you are picking up is happening so fast, it is unlikely that you would notice a difference between picking it up before the coil pack or after. Also, using an additional coil pack seems like a waste when you already have four on the engine.

Thanks for the information. I will use this guide as a way to set my timing this weekend. Thanks again.

thanks for the info. I had no problem setting my timing with this method.

Just a note if anyone is making a setup with the extra coilpack and plug wire. I have a plus wire from like a Acura Integra and it is probably easier to put on the plug. It has spark plug side boot very similar to the oem coil pack so it is easy to get on the plug.

Oh I also highly suggest taping you plug wire into the coilpack (whether it be your normal #1 or an extra). I did this on a CA pack and the junk arc'ed all over.

Does it matter what RPM you are at when you adjust the timing? The FSM says to be at 750 +/- 50 RPMs, but I can only adjust it down to 850 RPMs.

whiplash willy wrote:Does it matter what RPM you are at when you adjust the timing? The FSM says to be at 750 +/- 50 RPMs, but I can only adjust it down to 850 RPMs.

Wow, today must be bump 3 year old threads day in the SR section!

At least you did search though!

I've found that while the lower rpm the better, if you can have it stay steady at any rpm below 1000, you can set it just fine. Thebest way is through the use of a Nprobe/Conzult/DataScan style cable though...

good idea on rigging up the spare coil pack...ive used the timing light on the currently installed coil pack on No.1 and had no problems...used an osciliscope to double check it was right afterwards...and it was

http://store.lancastersupply.com/in35ditili.html

If you guys get this timing light, you can clamp it rought around the actual coil pack wire.

does anyone one have a timing reference picture , Just to be on the safe side?