HOW TO CHECK YOUR TIMING

i was just wondering on my xj750 how do you check timing

 

Simple answer, you don't Ignition timing is effectively "fixed" (TCI deals with advance/retard)

Of course if you mean valve timing, there's marks on the cams & caps but you shouldn't have any problem there if you haven't had the cams out?

 

Gotta love the simple questions and answers thanks again life saver.

 

TRUE. However,

It doesn't hurt to verify the functionality of your TCI occasionally---

Just throw a timing light on it, and watch it advance as you rev it up.

 

Very good point, for that you'd hook up to number 1 lead Fitz? (well 1 or 4 fire same time, but 1 is nearest).

I doubt the TCI is the issue with the firing on one cylinder problem though, and trying to use a timing light on an engine running that badly may not be practical... I assume this is why you asked about timing, Fishhook?

Perhaps a compression test would be useful in this case?

 

I did a compression test all show up in 145s and 150s i mean a valve shim job wouldnt hurt when i get there but since im doing all the ignition stuff i figured i test timing after i got here running on all fours. I think the one cylinder is due to my coil and also i had it wired backwards lol, not to mention when one plug was pulled there was no gap at all.

 

cool at least it's mechanically healthy enough to run that's pretty damn good numbers you got there...

No gap at all isn't good, plugs tend to open over time. Are you sure they're the correct ones? What's the code on them? :?

 

ill have to double check got em from advance auto, i might of bent them at one point when i had the engine out my last engine is gone i replaced it with this one was in a storage unit with only 3000 original miles so i grab it did a compression test and got lucky. Im going to put in all new plugs cause one looks different anyways idk if the mixed my plugs or not.