Asking a Question for a Friend (Setting Timing on 91 EFI Festy)

[festyxfi]

I have a buddy out in Maryland who normally works on metros. He's fixing up a 91 Festy (EFI) for a friend and called me tonight with a question I can't readily answer.

He's trying to set the timing. According to his Chilton Manual, there's suppose to be a black lead wire coming out the harness (near the master cyl.?) that is "grounded out" (he's explaining it to me) instead of that wire, there's (according to my buddy) two yellow wires instead.

Does anyone know what he's looking at, and how best to set the timing on this festy? I've only messed with carbed festys when it comes to timing, so i'm no help.

Thanks, from me and him...

FX

[heavyhauler_joe]

It is a single wire by the brake booster should have a black female spade connector on the end of it. ( this is supposing someone hasen't cut the wire and respliced it for some reason with a diffrent color wire and end connector) Once you find it just gruond it with a jumper wire and continue on with what the book tells you to do.

[FB71]

I have a buddy out in Maryland who normally works on metros. He's fixing up a 91 Festy (EFI) for a friend and called me tonight with a question I can't readily answer.

He's trying to set the timing. According to his Chilton Manual, there's suppose to be a black lead wire coming out the harness (near the master cyl.?) that is "grounded out" (he's explaining it to me) instead of that wire, there's (according to my buddy) two yellow wires instead.

Does anyone know what he's looking at, and how best to set the timing on this festy? I've only messed with carbed festys when it comes to timing, so i'm no help.

Thanks, from me and him...

FX

Where in MD? If I'm close enough, I could help.

[gungeek]

I'd be the friend...

In Hagerstown, w/a garage in Waynesboro, PA.
The problem is that tere are TWO single black plugs by the booster...both w/yellow wires going to them.
One kills the whole thing when grounded, the other does nothing.

[Pu241]

You got them!
Use the one that doesn't shut the engine down!
Made that mistake a few times, put a piece of tape on the correct connector/wire so you wont be doing trial and error next time.

[gungeek]

used the one that does nothing and found out....it does nothing.
Set the idle and have been turning the distributor a hair at a time to see where the best performance will be.
The right-most timing mark is about 25-30 BTDC at best idle, 17-20 BTDC at best drivability so far.
This car has about the most horribly ill conceived timing layout I've ever seen...damn near impossible to see the marks on cover OR pully.
Too bad no book or reference seems to exist that gives a proper timing procedure/path for the 91 festiva.
If I'd have known of this nightmare I would have been more meticulous in marking the distributor position prior to rebuilding the engine.
Barry