Idle/Timing problem

[JohnGunn]

Just got back from taking a long walk on which I spent some time thinking about this problem. One idea emerged as the most likely. It is based upon your assurance that the camshaft and crankshaft are perfectly aligned with one another. And my belief that your engine is "bogging" and dying due to an excessive degree of retardation. But how could such confusion be possible?

What if you had switched the spark plug wire of the first cylinder with another cylinder's wire? Your timing light would be flashing not for cylinder 1 but for the other cylinder. That might explain how the relationship between the mark on the pulley and the performance of the engine could be so misleading.

The firing order is 1-4-3-2. I think if you switched the 1 and 3 wires the engine might run pretty well, but if the switch were to 4 or 2 the result could produce the kind of confusion you are experiencing. Since the wire for 4 is the shortest, my guess would be that wire 2 is attached to cylinder 1.

So, check this out and let us know.

John Gunn
Coronado, CA

[shadetree]

Have you cked your crank gear for being wobbled ? The b6t engines are known for it !! Also more info on the engine like did it run when you got it or ?????

[nitrofarm]

Idle Air Bypass Valve perhaps....its what allows air to the motor under idle (throttle plate closed) conditions.

[JohnGunn]

when i start adjusting the dizzy, the closer the mark on the crank pulley gets to where it needs to be the car bogs out and dies.

First, a couple of questions.

1. When you are moving the distributor toward the correct timing mark on the crankshaft pulley are you approaching from the retarded side or advanced side? In other words, is the mark on the pulley moving from left to right or right to left?

2. Are you grounding the STI to let the computer know that it should stop trying to control idle speed and timing advance?

3. Could you describe exactly what you mean when you say the car "bogs out"? I assume there is no load on the engine. It is missing. Starved for fuel? Help me out here.

4. Is there a distributor position that makes the running of the car seem normal? How much of an advance does that location show on the pulley?

Without more information, I can't think of anything that would make the engine run less well by being moved to the proper advance setting. That leads me to suspect that what appears to you to be 10 degrees before TDC isn't.

In my experience, when you turn the distributor of a running engine past the proper advance toward TDC the idle speed increases drastically. I'm wondering if the fast idle you see is indication that the timing is already too retarded and when you move toward the "correct" timing mark (I assume that you are coming at the mark from the advance side.) you are further retarding it to the point that it begins to loose power, where the ignition fires after the pistons are well past TDC, and eventually arrives at the point where they provide no power at all and the engine dies.

John Gunn
Coronado, CA

[festivBS]

any other ideas?

[festivBS]

my downpipe isnt built yet so i dont have another o2 bung to put my wideband sensor in so im not sure on the air to fuel ratio, and yes we've allowed it to warm up but it idles high so we're trying to adjust the ignition timing. as soon as the idle drops to where it should be it cuts out and dies

[brickdog2000]

Have you allowed it to warm up first? Are you able to adjust the idle?

[brickdog2000]

Maybe air fuel ratio.

[festivBS]

i have a b6t swapped into a 93 festiva and i am now trying to start it for the first time since the swap but the car will start and it will idle high and when i start adjusting the dizzy, the closer the mark on the crank pulley gets to where it needs to be the car bogs out and dies. There also is hesitation in the throttle. I've checked and made sure that my cam timing is perfect. Any ideas on what it is or how to fix it?