Timing Issue

[Joey GT-R]

Okay so for those who have been paying attention to my recent car woes, I've recently replaced my headgasket, timing belt, water pump, tensioner, and misc seals. My friend who helped me out said that upon doing the tensioner(Kaizenspeed) he noticed the pulley needed replacement as well. Other than that he was able to get timing near dead on. The motor runs fine, but it's sluggish under 3000rpm. My friend is suggesting it's ignition timing so maybe that it's retarded too much? He also suggested with the headgasket being blown previously that maybe it just needed a simple tune up. I had time to replace the plugs(no change in performance), since they were white anyways from the overheating; but with all the work I've done really didn't have the funds to do a cap and rotor right away.

Now I'm no expert on timing but would this be an issue that could be handled by tuning? Or does the belt need to be taken off and and the motor retimed from scratch? With the engine being as "healthy" as it is I would like to get it on the dyno and try to see what I can get out of it. But no need to do so if this is an issue that has to be resolved first.

[GeoffM]

Ignition timing is done with a timing light. Roughly $40. It's not too hard either.
Just loosen the three distributor bolts and adjust accordingly.
Is that the timing you're talking about?

[Joey GT-R]

I'm assuming so, I'm not 100%. I was hoping by my description someone could give me more insight.

[oyajicool]

Check the base (mechanical) timing again, making sure all of timing marks are "ON" time. You could be one cog off on a pulley.

[Joey GT-R]

Can you give me some pics of all the timing marks? I have stock gears and I'm aware of those marks, but not anywhere else.

[dj_ender]

Can you give me some pics of all the timing marks? I have stock gears and I'm aware of those marks, but not anywhere else.

He's talking about the marks on the cam gears and on the flywheel/crank timing cog. If you have a stock flywheel you can see the TDC mark thru the timing window on the block. Then you have to make sure the cams are correct, DOHC engines are a bit harder to time because the cams have a tendency to move while you are adjusting the belt. Sounds like one may be a tooth off.

[Joey GT-R]

I have a lightened flywheel so how does that make things different? Is the cog on the flywheel or by the rest of the belts? I'm sure I can look at the timing marks on the cam gears.

[dj_ender]

SOME aftermarket flywheels dont have the timing marks, you might. The timing cog in on the crank, behind the crank pulley. If you have the lower timing cover on, the only other options other than removing the crank pulley, is to use the timing window and use the timing marks, or put the dipstick down cylinder one spark tube and rotate the engine to TDC, then check the cam gears.

[wed3k]

wait, you didn't reset the ignition timing?

[Joey GT-R]

I didn't do the timing of the motor myself, so I'm just trying to make sense of this issue.

[dj_ender]

Then you need to personally check it.

[Joey GT-R]

Here's a video of the uptick on RPMs....is this ignition timing or belt adjustment issue?

[oyajicool]

First off, if you wish to have someone diagnose your engine issue, have the music turned off.

The tach needle spikes but I cannot hear engine RPM pick up or see speedometer needle going up.

It's either your transmission is slipping at that speed or tach is faulty. At least that is what I think you have.

Having wrong ignition timing does not make the tach needle to jump like that.

[Joey GT-R]

I can do it one more time with no music later today.

The trans was rebuillt in December along with installing a brand new clutch.

The half shaft did pop out during my breakdown. Can that shear off a trans? Other than that I can't really imagine a fresh rebuild going bad that fast.

[oyajicool]

If the tach needle and engine sound correlate with no change in vehicle speed, I suspect the transmission or drive train to be culprit.

You may have botched rebuilt transmission.