? on setting the timing

[140cilx]

Due to the excellent manual I have which gives approximately 6 pages of total information covering ALL of the 2.3's Ford produced, I cannot find specific information to the timing of my SVO.
& since my car was wrecked over it's lifetime in the front/driverside/rear - it has no stickers for timing settings.

-I believe it is set from the factory at 10' btdc.

However on my n/a 2.3 you disconnect a PIP(?) vacuum line on the vacuum tree & plug it before adjusting.
I found no such vacuum line on the SVO, using the timing light the previous owner had the timing set at 40' BTDC. -now this again is assuming I've checked it incorrectly and not disconnected something that needs disconnecting. I dabbled a few adjustments and test drove it and found it's best response was at 30 BTDC w/ good pull throughout the rpm band and no pinging w/ 20 psi (with the TC intercooler) on the top end up to 6 grand.

For future reference, where and what do I disconnect or do I? I was blown away that it was at 40 even assuming it uses something like the PIP line on my n/a. It was warmed up, recently driven and the light stayed rock steady on the 40.

[svohoo]

The SVO has an electronic equivalent; it's called a "spout" connector (I've forgotten what the acronym means). There's a pair of wires hanging down near the distributor with a small connector at the end. This connector has a T shaped plug; just hold the connector and yank the plug (DON'T DROP IT INTO THE ENGINE). Doing this disables the computer advance & let's you set the base timing - the stock setting is 10 deg. btdc. With the connector plugged back in it should be about 30 deg. at idle, so it sounds like you pretty much have it right.

David

[140cilx]

Thank you much!

[pegasus.v.o]

Hey 140
I second svohoo info.
Last time I set my timing I checked it after reconnecting the spout and it was dead on 30deg. so, sounds like you did a perfect job.

If you have an 84, there is a harness which plugs into back of pip sensor on the side of the distributor. there is a single yellow wire which comes off the pip harness and rejoins the main harness coming to the pip. Dont know if this is exact for all svo but should be.
paul

[140cilx]

Geesh, My head is swelling with pride. -this could mean somethings gonna break on the car this week.
I think for safety's sake when I go home I'll have my wife reaffirm I'm still an idiot - thus breaking the Murphy's Law phenom.

[svohoo]

Don't worry, according to the wives, we are all idiots!

[140cilx]

Hey, that's funny this post popped up again. As I posted earlier, I was expecting something to break. Last nite, the upper small rubber hose connecting the metal waterlines to the waterpump burst sending a pinhole stream onto the manifold, producing impressive smoke.
Naturally I was getting on the interstate, but still made it home no probs.
MURPHY'S LAW IS INFALLIBLE!!!

-still, all in all, that's the perfect "breakdown", simple five minute repair, when it happened and I was mentally checking the "could be" list, the head gasket kept coming up - ugh!