Honda Civic Timing

[CumminsPower98]

I just rebuilt an '87 Honda Civic 1500 (carburated 12 valve with aux. valves) but I need the correct timing procedure. The car was driven by my dad for some time after my uncle had the head rebuilt because of a broken timing belt and gave the car to my dad after fixing. I found right away that the cam was off a tooth so I fixed that and timed it but at the time was confused due to no hood sticker and a lame haynes manual. Well it finally burned two exhaust valves real bad (#3 and 4) so it got parked for over a year. Before my uncle got it it was a 5 mile/day car so that killed the rings. The oil rings were stuck and it would go through oil like gas. It has only 117k on it now. When I gave up and left the timing last time I set it to the center mark with the vacuum hooked up, which must have left it retarded. This put the dist. near the center of its adjustment.



I need something cheap to drive so I finally tore it down and did a ring/bearing job and had the head fixed this week. Now I'm back to the same place I was long ago. If I time it to the center mark with the vacuum unhooked like the book says it puts the dist. almost clear to the advance side, which doesn't seem right. Also when vac. is hooked up it puts the timing at about 41 deg, which seems way extreme. This one has a dual diaphragm advance. The main hose goes straight to a vacuum manifold so full vacuum at idle. I have not traced the other one yet but I have never felt it doing anything.



My question is am I just doing this wrong or is this other hose supposed to be countering what the main one is doing and retarding it some? Anyone have one of these cars or a book that would give the proper procedure?



I haven't driven it yet (no insurance/license) but if I remember right it didn't run right set this advanced years ago when I worked on it.



Thanks,

Mark

 

[Matt400]

I took a look at the manual-

Insure the engine is warmed up and idling in N, D for an auto trans so its more safe to have someone hold the brake AND use the park brake if yours is an auto.



Make sure vacuum is present at the inside hose and not the outside. With both hoses connected set the "red" timing mark on the pulley to line up with the index pointer on the timing cover.



Once you are done you can verify the the outside vacuum unit should advance timing 4 degrees with a vacuum pump at 20 in. HG.



Disconnecting and plugging both hoses should yield 4 degrees BTDC after you made your adjustments above.



Your burnt exhaust valves may have been from the adjustment being too tight. With a cold engine the intake & auxiliaries should be set to . 008" and the exhaust to . 011"



Hope this helps. .

 

[CumminsPower98]

Thanks so much. So it looks like I had it right or at least close to it before. I will set it that way and then make the checks you listed and see what I get. Good point on the valves being too tight. That is very possible as the book I have was showing the same specs for all the valves, which made no since to me. I don't remember what I set them at last time so this could very well be what happened.