geza:

procedure as cited is correct according to bentley, and will yield 5 deg
atdc. therefore, lining up u-mark with case center yields 0 deg btdc, and
then u-mark before centerline by 5 deg yields desired 5 deg btdc. since u-
mark and v-notch are themselves 5 deg apart, it is easy to gauge when u-
mark is at 5 deg btdc (and v-notch 10 deg btdc).

dan

On Sun, 5 Mar 2006 16:43:17 -0500, Geza Polony <gezapolony@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
wrote:

>Hello Folks,
>
>
>Can anybody explain how to set the ignition advance, in simple terms?
Haynes
>manual is mostly useless on the subject and  I don't yet have the Bentley.
>Mine is an '84 1.9 gas, Cali
>
>Do I have this right?
>
>1) Idle speed stabiliser should be bypassed by connecting the two leads.
>2) Set idle w/o stabiliser to +- 850 rpm.
>3) leave all vacuum hoses CONNECTED to distributor, etc.
>4) Set the timing mark (V-mark ground in on pulley, to the left of the TDC
>mark, not the U-mark) to exactly where the crankcase halves meet.)
>
>I know the collective wisdom here dictates an ideal setting of 5* BTDC
(not
>sure what octane level this would refer to, though). If I set the V-notch
to
>the case split line, isn't this 5* BTDC?
>
>Engine won't run worth a darn with timing mark to the one o'clock side of
>the case split. Idle speeds up when timing mark is to the left, runs
smooth,
>but doesn't have a lot of power and pings under load.
>
>Thanks for taking the time with this very basic question...
>
>Geza