tlevoy

Please give me some advice...

I just bought a 90 with 128K miles. It's a great looking little car inside and out but a few mechanical issues.

I have been trying to set my timing. It's currently at about 30 degrees BTDC and I can't get it any closer to 15. I have the distributer turned as far as it will go. I've disconnected the TPS and it is doesn't affect it. Before I started tackling this problem I fixed an oil leak in which I removed the oil pan (thought it was leaking, ended up being the crankshaft seal) and saw pieces of broken plastic in there. From reading this awesome forum, I have concluded that probably my timing chain has slipped a tooth. But I don't hear any ratting sound or anything. It runs good, but pings and probably gets pretty bad gas mileage - of course if it's running that far advanced.

Before I get into changing the timing chain, I want to know that I'm checking the timing right. The haynes totally sucks. Am I right in disconnecting the TPS and checking the timing? Has anyone had there's slip and be around 30-35 degrees BTDC? Do you think it was pieces of my tensioners in the oil pan?

Thanks in advance, this has been a very useful forum for me already...

I think this will be a good little car when I get it running good.

cheapbird

You're right on the money. It's the tensioners. Or more accurately, the guide.
I chased down a intermittant miss for a year and reset the timing each time I worked on it. Couldn't find anything wrong until one day she got all sluggish. Engine wouldn't really rev. Then she ate all her valves.

Eventually it will jump a few more teeth and maybe take out all the valves when she shatters the guide. You'll be happy to know that the new guides are plastic with a metal backing. Too bad they didn't make the old ones that way.

These really are nice little cars. We had no motor problems at all until all this happened.

tlevoy

Thanks... Fixed it.... Took around 12 to 15 hours.... Ugh...

cheapbird

Yeah, it's a fun job...