How to set the timing?

ANONYMOUS

MEMBER
1987 TOYOTA 4RUNNER
60,000 MILES

I have a rebuilt Toyota 22re engine fuel injected. It starts fine, it idles fine, I have the timing set at 5 degrees for TDC. The thing is that in driving the truck, it is totally gutless, and when I put a timing light on it, and rev. The engine, the timing retards before it advances. This vehicle has no pod on the side of the distributor, So I assume it is electronically spark advanced. Is the spark advance and retardation run by the computer/brains, ? If not what controls it? What could be the cause? Or is it normal for this vehicle to retard right before it advances on timing mark? Thank you for your time.

1 Reply

KASEKENNY

MECHANIC
18,907 POSTS

I am attaching the process to set the timing on this engine. We need to run through this process just to be sure.

However, I suspect this may be fuel related so let's make sure we check the fuel pressure while this is not running well or has low power.

Here is a guide that will help with this:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-fuel-system-pressure-and-regulator

Please see the info below that will help with not only this timing process but checking the fuel pressure as well.

Let us know if you have other questions.

Thanks

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