Confused by EZL Timing.
 

My 560 has EZL timing I think. I presume that means that I have wide latitude on where the distributor hold down bolt seats on the distributor as long as it was TDC when installed. Am I right to assume that within a few rotations, the sensor automatically adjusts the timing, regardless of the whether the distributor is centered on the adjustment bolt or not?

Reason I ask, I have been adjusting the distributor to see if my idle and perfomance will improve and when I move the distributor off-center either clockwise or count-clockwise, the timing does not automatically adjust. I'm not talking about slamming it all the way to either side, just minor adjustments take it out of time.

Long way of asking, could my auto-adjusting timing be non-functioning or? And, would it really mattter if I could get the timing adjusted by hand?

Thanks.

J. Boggs

If it isn't adjusting, make sure the black vacuum line that runs from the EZL unit on the fender and goes up under the intake is connected. If it isn't connected I don't think it will adjust. The vacuum nipple can be seen using a bright flash light, looking under the intake from the front. The vacuum line can be reconnected using a 12" pair of needle nose pliers.

When you say isn't adjusting, do you mean it doesn't come back to 5* BTDC when you turn the distributor? Or no matter where you turn the distributor it stays at 5* BTDC? If the latter, then it is working correctly.

JBOGGS,

In your case, the dist has nothing to do with timing. It only directs the spark to the correct cylender. I don't know the exact procedure to adjust it, but I think you just set it to point to #1 cyl when it is at TDC.
The timing is handled by the EZL system with it's main imput being a crankshaft sensor behind the #8 cylender.
The timing is NOT adjustable. If it is not correct, then something else is wrong.

Further explanation...
 

What it gets down to is: I had the dist. loose to do the water pump-not all the way out, just loose. I put it back and centered the bolt after checking for TDC and making sure it was on the right tooth. I replaced the vacuum check valve that looks like a hockey puck in the process.

I have one cylinder missing enough to create rough idle so I move the dist around a bit to see if it effected performance (I admit, I didn't know about the automatic timing.) After reading up, I assumed that you could bolt the dist down pretty much anywhere on the adjusting scale and the EZL would time it up automatically. I haven't found that to be the case.

I haven't put a light to it lately but a few weeks ago I believe it read 15degress at idle. I'll have to look for the vaccum line that was referenced. I have always suspected a leak but have looked but never found one.


Thanks for in input.

J. Boggs