1987 Silverado 350 Tbi Timing

jblakeney · May 21, 2011

I do not have an emissions label on my truck. I need to set the timing as I just rebuilt the engine. I looking in my Tune Up guide at work but the book stopped in 84.... Clearly missing the boat on EFI and computer controls...

I know I need to disconnect the EST wire... I think I found it when I was wire looming all the engine compartment under the master cylinder... My big question is what to set the timing on. 0 degrees? 2? 4? 8? 16? 32? 64? 128? 256? 512? 1024? 2048? 4096? (the 31337 group know what the powers of 2 come from).....

Anyways guys if anybody knows what to set it at let me know.... I'd like to get my truck buttoned all together this weekend.

Thanks,

Jbo

8.1HD/ALLISON · May 21, 2011

To my knowledge you set base time to 0. The computer will take it from there.

GMstrong · May 21, 2011

mine is a 4* or 6* pulls strong and hard.

kmborland · May 21, 2011

mine is a 4* or 6* pulls strong and hard.

i am interested in this, did you notice better mpg, better power, have to run higher octane fuel, bump fuel pressure, did power come on sooner? thanks for any help, i need to check timing too and was also going to post a thread asking basically same question.

GMstrong · May 21, 2011

I run 93 oct,For what i got in the motor and it not being "performance oriented" motor she gets up!had it up 80 in 3rd soon as it hitted od i had to stop for traffic.As for adjusting timing go for it.But i wouldn't go any thing above 8* advanced or you might have some spark knock.Try it at 4* then 6* see which feels better.

jblakeney · May 22, 2011

I set the timing today. I found the EST connector under the brake booster taped to the bulk head going into the interior of the car.

This is the type of connector (Weather Pack)

This is the half that is taped to the harness.

I unplugged the connector and set the timing to 0 degrees. Tightened the distributor back down. And rechecked and plugged the EST back up. It stayed at 0 for just a second after I plugged the EST back up then moved up just a bit, after a few seconds.

Maybe I should snap some pictures of the EST wire location. It is a Brown with Black stripe wire. NOT THE Brown with White stripe.... Brown with White stripe kills the injectors..... Ask me how I learned that, but most of you figured out how I learned that.

Jbo

ChevyTech77 · May 22, 2011

Brown w/black stripe with that connector is correct. Engine off, disconnect that connection, start engine, set timing to 0°, engine off, reconnect timing connection, done.