The OCD in me has to shoot flames. I think it has to do with my inner white trash that seems to surface at times. :facepalm:

We all have our inner rednecks. Some worse than others.

Flame soot cleans up nicely with a clay bar. Don't fear the flames!

Yeah, I was a little overwhelmed by all this too. I had never really used a timing light before, but it's dead simple.

Hmm well I'm not sure if it is just the timing light or me that is messing up. After hooking up the light to Spark #1 wire and checking timing with it fixed in TS at 10° the light is still displaying 0°.

The timing light displays the correct engine revs, but the timing shows zero. Eyeballing the timing mark though shows it is holding at 10°, and TS displays 10° as well. I double checked the manual to make sure it was hooked up right so I know that isn't the issue.

In the manual it says connect positive and negative to the battery terminals, would connecting the negative to the engine ground help?

I know eyeballing is a crap shoot but it looks like it matches up. This car is so damn loud. When I turn it over it revs to 4k and then goes down to idle, surprises the hell out of me.

Yes. Timing light has to be grounded to the block to work correctly, at least that's how mine is.

If the timing marks are o.k. I think you are fine - my timing light doesn't even have a display...

About the 4k rev - turn your "Idle cranking duty/steps" down - I think this has to do with your adjustment at the idle screw. Cut the duty at your actual ambient temperature down in 10% steps and see whats happening...

On a digital timing light you would use the arrow buttons to adjust the timing light until the timing mark on your crank is at TDC, then the number on your timing light display is your timing.

Are we really going down this long road on how to set base timing? Its easy. Hook up the ground clamp to the hoist hook that you used to pull the motor. Connect the positive to the blue clip thats next to the intake. then hook the trigger sensor to to the #1 cop harness. Then time the sucker. I dont use any fancy ass timing light and I have never had any issues.

Ninja edit. Dont trust your display trust your timing marks and the flashy light

I think this may be getting to the point where you need to post your tune

Came here to say this. It sounds like your timing light is far too complicated. You don't have a distributor so don't worry about the rest of the buttons on the timing light. Set it to zero and then follow one of the many many guides for setting your timing.

You can do this. srs.

Thanks all. I only had about 30 minutes to mess with it the other night so I didn't have much time to look into it further. Headed down tonight to work on it again.

I'm not worried about not being able to do it, just ensuring I do it right. I'm looking at Leafy's guide for help.(https://www.miataturbo.net/megasquir...-timing-50030/)

Don't think I'm hopeless, I am just taking my time(the little I have these days).

I've posted the tune before Scotty but here is another link if you want to take a look.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/yd53lxkicq...0_18.17.19.msl

Hat is a log, not the tune... ;-)

Woops, grabbed the wrong link.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/nvvx0tjnlo...ffbucc5-14.msq

Got some free time today and was able to confirm my base timing is correct. Zaphod recommended turning down my Idle cranking duty/steps a little which helped with the high rpm initial starting, but I still need to fine tune it a little.

Here is a log of it idling

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5lx9bvfgw7....07%20copy.msl

Picture of the closed loop idle settings

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1400363836

and a video of the slight oscillation in idle still. My TS gauge is still showing +.5-1 AFR higher than the AEM gauge. Still need to mess with the voltage calibration to get it more perfect.

I didn't apply throttle in the video since I'm not sure what setting is causing such a small throttle input to cause it to rev so high.. I see an area in TS where you can invert the TPS? Maybe the car is reading full throttle upon minor blips.

Excuse the video quality, battery in my camera is dead and used the cell phone.

video no worky for me says its private.

I will say this your PID settings throw a red flag to me immediately

EDIT

Just looked through your log you should go back to open loop and tuned your idle better before entering closed loop.

So go to open loop and find your idle zone and make sure the ign timing is the same in the idle area. then go to your VE and do the same with your fuel so you can idle at 14.7 or close to it.
Also if your idle speed is still crazy high you will want to adjust your idle screw and then verify ign and fuel one more time so everything is nice and smooth. Now your ready for CL.

Go in and do and idle valve test in open loop this will give you settings for closed loop idle. What you want to do is set the test to 100 and work down until the idle begins to drop. Write that number down.

Then continue and till you reach the idle target. then write that number down.

Next you plug these settings in place of closed duty and open duty. Then you will be ready to tune PID.

This is shitty instructions cause im better at giving them in person then on paper but maybe this helps you idk. Rick has a great comment he made a while back on how to tune it perfectly but I cant find it. His comment was my Ah Ha moment and I should have framed it and put it on the wall.

https://www.miataturbo.net/megasquir...me-help-57133/

FOUND IT!!!! See post 11.

Thanks Scotty, as always. Took/am taking a couple days off working on it. Need to relax for a while. I'll try open tuning later.

Here's a working link

Also. Is that high of a derivative a bad thing? I remember reading you don't want to dampen it that much(80+%).