Car is a 1992 Miata with a stock 1.6

so I went to set the base timing. put the ignition to fixed 10 degrees. i look at my timing marks with a light and its vertical, like 40 degrees off! I advanced the CAS all the way and still 20 degrees retarded. Now pulling 47 kpa at idle, before it was in the 20's.

Any guesses?!?!? Can I get a good base timing # from kpa...

 

what year car
is the cas upside-down? or the settings are inverted somehow?

 

Car is a 1992 1.6. Cas is on there right side up. I put the timing light on the #1 spark plug, its so far off it doesnt make sense that it would run if the timing was really that far retarded

 

If I use the trigger adjustment and add another 15* it barely runs and wont rev, but the timing mark is the the right place:

 

Confirm that the timing marks are correct. Put #1 piston at TDC and make sure the marks line up

 

good call

 

Damper slipped, must be replaced

 

no, the previous owner put some creative markings on it that i took as the timing marks.

 

spun keyway? was that fixed by 92?

edit: nvm I didnt refresh the thread before I replied. Looks like OP got it sorted.

 

Did this cause you to incorrectly adjust the CAS? Trying to diagnose a similar problem, wondering what you changed to fix your startup?

 

Yes it did. I found the real timing mark by using an 1/4" extension to verify top dead center on #1.... Also, be sure to check that you are setting IGNITION timing to 10* as the screens look a little different on the newer Tuner studio...