How to set the timing on a EFI Ford

 

ahhhh, ye good ol' web archive. Too bad fordfuelinjection went down, was a good site, glad we still have it though.

 

how to i change the timing without the computer changing it back

 

all you can do on these vehicles is set the base timing, that is all the computer expects. Once you plug the SPOUT in, you don't have control over the timing and you need the SPOUT in for normal driving conditions.

 

The simple answer is leave the SPOUT plug out.

Next question: What are you trying to accomplish? Is there an issue you are trying to resolve?

 

So in retrospect adjusting the timing is pointless since the cup knows what it's doing
CPU*****

 

Not at all. The PCM (Powertrain Control Module, which does have a Central Processing Unit, so it's still correct to call it a CPU) adjusts the timing away from base timing, based on the engine speed and manifold vacuum. This is just like the centrifugal advance (engine speed) and vacuum advance (manifold vacuum) that distributors had back in the old days, except now they are computer controlled.

But just like old distributors, the base timing still needs to be set correctly, so that's what you're doing.

Back in the old days you'd need to disconnect the vacuum advance and keep the engine at a low speed to not get into the centrifugal advance in order to set the base timing. These engines are the exact same, except that you pull the SPOUT connector rather than pull a vacuum line to disable the vacuum advance.

 

Not pointless....

The computer bases the timing curve on assuming the base timing is at 10 degrees BTDC. By manually advancing or retarding the base timing you are shifting the entire curve.

 

There no issue and I'm trying to accomplish better throttle response more low in torque Thats my big goal is to get a lot more low end torque out of there engine

 

Get a blower.

Nothing you can do will get you any noticable gains. The computer controls spark and fuel. If you want more power, you need to add more air.

 

The problem with the blower in this truck won't just be street I will be taking it off-road and in mud a blower would just get ruined

 

Does anybody still have the above mentioned information? I clicked on the link and it is not available..

 

New link: How to Set the Timing on an EFI Ford

 

Thanks Randy

 

Getting mud in the blower means you have mud in your air intake. The blower is not your problem, mud in the intake is. Remove the blower from the equation and you still have mud in your intake, which is a problem.