It is 10°. However, it's fairly easy to stab a distributor that much off and it look okay. Been there, done that. (Luckily it was in tech school where I could learn that stuff and not in a shop. ) Some computers can compensate better than others but it's always a good idea to get it right the first time.

 

Could be someone put timing gears in there, and the cam is not quite timed with the crank. You can put it on tdc, pull the valve cover, and see where the rocker arms are on #1.

 

That just might be next. However, when I did this, I set the timing with the light to 10 BTDC (factory spec), then yanked the dist cap and rotated the engine, when the timing mark hit ZERO, and the rotor was pointing at where #1 would be (I marked it on the housing), at first the rotor was a little past it, like the trailing edge would be making contact. When I backed it up a tooth, the rotor was at the leading edge, about to, or just beginning to make contact... so that's where I got my theory that it was a tooth off.

Next- Would the knock sensor not working correctly cause this? Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sort-of points that way- a knock sensor's job is to detect knocking (pinging) and tell the computer to fix it, by retarding the spark or otherwise.................?

 

Knock sensor would retard the timing if there were pinging. If you can no longer turn the distributor,you may need to take it back 2 teeth the other way, to center it up. Find tdc again, and put #1 plug on that tower, even if it is not where # 1 wire was. Op may have had the wires in the wrong place, and just moved the wires around to make it run Check your firing order, I've pulled my hair out on a new motor, only to find out I had the firing order wrong. good luck

 

Since it ran perfectly before you started this tuneup, I would stick to the stuff you replaced.

If you remove the dist lockdown tab and bolt and with your left hand lift up on the body slowly and while holding tension on the rotor with your right hand you can feel when the gears disengage and also feel when you rotate the rotor a bit and can count the teeth you are moving. Easiest way without having to go thru the TDC stuff if you only think it's a tooth or two off.

The engine will run fine with or without the knock sensor. Limp mode just doesn't advance and adjust fuel flow.

Get your dist timing in the money first.

 

Explain what I did wrong there.... found TDC with timing marks (verified by rotor position), adjusted distributor so it's closest to #1, set timing at 10 BTDC.

I don't see anything wrong with that, but it still F'N pings at the "correct" timing, and I can only get the ping out of it by running 93, if I run 87, it will either ping or shudder and have no power, cant find a happy medium in the timing on regular gas...

I really dont get this, I have never had this much trouble with any simple job like this. I have had cars that I just swap out the distrubtor, and if the light doesn't time it right, I tune it by ear and it runs GREAT, on regular gas........

 

Have you pulled the codes yet? Sounds like your computer is throwing fits

 

No check engine since I got the EGR working again, which was before this began. I tried to pull codes since then, doesn't seem to be doing anything out of the ordinary. I don't have a scanner, I just jump the wires and count the flashes...

I would also think that if the computer was throwing fits, it would do the same thing on 93 as it does on 87... right?