If I remember correctly, the last time I had the meter on mine I had 2K readings that were almost exactly the same as idle. This doesn't seem right to me. If the cam on the side of the pump pulls back timing as RPMs increase, it means that without the cam the injection timing will advance more than what's needed as revs climb. Then wouldn't adjusting it to come in later allow you to set a slightly retarded-say 4 to 6 degrees while keeping the 8 to 10 for higher up?

 

So pulling the torque screw out will raise my governed fuel level? And this will bring more fuel down low?

 

whoops lol, been a long *** day get off my case yall.........lol

 

Not necessarily...

Advance is determined by transfer pump pressure, which is determined by RPM... So more RPM vs. Less throttle position = more advance... The lever/cam actuates a valve that lets fluid bypass the advance piston... Its whats known as light load advance. You should have a significant difference between idle and 2k...

 

No, backing your TS out is going to make your right foot have more influence on your fueling, as opposed to RPM... It doesnt add fuel at all, it just "de-limits" it... It was the factory's way of limiting particulate matter (read: smoke) for emissions reasons... You can still achieve max fueling with a turned in TS, but it will get there slower (within reason of course)...

If you want to raise your governed fuel level, you can do a few things... First, adjust your throttle stop til you have no more cable to take up... Next you can turn the screw above the head (Part where the injection lines hook up) on the pump body in (This puts more spring pressure on the governor, and gives you a little more RPM/fuel)... Next, and this gets into advanced territory, is to shim the "high(large)" fueling spring on the governor linkage, this requires careful attention to be paid to adjustments... And finally, you can put a 6.2 spring in there, and that basically takes the governor out of the equation... And will give you full fueling as far and fast as the pump will allow...

 

So what's the best way to get timing set right? I've got no baseline to tell what idle should be vs reved up. I thought of setting it like the book says and then moving the cam but my guess is that would just lead me on a wild goose chase.

 

My pump doesn't have a torque screw on the back

 

Pre-92s won't.

 

then in that respect your pump is as good as a turbo pump with the screw turned out is.

 

My truck is an 89. So what can i do?

 

buy a timing meter that senses the pulse of the fuel on #1 fuel line and set it to 8 BTDC plus or minus 2 degree's with engine at operating temp,and 2k rpms.
for fine tuning for performance and economy,you can try 6 BTDC through 10 BTDC with recording 10 consecutive tanks of fuel per each degree you change it to get a good true avg economy base.
that's the "best" way to set your idi diesel's timing.

timing via this method,the lower the number is,the more retarded the timing is (the more the ip's top timing line will be toward the drivers side) and less rattle you'll have.
the lower spectrum of 6 you'll find is bit sluggish off the line,but screams like a mother in the upper rpms.
go towards 10 advance (the max "book" spec advance) you'll see you'll have crisp throttle response but she just may not be there resting on the governor like she did with more retarded timing wile at WOT under load on the hills.
the trick is,to find the best middle of the road ground that suits your personal trucks uses.which will most likely be 8 BTDC with a degree one way or the other only slightly favoring the low or top end,or to the point you can't even notice a loss of either.

if you opt to pay someone to have the timing set,ask them for 8 BTDC via the pulse method,or 5 ATDC via the older lumy method (whichever they have) and you'll be close enough.
make sure you have your fuel setting where you want it before paying someone to set the timing,because adjusting it latter will require setting the timing again.

same thing as stated above.this applies to all navistar 6.9 and 7.3l's


............
for running different camsafts,and or turbo's,you results may vary greatly and stock specs may be nothing but a rough baseline to start from.
as general rule of thumb;the more fuel,the more conservative on timing you'll want to be.

 

Not exactly what I was looking for. I was hoping someone would have a comparative reading of idle versus 2k rpm so I would have a rough estimate of where to set the external cam to get a retarded timing down low and a little more advanced on top.

 

So far my truck has made the best power at 6BTDC on the dyno... Even advancing the timing to try an increase economy really didnt do much but make for a sluggish truck...

I have yet to see a benefit to run 8.5* or above yet... Other than old info kicking around... Ive been on the dyno 3 times and 6* has been the best... I gained 20whp going from 8* to 6*...

However... I do have a slightly bigger turbo, and the slightly retarded timing may help with getting it spinning faster, and therefore making more power... either way, Id tend to err on the retarded side of spec if you are after more power...

 

So no one can help me?

 

Are you talking about setting your timing? There is quite a bit of info and you tube videos showing how to do it. Basically, you loosen the 3 bolts holding the IP and rotate the pump. Loosening the fuel lines makes it easier to rotate and prevents damage to the lines. Rotating toward the passanger side advances timing, toward the drivers side retards it. The only way to tell if you are timed "right" is with the timing equipment....though people with experience can get it close by sound and drivability.