1985 120hp V4 looper. My manual doesn't state a timing for idle just a WOT timing at 22 degrees. I'm trying to get a ballpark.
I'm trying to idle her down in a make shift tank that submerges the gearcase just an inch or 2 above the cavitation plate. I'm unable to get it to idle less than 1700 or so with my timing at idle around 0*. A local mechanic that lent me the pliers to do my gearcase rebuild said the timing should be around 0* or so at idle. I know these things idle high while not fully pressurized under water but this sounds a little too high. I can screw in my "idle" screw and it retards my timing, but then I'm guessing I'll be back to where I was before with a rough idle that likes to die. It is much smoother around 0* but idling high in my water trough.
I'm unsure what the WOT timing is actually set at and this afternoon I noticed the WOT timing stop was not hitting the mechanism under the flywheel. I shot the base with some WD 40 and it freed up and now hits the WOT stop where it has in the past (going off of wear mark on housing). I thought the engine ran good before but I wasn't even getting WOT advance. I have also been over the linkages several times so I don't know how I missed this one.
My real question is, how do I idle this thing down without affecting the timing? The thing they call an "idle screw" in the manual is the screw in the plastic piece that adjusts the rod connected to the flywheel timing base. Sure it adjusts the idle but also has adverse affects on running quality. The actual "idle stop" can adjust the idle but since the arm is connected to the above piece it still changes my idle. I'm getting a lot closer to this thing running flawlessly, but I need a few pointers.
I'm trying to idle her down in a make shift tank that submerges the gearcase just an inch or 2 above the cavitation plate. I'm unable to get it to idle less than 1700 or so with my timing at idle around 0*. A local mechanic that lent me the pliers to do my gearcase rebuild said the timing should be around 0* or so at idle. I know these things idle high while not fully pressurized under water but this sounds a little too high. I can screw in my "idle" screw and it retards my timing, but then I'm guessing I'll be back to where I was before with a rough idle that likes to die. It is much smoother around 0* but idling high in my water trough.
I'm unsure what the WOT timing is actually set at and this afternoon I noticed the WOT timing stop was not hitting the mechanism under the flywheel. I shot the base with some WD 40 and it freed up and now hits the WOT stop where it has in the past (going off of wear mark on housing). I thought the engine ran good before but I wasn't even getting WOT advance. I have also been over the linkages several times so I don't know how I missed this one.
My real question is, how do I idle this thing down without affecting the timing? The thing they call an "idle screw" in the manual is the screw in the plastic piece that adjusts the rod connected to the flywheel timing base. Sure it adjusts the idle but also has adverse affects on running quality. The actual "idle stop" can adjust the idle but since the arm is connected to the above piece it still changes my idle. I'm getting a lot closer to this thing running flawlessly, but I need a few pointers.
