jkimball
Petty Officer 1st Class
- Joined
- May 14, 2013
- Messages
- 220
I ordered all the parts for my new 4bbl conversion, and I’m going to go ahead a freshen up all the ignition components while I have her apart.
With pulling the distributor to change the manifold, I’ll obviously have to reset the timing on this motor.
It’s a ‘97 Vortec 4.3. Im assuming it has Thunderbolt V ignition? From what I have read and can tell by looking at the module that’s what it appears to be.
A few questions
- what’s the procedure (pics are best if you have them) to lock it in base timing mode (I’ve read there’s a purple/white wire to ground somewhere?), and when timing is dialed in - at what point do I unlock it from base timing mode?
- For this particular motor, what is the setting? I know on older sbc and pre-Vortec it was +10 degree tdc. On the flame
arrestor it just says “see owners manual” that won’t work Bc I don’t have one on a 23 year old boat.
- timing marks, I’m used to having balancers with the timing marks on a decal, and metal front covers with the serrated tab on them... this only has one notch in the balanced, and a “groove” for a lack of better terms on the plastic front cover.
Am I to assume that in the absence of the decal and corresponding tab, That as long as this single notch lines up with the groove each time cyl. 1 fires, the timing is spot on? Could it really be that simple? Seems too easy almost.
Sorry for the lengthy post, not a noob to turning wrenches, but ECM controlled distributorless ignition has almost made me feel like one when it comes to old school timing adjustments
With pulling the distributor to change the manifold, I’ll obviously have to reset the timing on this motor.
It’s a ‘97 Vortec 4.3. Im assuming it has Thunderbolt V ignition? From what I have read and can tell by looking at the module that’s what it appears to be.
A few questions
- what’s the procedure (pics are best if you have them) to lock it in base timing mode (I’ve read there’s a purple/white wire to ground somewhere?), and when timing is dialed in - at what point do I unlock it from base timing mode?
- For this particular motor, what is the setting? I know on older sbc and pre-Vortec it was +10 degree tdc. On the flame
arrestor it just says “see owners manual” that won’t work Bc I don’t have one on a 23 year old boat.
- timing marks, I’m used to having balancers with the timing marks on a decal, and metal front covers with the serrated tab on them... this only has one notch in the balanced, and a “groove” for a lack of better terms on the plastic front cover.
Am I to assume that in the absence of the decal and corresponding tab, That as long as this single notch lines up with the groove each time cyl. 1 fires, the timing is spot on? Could it really be that simple? Seems too easy almost.
Sorry for the lengthy post, not a noob to turning wrenches, but ECM controlled distributorless ignition has almost made me feel like one when it comes to old school timing adjustments
