FItech timing control disaster

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plumkrazee70

plumkrazee70

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I Need help. I have a 600 Non power adder with timing control. I set up the timing control per the FItech instructions and it won't fire. I was cranking on it testing for spark with my timing light and it back fired so hard it blew the muffler wide open.

The motor is a 340. I know it's timing related, bit I followed the instructions to a T. I have 12vbon the white wire, I verified spark from the MSD box.

I don't know what to or where to go from here. Please help.
 
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There's a Fitech forum that you can register on and get help there. When cranking are you getting an RPM reading? That was my initial problem, no RPM reading, I called their helpline and it got me running. That forum is not operated by Fitech, but very informative. Good luck, because I went back to carbs on my Hemi.
 
tonysrt said:
There's a Fitech forum that you can register on and get help there. When cranking are you getting an RPM reading? That was my initial problem, no RPM reading, I called their helpline and it got me running. That forum is not operated by Fitech, but very informative. Good luck, because I went back to carbs on my Hemi.
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I'm a part of that for him and also the Facebook group. Yes I have RPMs while cranking.
 
Since I no longer run it, I don't go on that forum any more. My second round of trouble with it got me stuck and had to flatbed car home. Next day started fine but no hot restart. Sent it back and ECU went bad. I put carbs back on and driving again.
 
tonysrt said:
Since I no longer run it, I don't go on that forum any more. My second round of trouble with it got me stuck and had to flatbed car home. Next day started fine but no hot restart. Sent it back and ECU went bad. I put carbs back on and driving again.
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Thanks.
 
Since this has to be timing related. Does the 8 paddle wheel in the distributor have to line up with the pickup as well as the rotor when setting it to no. 1 cylinder?

Or does just the #1 tower have to line up with the rotor?

15879488642258272757259809488155.jpg
 
plumkrazee70 said:
Since this has to be timing related. Does the 8 paddle wheel in the distributor have to line up with the pickup as well as the rotor when setting it to no. 1 cylinder?

Or does just the #1 tower have to line up with the rotor?

View attachment 1715517178
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Just spit balling
I know when you use an electronic timing control you need to lock out the mechanical advance in the distributor. Did you do that?
 
Just so this thread doesn't go haywire, here's what I did.
I set the balancer at 16* BTDC
I stabbed the distributor, pointing at #1
I turned th adjustable rotor 16* clockwise
Aligned the 8 paddle wheel with the pickup
This put the rotor just before #1 ready to fire.
Put the cap back on and set the wires.

I haven't tried to refire yet.
 
I think you went the wrong way on the adjustable rotor. Dist rotation is clockwise so you need to turn the rotor counter clockwise to retard.
Im referencing my msd atomic manual for this but it sounds like the same process for the FItech from what you have said.
 
MoparMike1974 said:
I think you went the wrong way on the adjustable rotor. Dist rotation is clockwise so you need to turn the rotor counter clockwise to retard.
Im referencing my msd atomic manual for this but it sounds like the same process for the FItech from what you have said.
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Really? That would suck. The FItech instructions say turn the rotor the same way that you just motor rotates which is cw.

but my new problem is I don't have any spark on the number one plug. I double checked the MSD box and it's firing the coil, bit I don't think FItech is commanding spark.

15879546476568024223297403389772.jpg
 
plumkrazee70 said:
Just so this thread doesn't go haywire, here's what I did.
I set the balancer at 16* BTDC
I stabbed the distributor, pointing at #1
I turned th adjustable rotor 16* clockwise
Aligned the 8 paddle wheel with the pickup
This put the rotor just before #1 ready to fire.
Put the cap back on and set the wires.

I haven't tried to refire yet.
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It appears that you have set it at 0 degrees or TDC
16* - 16* = 0* or TDC
Double check everything
 
There's a setting change in the software to make the change to timing control.
When you change that value, you NEED to key off and wait ~60 seconds before keying back on.

Only THEN will it try to fire. I did the same thing you did after doing a full reset. The backfire didn't come from the fitech trying to fire though, but it was loud and scared me shitless.

I forget the name of the setting at the moment, but its in the instructions.
 
Like I said, im referring to my msd atomic instructions so it might not be the same.
Everything else on the atomic system seems to be the same except they use 15°, not 16°.
 
Phreakish said:
There's a setting change in the software to make the change to timing control.
When you change that value, you NEED to key off and wait ~60 seconds before keying back on.

Only THEN will it try to fire. I did the same thing you did after doing a full reset. The backfire didn't come from the fitech trying to fire though, but it was loud and scared me shitless.

I forget the name of the setting at the moment, but its in the instructions.
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Are you talking about changing from Tach to VR coil? If you are it set to VRcoil, meaning it set to timing control.
 
plumkrazee70 said:
Are you talking about changing from Tach to VR coil? If you are it set to VRcoil, meaning it set to timing control.
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And you did a full power off and power on before trying to start? That was my mistake. I changed it, but didn't power off.
Big badaboom.
 
Phreakish said:
And you did a full power off and power on before trying to start? That was my mistake. I changed it, but didn't power off.
Big badaboom.
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Yes. If I go into the handheld right now, it's set to VR coil.

Is your running on timing control? How did you set your up?
 
Yep, running timing control.
I use a stock distributor even though fitech says not to. I checked my phasing with a drilled cap and timing light and the tip is about centered when idling at 18deg.

I stabbed in my distributor with the rotor pointed near number one and twisted in just a little advance. I set all my timing values (all of them) to 15 degrees, including the base dist degrees. Then I got it fired (first time I was 180 off) and pulled the revs up off idle (about 1100) then set my timing to 15 degrees on the balancer and then locked it down. My dist is of course locked out.

From there I setup my curve (18 idle, 23 initial, 32 all in, 35 for low lap at 1100 and 45 for the other two low map settings) and it runs awesome.

From playing with it, it cannot run the timing below the value set in the base degrees value. You want your idle timing 2-3 degrees above the base because the ecu will vary the timing to smooth the idle.

The VR advance at 4k is odd. It was at 17 degrees or so in the stock calibration, but I typically wind up less than 4 but the result isn't far off from the default setting.. So who knows? But it definitely helps to set it proper to avoid retard at rpm.
 
Phreakish said:
Yep, running timing control.
I use a stock distributor even though fitech says not to. I checked my phasing with a drilled cap and timing light and the tip is about centered when idling at 18deg.

I stabbed in my distributor with the rotor pointed near number one and twisted in just a little advance. I set all my timing values (all of them) to 15 degrees, including the base dist degrees. Then I got it fired (first time I was 180 off) and pulled the revs up off idle (about 1100) then set my timing to 15 degrees on the balancer and then locked it down. My dist is of course locked out.

From there I setup my curve (18 idle, 23 initial, 32 all in, 35 for low lap at 1100 and 45 for the other two low map settings) and it runs awesome.

From playing with it, it cannot run the timing below the value set in the base degrees value. You want your idle timing 2-3 degrees above the base because the ecu will vary the timing to smooth the idle.

The VR advance at 4k is odd. It was at 17 degrees or so in the stock calibration, but I typically wind up less than 4 but the result isn't far off from the default setting.. So who knows? But it definitely helps to set it proper to avoid retard at rpm.
Click to expand...

Ok, so not quite the same as mine. I'll call FItech tomorrow and see what is up. I just dont fully understand the adjustable rotor needing to be adjusted the same as the base timing. Wouldn't that put me at 16* base + 32* of adjusted timing in the rotor?
 
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