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Just realized my old mentor was right about injector timing after 15 years

I was talking to my dad's buddy, a guy who's been turning wrenches since the 70s, and he said I was overthinking the timing on a 12-valve I was rebuilding. He told me to just listen to the engine knock and adjust from there, not chase the spec sheet numbers. Has anyone else had a old-timer show them a trick that made you feel like you forgot the basics?
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young.kim
young.kim17d ago
My first time rebuilding a 12-valve I was so scared of messing up the numbers I set the timing three times before even starting it. Sure enough it ran like a lawnmower with a potato in the tailpipe. Called up my dad's buddy and he said "son, your ears work better than the book on these old trucks." He was dead on. I had the injection pump perfectly timed on paper but the engine was begging for a slight adjustment just by sound and feel. Stupid how we overthink the simple stuff sometimes.
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the_emery
the_emery17d ago
@torres.grant check your manual. Ears lie, but timing specs don't.
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torres.grant
Learned that same lesson the hard way tuning my Cummins last year.
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