I just tried to adjust the timing on my Accord. The manual says to short the check engine connector under the dash and then at an idle set it at 12 degrees (red mark on flywheel) below TDC at idle.
Trouble is....I can't adjust the distributer far enough to get to the mark. It's a few degrees off.
Any recommendations?

 

Check the cam timing, it's probably off a tooth.

 

Any tricks to that?
I'm assuming I should put the flywheel at TDC and then check the marks on the cam pully and it should be TDC as well?

 

If you determine the timing marks are not aligned, you can correct fairly easy w/o removing the cranshaft pulley

Align crankshaft on TDC.
Remove tensioner lock nut, and upper and lower timing belt covers.
Lock tensioner in loose position w/ 6mm bolt (10mm socket size).
Slide timing belt off the camshaft sprocket
Rotate camshaft sprocket to TDC, or as close as possible. No worse than 1/2 sprocket either way.
Reinstall belt, remove 6mm tensioner lockdown (VERY Important!)
Reinstall lower timing belt cover, retension belt per normal procedure and tighten lock nut.
Reinstall upper timing belt cover.

good luck

 

make sure you have slack in the throttle cable, if it is opening the butterfly the TPS will misread idle and change the timing thru the ECU.
People often jack the throttle cable to try to adjust idle speed

 

Does jumpering those two wires under the dash disable the ECU? I will check the throttle cable.
The idle speed was at about 750rpm

 

if you cannot set the timing most likely cam timing is off,, like it was adviced you need to chk it to make sure it is ok,,
First off, put car on top dead center, align the white mark on the crank pulley to the raised nipple on the lower timing belt cover
remove the upper timing belt cover , chk to see if the camshaft marks align with the head ( up mark facing up )
if they do ,cam timing is ok,, If they do not , you need to reset it ,, by the way chk condition of timing belt . if belt is ok ,,continue ,, if belt is worn chk to make sure that it is not the reason that timing is off , ( broken tooth on t-belt, skipped a timing tooth )
since the upper cover is off, stuff a rag into the lower cover so something does not drop inside and then you need to remove the lower cover,
Anyho. loosen up the 12 mm bolt for the cam pulley, ( do not remove yet ) slip the timing belt off the pulley , remove the 12mm bolt and the cam pulley, careful not to drop the pulley alignment key .once pulley and little key are off, turn the camshaft to align marks to the head, put timing belt into pulley and line it up with the camshaft you might need to pull up a bit, ( do not put the key in yet..) once cam pulley is on the camshaft , it should be aligned so you can insert the key, insert the key you might have to tap on it with a little hammer or a small wrench, once key in in, install the 12 mm bolt and tighten it up..
I have done it this way for many years and many times , there is no need to remove the lower timing belt cover and assuming belt is adjusted properly no ned to adjust timing belt either ..Now if t-belt is loose than you need to adjust it,, loosen the 14mm nut in the middle of the lower timing belt cover, ( t-belt adjuster nut) , turn the engine 90-180 degrees toward the frt of the car use a 19mm socket long extension and a wrechet ( counterclock wise ) that will take the slack off the timing belt, tighten the adjuster nut ..
double chk your timing ..

 

Wow! very helpful. Thank You.
Good idea with the rag! Did that idea come from experience or wisdom? or both?

 

Jumpering doesn't disable the ECU; if it did the engine wouldn't run. It disables the specific ECU function of constantly making adjustments to the spark timing.

 

Makes sense.
Thanks