according to everything ive seen the timing pin is the way to find TDC....What is the other way?

 

droping a valve.

 

thanks

 

what are the gains by changing the timing? more power, better burn, quicker spool?not sure so i thought i would ask.

 

you pretty much nailed it... but it all depends on how much timing you put to it... a mild increase will yield what you stated... getting abit more crazy with it makes you lose some bottom end and delays spool slightly but comes into play in the higher rpms

 

i notticed less black smoke when just driving normally, but then i also noticed more of a haze at idle when the motor isnt completley warm yet as well as increased "diesel smell" from exaust. I have driven 1000 miles since i did set my timing at 15* and i am getting almost 2 mpg better on the fuel mileage driving the same exact way and route. so for me going from 13.5 to 15* it helped my mileage, reduced low rpm black smoke and my egt's seem to be a tad lower. mabey like 50 degrees or so. but on the flip side i think it is a little bit louder and am sure it is harder on the internals than the stock 13.5 but im not sure on that one.

 

what would be good timing set at without the 3000k governor spring kit? and are the gains really worth the time?

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did you take yours to a shop? as i saw you were asking about that awhile back.

 

no i just went ahead and bought all the tools needed to set the timing. i bought the dial inicator set for 12v timing and the gear puller came with it. It was realy easy. the hardest part about it was finding the perfect top dead center. cause with out that its just a shot in the dark.(well within a degree or so using the timing pin. I found out through doing mine the valve drop method my pin is dead on but even with the pin engaged i could get it a little movement on the dial either way. But anyways i set my timing using the timing pin then went back and double checked it with the valve drop method of TDC and i was within a 1/2* of what i thought i was. I thought it was 15* when in reality it was set at a hair over 15.5*. but yes it was worth the money to buy the tools cause now i know how to do it and can change mine any time i want now. By the ways all the tools needed costed around 375 dollars. so it was around the same as haveing a shop do it except that i can do it as many times as id like now. It only takes about 2 hours tops to set your timing so its worth the time even if you only get minute differences. But i did increase my MPG by 2. so it was worth it to me.

 

very cool and sounds like a job well done. think i will be doing it soon. crazy thing is i drive a garbage truck and they all have the 12valve in them. most of them are1990 through 1996. head diesel mechanic did not know what a kdp was. we have 15 of them and kdp has never been corrected. but have not had a pin ever fall out. will be doing mine at the same time when i bump the timing.

 

i'd like to cam mine while i'm in there for the KDP. but i'll be doing the KDP when i do a full service on the cooling system. rad is junk, thermostat is prolly toast and i'm goin to throw a water pump on just so i dont have to later. but that'll be like... 1800 bucks after shipping. i just dont like taking things apart twice when i could just do it all at once whil ei'm in there