No power on full throttle

[notroubleclubber]

My guess would be timing. Boost gauge looks like its doing what it should.

I doubt its fuelling or spark as it will be stuttering and kangarooing and all sorts.

[timnutt]

I fairly sure I aligned the two cam pulleys timing and the crank shaft pulley when I replaced the timing belt, but a good place to start - I'll let you know.
Thanks

[SonicSW20]

Check the cam timing is not a tooth out. It sounds right, just gutless.

Well put, not that easy to check on the 3S-GTE however. Those cams walk when you pull the old belt off so your mad not to mark the positions first with a permanent marker pen. I think there are factory cam marks but at the bottom of the cams so its really a pain to check with the engine in the car.

Just take a few minutes to remove the cam cover, there are notches on the cams near the caps at the gear end:

[MR2DI4]

Yes that would be your best option if you bought the car these days. Fortunately I got mine with only 64,000km on the clock over 20 years ago so I knew the existing belt was in the right place. Quicker to mark it with a pen before removing the old belt. The same marks were still there the second time the belt was changed.

[timnutt]

Hi, You are right - it's definitely the timing!!
I went to double check the timing and when I connect the TE1 and E1 connectors and turn on the ignition, I don't get the flashing yellow engine light on the dash. The diagnostic port has yellow gunk in all the ports, don't know what it is, so I guess I'm not making the connection. I must have set the timing without these connected. So I did a quick test and turned the distributor a small amount clockwise. And now I get some good power on full boost.

So now need to figure out how to get the TE1 and E1 ports connected, so I can set the timing properly.
Tim

[jimi]

The yellow gunk is a waterproof grease to prevent corrosion, what are you using to bridge the connections?

[timnutt]

Ah ha! Using a paper clip. Maybe not thick enough. The gunk makes it hard to see where to put the clip.

[MR2DI4]

I probably went a bit OTT with the bridge connector. Made it from a couple of 3mm male spades and a short bit of wire. This actually plugs in properly to each of the female connectors inside the diagnostic box. You need a decent connection if you want to start testing something like the fuel pump, this draws 3 or 4 Amps.

[timnutt]

3mm spade is helpful. I have some of those, so I will try that. With all the yellow gunk, I couldn't even see the connector type. Knowledge is power!
Thanks

[MR2DI4]

I just had a thought, if you did a cambelt change and suddenly your timing was way off then your most definitely a tooth out on one or even both of your cams. The two are linked.

Changing your belt will have very little effect on the timing. In fact if its never been checked and adjusted during the service life of the belt, a new belt should bring it back to where the static timing should be, however it should still be checked.

[timnutt]

3mm spade made a good connection, but when I turn on the ignition the yellow engine warning light comes on, and then switches off. I wait and nothing else happens. Even if I start the car... arrggghh so frustrating as how can I set the timing without this?

2nd question :-) As I said I gave the distributor a small turn and now I get power on full throttle, clearly the timing isn't set right, and I need to sort it. But after a few minutes running the idle pulses from 1000-1200 rpm about once-twice a second. really annoying sitting at the traffic lights. Timing? ECU, some other sensor?

Thanks
Tim