Ok, I’ve decided to reset the timing on my ’96 this weekend—never done this before so I’m kind of nervous.

The factory setting should be 14º, so I decided to advance it to 16º. After reading several posts here, I think this will work for me. Here is what I know and don’t know:

• Should I take the No. 1 injector line off completely, or just disconnect it from the delivery valve and move it aside? Is there enough give in the line to move it aside, I’ve heard that these lines should not be bent?
• I’m taking the gear cover off. When I did the KDP fix, I used the gray silicone in the TST kit and now the cover leaks oil (I guess I don’t know how to use silicone), so I’m taking the cover off and adding a Cummins gasket.
• Since the cover will be off, I’m going to completely clean the pump gear of any oil with contact cleaner, and the pump shaft too. I may even take the gear off to make sure it is absolutely clean of any oil residue.
• I bought a new shaft nut and lock washer. The instructions say to torque the nut to 144 lb. ft, but Infidel recommended to someone to go as high as 170 lb. ft., or so, which setting should I use?
• I hope my ’96 doesn’t use a copper delivery valve washer, because I didn’t get a new one.
• Should I tap the pump gear with a large socket so it seats properly, before I torque down the nut?

Did I miss anything important? Thanks for any help.

 

Your timing should be at 12.5 degrees, I belive, but 16 will do fine. I ran mine at 16.25 with good sucess. Totally remove the #1 injector line. A slight bend will make it more prone to bursting as the lines are hardened. It wouldnt hurt to hit the pump gear with a socket to seat it. Personally I would tighten the nut to 160 ftlbs. Just be careful as I have heard of the threads pulling. Dont worry about the DV washer. Most of the pumps dont have them in our applications. If ya happen to just reuse it till you can get another from a pump shop where they are pretty cheap. It is pretty easy. Good luck.

 

Ok, thanks for your help.

 

here is a couple links that will help.

http://dodgeram.info/tsb/1994/18-10-94a.htm

http://www.dodgeram.org/tech/dsl/FAQ/timing.htm

 

i just torqued the nut first to 45 ftlbs to seat everything.
Then torqued it to 150 ftlbs. Tapped the gear with a rubber mallet and retorqued. I did this untill the wrech clicked without getting tighter. If ya beat it on a little with something (like a mallet) you will get a little more everytime ya retorque it. Just my $.02

 

Thanks for the advice, I’ll try that. One of my biggest worries is that the timing will slip afterwards, and I’ll regret having messed with it in the first place.

 

thanks for sharing, getting ready to do the same

 

Were is everyone geting the timing kits from? any online stores have them? and do you have a part number?


Thanks
Chris

 

You can get them from SPX Miller, the link below has the part number, you will need the Timing Kit and the Gear Puller:
http://dodgeram.info/tsb/1994/18-10-94a.htm
to buy the Miller kit you have to call them and order it:
http://www.miller.spx.com/
Or you can get them from Snap On,
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....&group_ID=2964
and the baring tool, which I highly recomend:
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog

 

Just set my timing to 16°.
Wow, what a difference, it’s like a whole new truck!!!
Two things every 12-valve should have: 1) KDP fix, 2) Advanced timing, it’s that significant!

Thanks everyone for their tips and suggestions.

 

I got my truck timed because it was retarded a couple of degrees, they told me that advancing it would do some damage, Any truth to that? If not I'm on board!

 

just purchased the barring tool from dealer for $33

 

There are advantages and dissadvantages to advancing your timing, see the link for a good summary:
http://dodgeram.org/tech/dsl/FAQ/timing.htm

The main dissadvantage is higher cylinder pressures and loss of low end torque. I think if you stay between 15 and 17 degrees, you will be OK (some go as high as 18-21). I went from 13 to 16, and I was impressed with the results, smoother engine, more power, it just seems to run better. I did not notice any loss in torque at all. I think most people would agree that advancing the timing to about 16, is a good thing for a 12-valve. Do some more research on this forum.

 

When you use the gear puller, it says to use a magnet to keep the bolt and washer from falling in. Exactly what kind of magnet is this? I haven't done the timing yet and I want to make sure I have all the tools before I start taking things apart. Also, it doesn't look like there is much space for the gear puller between the timing cover and the radiator. How hard was that part? Any other timing suggestions?

 

Any pencil magnet will work. You just want to stick it to the pump shaft while you take the nut and washer off, in case they slip off your fingers, the magnet will catch them. I used the gear puller from Miller, it is small enough to fit; unless you have a really big puller with extra long screws, you should be OK.
The pump shaft nut is tight, I took it off before starting the measurements, so it would not disturb anything when I had my timing measurements made. When you get ready to pull the gear off, hold the engine and the puller extra tight, so they don’t turn on you and disturb your settings. With the timing cover on, the hardest thing will be cleaning the gear and pump shaft. They are full of oil, and as soon as you pop off the gear from the shaft, all the oil from the top and sides of the gear will drip in. You need to clean the top and side of the gear so no oil drips in to the matting surface. Use lots of rags to soak the oil and cleaner. Clean, clean, and clean all the oil off the shaft and gear. The surfaces need to be 100% free of oil, or they will slip. I did mine with the cover off, to do the KDP fix at the same time, so for me it was easier, I just pulled the gear completely off and hosed it down with brake and contact cleaner.