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I can not get my timing set correctly. When I tried to set it, I could get the leading timing about right, but not the trailing. The mark was way off base, so I tried to start over. Now, it is worse than it was when I started.

Here is what I did:
1. Disconnected the battery.
2. Removed the crank angle sensor.
3. Re-aligned the divot in the CAS gear with the mark on the CAS (no, not the roll pin, the divot between them)
4. Set the yellow timing mark at the pin.
5. Put the CAS back into the car, being careful not to spin the gear wheel.
6. Reconnected the battery.
7. Reconnected the CAS connector to the harness.

I reviewed the directions to set the timing, and that is the correct procedure. However, when I put the CAS back in and tried to get my timing set, I had to remove the screw and twist the CAS around way past its range to get the timing near to anywhere right. Currently, I have the CAS out of the car to make sure.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you check yellow mark against L1 and red mark against T1. It just wasn't working at all.

Need to get the car to idle correctly before setting timing, unless the timing is horribly wrong and causing the bad idle. Need to have the CAS stabbed in there correctly before rotating the CAS (sounds like you might be off a tooth?)

I figured out my mistake. Well, one of them, anyhow.

I didn't have the top off and I wasn't holding the gear in place.

As for the idle, there is no way I can get this thing to idle low. I fixed the throttle cable issue and it was still holding idle around 1200 RPMs. Mucking with the idle control screw did nothing. So now I have a catch-22. I need to get my idle sorted to check my timing, but I need to get my timing set to straighten out the idle.

Check for vacuum leaks to fix the idle. Spray carb cleaner (or propane but I haven't had much luck with that one). I would focus on vacuum leak/etc. as a cause of the high idle and not the timing if the timing is at least on the right tooth. The adjustment range of the CAS shouldn't whack the idle too badly.

I believe that you may have to set the timing at idle RPMS because that's where it is valid in the ignition map. I'm not sure if the jumper/diagnostic overrides that on all stock ECUs. At any other RPM, you don't know what the ECU is driving the timing at. Actually, some computers can vary timing at idle...

I think it is more a matter of the street port making my idle high. With stock ports I can get the idle in the bitter 750 range, but with the port job I did, it just idles high.

I'll double check for leaks, though.

I know 2 silver FD's with street ports and idle isn't that much of an issue- so I think you should keep digging.

make sure your thermowax is completely disengaged - 1200 or so is about right for cold idle.