To fully understand all the things you want to know about your Toyota you'd need to train as mechanic for a few years, or read up on certain areas that are faulty from books etc.
The older Toyota's can have the timing set by way of a strobe timing light, obtain the correct setting, usually disconnect the vacuum advance pipe, fix timing lamp to No1 HT lead (usually)slacken distributor mounting clamp, run enging and point lamp at crankshaft pully, turn distributor until correct mark lines up with TDC pointer. Some timing lights have a dial on the back to set angle, then TDC & 0 line up.... but will be, eg, ** degrees before TDC (BTDC).
Of course newer cars, are not adjustable, as the ECU controlls the timing.
Terry., April 2006
