Timing question(s)

I stoped reading this about half way thru, but I have had to deal with timing issues on many cars. one or two being my own, another being a modified BMW, and others.
I found that the first thign to check is your spark plug wire order. on most all 4 bangers it is 1-4-3-2 or 14 she is to young 32 she is to old.

There is a possiblity that your distro could be 180 from its timing. it will backfire and not want to start at all, or if it does you have prolly adjusted the timing very far just ot get it to "run". If the wires are wrong then it will try to start and sometimes start (depends on how badly backwards they are).

It took me a while to understand this, but after awhile you dont even need a book, if you understand that the order must be right and the distro position is irelivant if you adjust everything else acording to it.

Basic steps without the book.
1) plop distro in.
2) adjust the distro finger (cant think of the name) to point to one of the bumps (spark wire conections) on the distro cap.
3) run spark plug wire number 1 (short one) from the distro cap position that we matched up to the first spark plug.
4) then from there run the rest of the wires one by one from the cap to its spark plug. in this order (on the cap Clockwise) 1-3-4-2.

Tada!

If that dosnt work, pul it all apart again and try again. (even the expereinced make mistakes). If all else fails check the base timing of the cam vs. Motor again, and make sure you are using the hard timing marks with the number one piston UP. Hard timing marks are usually a dent in the block and the head, the pulleys have either a gash in them or a arrow casted into them.

good luck.
feel free to contact me if needed.
 
140cilx said:
October 15-17, Richmond, KY - DEF WORTH THE DRIVE! It's the automotive highlight of my year.

Well I got bored and figured out how fair away this event is from me. I'm looking at a 1255 mile drive which is apx 21 1/2 hours to do it in. This is without and restroom breaks either :eek: I've done trips this long before but with school going on it may be impossible for me to do it this time around.
 
Pro-Hawk said:
My question is this...Should I pull the distribitor back out and put it back the way I found it (180 out) ? This timing stuff really gets on my nerves exspecaily having three things to align up :p

Ray


AHHHHHHHHHHhhhhh


I got here running by turning the dis back 180 degrees like I mentioned :p I had my friend help me get her on TDC and we checked the dis which was off 180. So all we did was turn the dis back to the number one plug. Now the firing order was off also and once we got that right she came to life :banana:

Thank you for your help and Believeing in me even though someone else where had me going in the wrong direction :(
 
damn man, just damn.

Just to clear it up, the numbers of the contacts on the distributor correspond to WHICH CYLINDER THE WIRES LEAD TO FROM THERE, not to a picture in a service manual. That's why it was necessary to first ensure the number 1 wire is routed to the spot you are going to point the rotor at, then check that #3 is routed to the next post, then #4 to the next, then #2 to the last, clockwise... BEFORE trying to piss yourself off getting the distributor lined up :p

It is impossible to get the distributor 180 off if you KNOW that #1 is at TDC, you KNOW that the arrow on cam gear is pointing to the middle of the 3 bars on the inner timing cover underneath it, and you KNOW the distributor rotor is pointing at the wire which leads to #1 (not to just any spot indicated by your dad/neighbor/chiltons/etc) and the firing order is correct...
 
Ray III said:
damn man, just damn.

Just to clear it up, the numbers of the contacts on the distributor correspond to WHICH CYLINDER THE WIRES LEAD TO FROM THERE, not to a picture in a service.......................any spot indicated by your dad/neighbor/chiltons/etc) and the firing order is correct...


Well said. I just kinda do it now, and that makes it kinda hard to explain. I am such a ****ty teacher. But I get paid for fixing things not teaching how to fix em!! :banana:

later,
TF