Distributor Timing?

Revmau5

Revmau5

Hmmm. I've been an idiot.

While building the engine back up after changing the head gasket I wasn't convinced the upper chain was on correctly after I refitted everything. So...I turned it over by hand until I was reassured the marking lined up. However, i'm not convinced I put it back to TDC before I finished building everything back up. As a result, I believe the engine is in time, but my distributor alas will not be?

Assistance required urgently! (I'm thinking setting it up with another car on jump leads and hooking up a timing strobe to the cyl no 1 HT lead and checking for the alignment at the pin beside the crank and the notches?)

What about advancing it, should I experiment or just leave it? Is this a science or a talent?...bit of a novice in that department.
 
dont worry about the dizzy timing (just set it in the middle for now) the cam timing is the important bit, there are a few threads with pic,s on here
 
But I marked the upper chain to both pulley's and the centre pulley and put it all back to where it was? It wouldn't have changed somehow surely? Wouldn't I be bending valves and all sorts if it was wrong?

Maybe i'm being dumb here lol.
 
you can can be out about 2 teeth one way, and about 10 teeth the other way before bending valves.
and the dizzy will only go in one position in the keyway on the cam
 
yes "lobes" username "frank" should bring some pic,s up :) and on cisco,s too, i always line the lobes up with the side of the bolts as in the pic,s (@ tdc)
 
Ok so I can get it to start but it runs majorly lumpy. I'm wondering did i distort the head and need it skimmed or is it still out on timing. Compression test won't exactly show me I doubt?

I set it so that no. 2 and 3 were pointing as you've shown frank (inwards with lobes lying alonh the upper guides. Ill get a pic later incase it's not.

Not sure why else it would be as lumpy as it is. Honestly sounds like a gimpreza, worrying!
 
Well...no one told me there were silver links and timing marks! Sheesh. Made that a lot easier haha.

Here's a question...starts and idles sweet when I cover most of the throttle body. When I let my hand off it dies. Air leak in the inlet manifold maybe?
 
When I'm looking down at the cam cover there's three breathers I can see, which one is the PCV? The one by the distributor coming up from the bottom is connected, the one just opposite that isn't, it's just spitting oil an vapour around the place lol (but then I hadn't that connected with the throttle bodies during testing) and the other small plastic stub on the drivers side isn't connected either.

Ill do another wee search lol.
 
Revmau5 said:
When I'm looking down at the cam cover there's three breathers I can see, which one is the PCV? The one by the distributor coming up from the bottom is connected, the one just opposite that isn't, it's just spitting oil an vapour around the place lol (but then I hadn't that connected with the throttle bodies during testing) and the other small plastic stub on the drivers side isn't connected either.

Ill do another wee search lol.
Click to expand...
Left side at the back as you look at the engine from front
 
Connected that up just out of curiosity and it seems to run stead but still running like a dog though! Kind of thinking the head might need skimmed or ive missed something obvious. Or torqued the head too much or little...or a million things! New engine might be easier.

I was thinking it was the timing still, but that looks right to me?

image.jpg


Thoughts? Lol.
 
Ok I've now tried turning it over and there's literally nothing. I must have bent some valves or something, or the bottom ends totally out of time somehow. Think ill throw the towel in and just pick up a new donkey! Sad times lol.
 
Ill strip it down again and see. Never wished I had ratchet spanners so much in my life while taking that engine mount off to get at the access plate lol!
 
OK - so i look to be an entire link out? Would i need to take that idler bolt out to rotate it around? Looks to be a little casting piece directly below in the way if i was.

That said, maybe they would line up if i turn it another million times? I got bored though, but maybe that's what's ####ing the whole thing up!!

image-2.jpg


image-1.jpg
 
Have i just broke it then? :( Maybe i should do a compression test? Is there anyway i've ####ed the bottom end vs top end? Besides bending valves could i have missed something obvious? Literally turns over forever - no resulting firing. I can even hear the spark as i turn it over...smell the fuel from the plugs... sigh!
 
Its also parked on a gravel driveway, seized brakes...front end disassembled....maybe best to get a tester, no? Or is there a better way? It does make me sad.
 
Right well when I put the spark plugs in, it's harder to turn over than without. Doesn't that mean there IS compression? Confused!
 

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