need help

bassdog · September 7, 2002

Guys, Im having no luck getting the truck running right. For whatever reason we can't seem to get the distributor at the right tooth to coinsde with the timing / top dead center.

Anyone got any suggestions or tips? ???

MountaineerTom · September 7, 2002

I can't help too much bassdog, but if you don't have a Haynes or Chiltons manual, you may want to look in one of them to make sure your doing everything correctly.

I had me distributor out of my '91 one time to change the oil pressure sending unit ( ) and I was able to mark the distributor and the intake to make sure I got it back exactly the same way, and didn't have any problems. But your case is a little different I think. I'd try looking in one of those manuals if you could. Good luck.

bassdog · September 8, 2002

Thanks Tom, I picked up a Chiltons manual after about an hour into it. 6 hours later we still don't have it right :angry:

That's the last thing holding us up. Unfortunately we don't even know if we have top dead center, according to the book we do, but something still isn't right.

Hopefully my mechanic will find it in his heart to come over and finish the project...it'll probably only take him an hour max!!! If not, the truck sits till someone can get it right

September 9, 2002

Here's my tried and true method for finding TDC:

Take out the #1 spark plug and with a samll screwdriver in the spark plug hole, have someone else rotate the engine with the crank pulley nut s l o w l y until you can fell the piston rise all the way up and begin to go back down. A minute or two of working the crank back and forth and you'll know exactly where TDC is.

Put the distributor in with the rotor pointing at the #1 contact on the cap. The rotor will turn slightly as it goes in and the gears mesh, so you have to compensate for that rotation by offsetting it slightly as you slide it ever so gently into place.

If, when the distributor is in and tightened down, it won't start or backfires through the intake, then the distributor is 180 out. Simply loosen up and remove the distributor just high enough to clear the cam gear and rotate the rotor 180 degrees from the position it was in when you took off the cap.

bassdog · September 9, 2002

Thanks Friz, tried that exact same method with the exception of taking it off and rotating it 180 again. It is backfiring thru the TBI unit and I gave up after that

It is getting towed to my buddies garage today and I'm going to let him deal with it now. We have a total of maybe 8-9 hours into the distributor / timing issue, and we're fed up. It took us that long to pull the motor and have the new one back in