Distributor timing problem

a reply to: Tardacus

I'd be surprised if you could line it up even if you could see it since the rotor will turn as you drop the distributor in due to the distributor gear meshing with the cam gear, just remember that the main thing is lining up the rotor- it will drop into the oil pump as you rotate thing around.

Because it doesn't drop into the oil pump shaft you have to guesstimate where it end up but it's pretty easy to guess once you see how the rotor is turning as it meshes with the cam gear.

You'll know when it sitting on the oil pump shaft because the distributor housing will be up about 1/4" from where it sits in the intake.

-Yes, sorry I missed the last part of you post. Once you have the rotor lined up you can rotate the motor either by hand or by key to get the distributor to drop into the oil pump shaft, just make sure it's dropped all the way down before you try to start it. It won't take more than one crank/rotation for it to drop.

a reply to: Tardacus

I am not familiar with your dist. cavity that leads to the pinion slot . On the older engines the dist.gear meshed up with the cam gear but the bottom of the dist.shaft usually had a split pin that would go into the slot . It could be turned with a long flat blade screw driver .Once you get it centered then the dist. should drop in drop . Find the schismatics for that beast and see just what the guts look like . You might check out YT as sometimes you can find someone who did the same bo bo and decided to make a vid sharing what they learned .

a reply to: Tardacus

Wow! So there is no way to manually advance or retard the timing. Ive never seen that before. I have a vortec now and have no idea how it even works. Ive never done anything to it since I bought it in 1998, besides oil, filters and plugs.

You could always call the dealership and ask a mechanic familiar with your motor. I understand that you want to save money

a reply to: visitedbythem

Most of the new stuff has a link to the computer to make the timing adjustments using crank sensors and all the other sensors for fuel and other things .gone are the days of mechanical controls using vacuum . Even knock sensors to retard the timing when detonation occurs .

a reply to: the2ofusr1
that`s the same as this,i guess I need to turn it with a big screwdriver so that when the rotor is lined up with the arrow the oil pump shaft will be engaged and the distributor will go all the way down.

a reply to: Tardacus

Bingo ....good luck with that

a reply to: visitedbythem

nope, no way to manually adjust the timing and they made it even better by making the distributor housing plastic so when it gets old and the plastic gets brittle the threaded tabs that the cap screws into, they break off and you get to buy a whole new distributor.

designed and made to fail so the manufacturer can keep making money selling poorly designed and made parts.

the weight difference between a plastic housing and a metal housing is maybe 8 ounces? so the vehicle will get much better gas milage by being 8 ounces lighter, pffft, at least that what`s they want us believe so that they can keep designing and selling made to fail parts.

a reply to: Tardacus

Unless you had the timing changed in any way, just follow the video that's attached... it's the best advice seen so far.

Just roll it over a couple times by hand before you set it since you already rolled it backwards. See how it runs when you get it all set liek the video says... I imagine it'll go well.

a reply to: ttobban

I`m going to try that again tomorrow, I did it like the video shows but I couldn`t get the rotor lined up directly with the arrow and when I tried to start it, it just cranked, didn`t sputter or backfire or anything, so I guess it`s pretty important to get the rotor lined up precisely with that arrow.

I`ve turned it clockwise a couple of complete rotations and then lined the marks up.

a reply to: Tardacus
Im real sorry about that Bro.
Back in the day things were made to last, and be repaired easily. I don't work on my truck. I do have a couple antique motorcycles that I work on though. Most everything is steel, and they are made to be adjusted

a reply to: visitedbythem

I prefer the older cars myself, this is my daughters POS blazer

I have a 1983 chevy c-10 that thing is easy to work on, lot`s of room under the hood and no sensors or emissions crap, has just what is necessary to make it go and stop that`s the way it should be.no gadgets,gizmos, bells or whistles.

I don`t need or want all that other fancy gadgetry I don`t live in it I just use it to get from one place to another.

a reply to: Tardacus

The trick in the video where he uses a long flat blade screw driver marked up top line up the splines is a good trick... it limits the chance of the gear jumping off a tooth.

Best of luck with it!

a reply to: visitedbythem

What are your bikes .

originally posted by: Tardacus
a reply to: visitedbythem

I prefer the older cars myself, this is my daughters POS blazer

I have a 1983 chevy c-10 that thing is easy to work on, lot`s of room under the hood and no sensors or emissions crap, has just what is necessary to make it go and stop that`s the way it should be.no gadgets,gizmos, bells or whistles.

I don`t need or want all that other fancy gadgetry I don`t live in it I just use it to get from one place to another.

Ive mostly had 350s with no bells or whistles, and no smog checks. I could run what ever carb I wanted, run headers, and advance the timing as I chose.
Here was my 71 Chevelle

a reply to: Tardacus

I hate to break it to you, but cars with distributors are now the POS's of current times. It's a waste of motion and kinetic energy to have a distributor ignition. Then to add unnecessary plug wires on top of all that.

Now take it to the level of the damn things parking themselves... now I fully agree with limiting technology. Aside from that, I think learning cars of today is like learning to use a laptop... one that includes mechanical/pneumatic/hydraulic controls.

originally posted by: the2ofusr1
a reply to: visitedbythem

What are your bikes .

I have a 49 Cushman step through (Turtle back) with flat head 8 horse, Mikuni carb
and a 53 Cushman Eagle, also a flat head 8 with a suicide shift along side the tank. That one is a museum quality restoration, and I think Jay Leno has one just like it. I sold all my big bikes after I almost lost my life in a wreck years ago

a reply to: ttobban

A bigger frustration is what you have to unpack to even get close to the unit you want to .Never mind the new wrenches .Just how many ways can you make a darn screwdriver . Even the fastners are no longer standard sizes let alone standard thread pitch .

Heres the 53

a reply to: visitedbythem

Toll box for those is probably a pair of pliers a hammer and a roll of rabbit wire .

a reply to: the2ofusr1

I tell the same exact thing to the tools that I bought to do a job once... maybe twice.

I spent many years working on BMW's... the kings of one off tools and cramming. I quit immediately after I seen that they stuffed twin turbos (with all the oil & coolant lines) into the middle (valley) of a V8 engine. The intakes are set on either side. Not something I wish to do for commission, thanks.