Distrtibutor/Timing

[jonkay]

I have been searching this site for hours and have read a thousand posts...

I replaced my oil pump. I decided to pull the dizzy to prime the pump. I marked the cap and rotor, primed the pump, went to reinstall the distributor and realized there were about 4 black marks for the rotor EXACTLY like the mark I just made. I was positive I remembered the correct mark right up until the engine refused to start.

The truck was running great. Where do I go from here? (before I do more harm than good!)

 

[FASTERDAMITT]

Find top dead center by pulling the spark plug from #1 cylinder (passenger front). Have someone turn over engine by hand in the correct direction with your thumb over the plug hole. When you feel the compresion popping your thumb off, slow down and look at your timing mark on the cranshaft pully, keep turning and set it at 0*. Now align your distributor rotor with #1 plug wire. Advance (turn) the distributor slightly so the rotor is just starting to pass the #1 wire so you have some advance to get it started.

 

[jonkay]

That's what I wanted to hear - thanks!

 

[jonkay]

I used the "thumb over the first cylinder hole" technique to try and get the timing close. I got the truck started and was able to drive it to the gas station (mile and a half) and it cut out when I turned in. It would not start to save my life! As I waited for a tug back home, I filled it up and tried it one more time (about 20 minutes) - this time it turned over. I drove it home and let it idle in the garage until it died again and won't turn over.

My harmonic balancer does not have ANY marks on it! I cleaned it with marine clean and searched it while a friend was cranking the engine by hand - nothing.

Would this stall out be due to poor timing? Should I stop cranking the engine when I first start to feel the compression on my thumb, when the compression ends, or somewhere in the middle?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Viperwolf1]

Well you want to stop cranking about 10 degrees before the pressure maxes. That's going to be difficult with the thumb-blow timing method. Why don't you use a vac gauge to set the timing. You must be fairly close or it wouldn't have run.

 

[jonkay]

Thanks Wolf - What will a vac gauge run me and how difficult will it be to figure out how to use it??

 

[Viperwolf1]

I imagine there pretty cheap, probably under $20. It'll have a single hose attached to it. Attach the open end of the hose to a manifold vac port on your engine. Read the gauge. Adjust the timing to get the highest vac reading without the engine pinging when under load.

 

[jonkay]

I used the vacuum gauge and had to turn the distributor about 1/2 in clockwise. The reading is at 18 and holding steady. Does that sound right or do I have too much advance?

 

[Viperwolf1]

I used the vacuum gauge and had to turn the distributor about 1/2 in clockwise. The reading is at 18 and holding steady. Does that sound right or do I have too much advance?

If it ain't pinging and it has good power it's OK.

 

[jonkay]

You got my vote for poster of the year, Wolf. Just got back from my test drive and I think I got it!!

I'll look you up in a few days when the next thing breaks!!