scarr001

my 92 camaro 5.0 v8 was "stalling" for no reason- we determined it was the distributor and i had a mechanic replace the entire distributor- then aftr that it didnt stall although it ran extremely rough and had no acceleration- then abt a day aftr- it overheated and we discovered a two inch separation on the radiator which coolant was pouring out of- the mechanic who did the distributor then said i needed to replace the radiator,fan,hoses, thermostat etc- so i agrd- now aftr he did that- it was still sounding rough and within an hour of him finishing the radiator work- i took it for a ride and it pegged into the red for temp and overheated- also the next day i just left it idling while i washed it- and again it pegged red and overheated-
i am convinced that when he did the distributor he didnt do the timing correct (rough and no acceleration) or did something wrong which caused the overheating and the radiator damage (absolutely no overheating issues prior to distributor work)
Any comments???

84 z28

Find a new mechanic.

scarr001

ya thats for sure,but does anyone think i have a "wheel" to "balance" on suggesting that the distributor replacement caused the radiator/overheating issue???? only bcse like i said- it never never had temp issues b4 the distributor work...

icantdrive55

An engine that is highly advanced may run hotter than one timed correctly, but I don't think that you would see an unresolved overheating issue just from that if you never had problems before. Are you sure that the fan switch or other temp control/relay/sender didn't get disconnected during the repair work? Is it possible that the motor was 'fried' during one of your overheat incidents? Heads warped/intake manifold leak/pinched block-rad return hose?

scarr001

icantdrive55- u make a really good point abt the fan swtch-temp control etc, in fact that is what the mechanic is saying now...he wants to trblshoot and repair that now- and abt the fried engine- he was that first one i called when it did overheat and he drove it (bcse i was afraid of just that)-
i m just finding it so hard to believe that prior to the distributor work the car was fine except for the stalling- and i am confused by the "An engine that is highly advanced may run hotter than one timed correctly"???
thnx for ur input- i m really struggling here...

icantdrive55

My point about the timing was simply that it is normal and expected that a mechanic will check and set the timing on an engine that has had a distributor replaced. It is possible--but not very likely--that a 'bad' mechanic could install the distributor incorrectly and if so, the timing would be so far off that the engine would run badly or not at all. This would be immediately evident if a timing check was performed by your mechanic, so I can only assume this was done and you're problems are caused some other electronic bogeyman. Good luck.

ratrapp

iTrader: (2)

he may have set the timing off the wrong mak on the balancer.a friend had one and set the timing wrong.it was at 40 degrees at idle,not 6-8 degrees and it ran hot.we reset the timing and the temp dropped back to normal.

RED86Z28

You have to set the timing when you replace a distributor and the only way to do it right is with a timing light. Too little timing does tend to make engines run hot.

elano

iTrader: (2)

Sounds like the timing is too retarted. If you don't have a timing light, bump the distributor a little counterclockwise and see if that helps. If your engine is close to stock, you can probobally get away with turning it until the rpms stop rising or if you have a vac gauge, turn to get most vacuum. Should get you in the ballpark. If you get any pinging, back off the timing some.

jstoltz

iTrader: (16)

sounds like timing to me too did your mechanic unplug the connector so the computer advance was reset otherwise it could be just way to much advance? just my guess if it was me try to set the timing yourself so you won't have to fork out more cash.

scarr001

hey elano- thnx for the suggestion- so when u say bump it a little counterclockwise, do i strt the car and then turn it by hand or should i use a tool?

henryd3

iTrader: (128)

If you want to turn the distributor by hand, you're going to need to loosen the hold down bolt. To make it MUCH easier to do that, trot down to your friendly neighborhood parts place and pick up a distributor wrench . Kind of "L" shaped 9/16" wrench that will save you tons of frustration. Less than $10 . Loosen just enough to turn without much effort but not too loose to stay put. Do you have a friend you can trust that has a timing light? I'd stay away from your "mechanic"