SanAntonio3

So I hired a mechanic that my dad knows. Some drunk basterd Who says he knows his ****. Well I leave and come back and he tells me that he put the #1 piston at tdc but the motor would only crank with the number 8 plug on the distributor facing the #1 cylinder. So basically the #1 plug, which if I'm not mistakan should be facing cylinder #1, is in the back straight across from the number 8. What the **** did he do. He said that cam was at 6, and crank at 12. I'm about to **** him up, because now he's hounding me for payment on a bad job. What I'm thinking is that he pulled out the distributor And ****ed everything up

t-top havoc

iTrader: (3)

I confused--
Fresh motor? New timing chain? Distributor?
How would he know if the cam was at 6 and the crank was at 12?? I may be wrong but to see the dots-- the timing chain cover has to come off--!!??!!

Sorry to say, but IMHO, sounds like your good deed just cost you a few hours of your time to find out what he did so you can correct it.

SanAntonio3

Initially I hired him to change the timing chain and gears. So he said that I was running the distributor backwards, but I specifically remember the car running with #1 on the distributor Facing cylinder 1. What could he have done wrong if #1 was at tdc?

SanAntonio3

What I'm thinking is that he put in the distributor 180 off. But I'm not sure. I don't know why else the car turns on with the wires in the wrong places of the distributor cap.

DeltaElite121

I wouldn't give someone my cash if they screwed something up. Not a chance.

TreeFiddy

If it runs ok, it's fine. The so long as the rotor lines up with the #1 post on the dist cap when the motor is on #1 tdc firing stroke, it doesn't matter which point on the clock the #1 post actually points to.

Pointing at #1 is just a convention, because it's easy to remember, keeps the wires the neatest (arguably), also because when using a vac advance dist, it gives you an adequate amount of rotational adjustment of the dist before the vac can hits stuff like the manifold.

Sounds like he's put the dist back in a couple of teeth anticlockwise from where it was before. Won't hurt anything, so long as you can still set it to where the tbi requires the base timing to be (0 or 6 I believe, not sure which).

RBob

iTrader: (1)

Most likely that is what happened. With the crank gear at 12, and the cam gear at 6, that is TDC on #6. Once the gears & chain is on need to turn the engine one revolution to put both at 12, that is TDC on #1.

RBob.

Apeiron

Runs fine is fine.

JaBoT

I would have him fix it.
If anyone in the future works on the car and disconnects the wires they will never figure it out because number one is not where its supposed to be.

Tom 400 CFI

Anyone else (who DOES know what they're doing) should be able to figure it out with no issues.

TreeFiddy

Do what I do - number the cap and both ends of the wires, once you've got it set. Then you can rip it out and put it all back together lickity-split without ever engaging your brain about silly things like firing orders

That said, even though it runs and doesn't matter where the #1 post points, I'd still get him to put it back where it was. You paid him to change the timing set only, not change random stuff. Statements like

whatever that's supposed to mean, do not inspire confidence. BS like this is why I figgered out how to re-stab my own distributors, and most everything else.

ASE doc

I agree. While you can certainly put the wires anywhere to achieve correct timing, it isn't really right and you end up with a mess of tangled wires at the cap. I certainly wouldn't go back to the guy who obviously didn't know what he was doing in the first place to fix what he screwed up. Either learn to fix it yourself or find a real mechanic and spend the money to get it fixed right. There is good reason why good mechanics aren't cheap. As far as this person saying he knows his ****, most of the hacks out there will say the same thing. In this industry, I see it all the time. Meantime, I would think about checking torque on the crank bolt and checking for leaks at the timing cover and oil pan. This guy didn't know how to set up timing, what else did he screw up?

JaBoT

your kidding right? Your advise to him is to keep the rotor 180 degrees out because according to you in the future any good mechanic should automatically know its backwards? That's ridiculous.
Fix stuff right the first time so you don't have a problem later.

Tom 400 CFI

Is it ridiculous? If the OP was capable of "Fixing it right the first time", don't you think he'd have done the original job himself? Or corrected the distributor issue already?

The thing runs fine, no harm will come of it, and yes...any decent tech w/a brain can quickly size up what is going on w/a dist that is 180 out, fixed with wires that are 180 out. Takes all of 5 seconds of looking and brain engagement to see what is up.

But sure, if the OP wants to...go ahead! Turn 'er around and make it right!

wolfy692005

not that it will fix your issue but i can tell you something that cost me 20 bucks when i was 16 and had put the plug wires on wrong...
if you drink to much 1843 you will die at 65 not 72.. i still rmember it to this day almost 30 years later.. take a quick look at the wires no matter where the cap is pointing will tell yeah real quick what is going on

FSTFBDY

iTrader: (33)

yes it may RUN RIGHT as is. but I would make him fix it right.

igotta355z28

iTrader: (1)

it comes down to if it runs then technically its right and it doesnt matter mutch... Im a mechanic by trade and though i hardly ever have to stab a distributor, (not alot on the roads anymore) If its on a customers car its gonna be done correctly by the book if im getting paid...Now my on car, eh it gets stabbed how it gets stabbed and the wires go on acordingly...but if you are being paid to do it right it should be done right....

SanAntonio3

i will just have to fix the issue myself. **** this guy. He comes up with a story like," i tried it that way and it wouldnt crank over." (that way meaning with the #1 wire on the distributor coming from where its suppose to.) Now the car is running, and the wires are crossed making some shorter and now touch the stock manifolds. if i were to fix it with the #1 at tdc, and i take out the distributor how do i install it? Whats the easiest way to set this straight?

TreeFiddy

Hang on, I thought OP had this:

This means the dist is only 45 degrees around from the 'normal' position, just indicates a lazy mechanic. What I was basing my 'meh' attitude on.


But he actually has this?:

Now I'm a lot madder. Yeah, as stated above several times he didn't rotate the motor so that both timing set dots were straight up before installing the dist, leaving it '180 degrees out'. So he's rotated the wires on the cap 180 to match, rather than fixing it right. So while it runs, it really shows a lack of understanding, or caring, about what he's doing.

Probably should not employ

to go anywhere near your car.

SanAntonio3

also the first time i drove it a mile it got to 240, and kept increasing. I turned it off. let it cool, and turned it on then i went to half. He then told me to take the thermostat out, that i didnt need it in the texas heat, and it was only for the heater. Then i thought, "well isnt it good for the car to reach normal operating temp so that the computer doesnt think its cold and gas it self up?"

TreeFiddy

Park the motor at #1 firing, with the ign timing marks lined up. Pull dist cap and note the rotor direction - will be pointing back at #8 atm. Pull dist out, re-install with rotor 180 around. Then move all the leads on the dist cap around 180.

for the fine details on how to do this, been covered lots before.

Tom 400 CFI

For someone who doesn't know what they're doing:
1. Mark your wires and cap posts so the wire numbers correspond with the cap post numbers as they are now.
2. Remove cap and get it out of the way.
3. Remove dist hold down
4. Slowly remove the dist. As you do this the rotor will turn.
5.When it stops turning, as you draw it out, hold the housing steady and rotate the rotor precisely 180*, then drop it back down in. The gears should mesh properly, and the oil pump should too (won't go all the way back down if it doesn't), and when in it's final resting position, the rotor should be 180* from where you saw it when you pulled the cap.
6. Put cap back on
7. Now swap each wire to it's opposite post.

Done.

TreeFiddy

This is hilarous

It's probably overheating because I bet he didn't bother setting the timing correctly. RUN! Work out how to fix it yourself, or find a real 'mechanic'.

SanAntonio3

i dont know how to do this procedure. Thats why i accidently hired this dumbass dude. saying that my car was "weird, and out of all the chevys hes done timing chain replacements, its the only one thats done that." stupid. I was actually initially going to do the job myself, but i left one day and got a call from my dad stating that his friend was already working on it. i just said, "**** it." silly me.

DeltaElite121

Maybe you should just... not touch your car and bring it to someone who definitely knows what they're doing before you REALLY screw something up.

TreeFiddy

Just curious - how did you figure the timing set needing replacing in the first place?

igotta355z28

iTrader: (1)

if you were a little further up I35 id give ya a hand, hell this is about the only time ill ever say this but....but a haynes or chiltons manual, it will show you how to properly set the dizzy...or and this is the best option take it to a reputable shop....

SanAntonio3

I never messed with the timing chain. The old chain had way to much slack when i saw it. it was just a maint. ive been wanting to do.

SanAntonio3

I Honestly cant afford to take it to a mechanic. most were asking $250-300. This guy wanted $75. I wish i had the money to afford a good mechanic. I'll just research it and get it done.

Tom 400 CFI

I just told you how to get it done. Do you read the posts that people provide for the assistance that you asked for??

TreeFiddy

Whoa there ! There were a few of us posting over the same 5 mins earlier, the conversation got a bit muddled.

SanAntonio3

Sorry, just learned how to quote. I'm doing all this from a cell phone. Bare with me.

FSTFBDY

iTrader: (33)

SEARCHNG the internet is your friend. ANYHTING can be found if your not sure how to do something..

http://www.youtube.com/results?hl=en...-8&sa=N&tab=w1

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/sbc-...all-90108.html

Installing a distributor
PART 1

Part 2

SanAntonio3

thanks for all the replies. I will do this tomorrow. I will also post as soon as I can, my progress.

SanAntonio3

Got it done. Was simpler than I thought. Now all I need is to get a timing light on it.

JaBoT

That's great. Congrats on doing it yourself.

t-top havoc

iTrader: (3)

Nice going!!

FSTFBDY

iTrader: (33)

awesome. Now take it back to the guy who didnt do it right. and Show him.

DeltaElite121

and then charge him $75 for a lesson on what NOT to do.