1988 TBI 5.0 started the car ran fine.it all of a sudden shuts off went to restart the distributor cap turned way to the left centered it back up tightened distributor clamp down it was loose fired right up ran for 5 min then shuts back off now it will not fire up motor turns great just not running so I can drive.I'm new here.thanks

 

Beg, borrow, or steal a timing light..that's about the only way to set things right. I found mine in a pawn shop for $30.00.

 

Yes, a timing light, but timing being off does not explain why it "fired right up ran for 5 min then shuts back off now it will not fire up".

It would seem that something else is afoot besides timing. No?

 

May or may not have anything to do with it but my wires attached to the distributer cap are in there pretty snug, as in limited space and the coil wire is the same. If the cap rotated to that extreme I would look at the coil wire to make sure there is a solid connection on the cap and coil. Could have pulled on it. If there old wires especially carbon wires there could be a break in the wire itself from moving them around that much.

 

I went back out and made sure all wires were tight on cap and plugs.I went to start it up and she just about fired up its sputtering then stops then sputters again.could it be a vaccum not allowing it to run?

 

In my photo above you can see a small "hard plastic vacuum line running just to the left side of the cap .

You can see in the middle of it a short rubber hose.
I broke that line when working in that area and had to patch it. It goes to the "MAP" sensor on my car.

You can see a few more hard plastic vacuum lines in that photo.
Just for the heck of it , look them over a bit.