I have a pretty bad timing issue where my car wont start. It just tries and puts up smoke from the carb. At time it will seem like it wants to start but then it doesnt. I know i need to pull the distibutor out and redo the timing but how do i do this? I know nothing about timing. I need help!

 

What all has happened since the last time it ran and what it is doing now?

 

5.7 asked a good question. What makes you think it's timing?

At any rate, if you're convinced you need to pull your distributor your best bet is to go drop $20 on a chilton's manual. It goes by step by step how to do your timing. Got a timing light?

 

Ok ive done the following since it last ran...

changed harmonic seal, taken off smog pump, taken off A/C, taken off the A.I.R. tubes, and changed intake manifold. This car hasnt run since May. Its pissing me off. When i try to start it, it tries but the carb just puts. And i have put a lil more gas in the car. I do think it is timing but i dont have a timing light.

 

if you put on a new intake, you probably got the dist. in 180* out, make note of where the rotor button is pointing, pull the dist. out and turn the rotor button 180* and reinstall the dist. then try and see if it will start. you will need to set the timming if it runs but that should tell you either way.

 

No such luck, it was trying harder but still no start. I have no timing light but where could i aquire one and how does it work and how do i use it?

 

Timing lights are everywhere man..fairly cheap too. Go to Autozone, Discount Auto, Advance, Pep Boys...any of those places....go in the diagnostic tools section. It's a big plastic thing with a trigger and a light bulb at the end of it, with wires coming out. Get an inductive pickup one. It's got 2 alligator clips for the battery, and one extra lead with a little plastic box-like thing. The box-like thing, it's got a little clip on it.
The trick is though, to set timing, you have to have the car started, and idling normally.

BUT here's how to set/check timing for reference.

Clip the box-like thing on the #1 cylinder spark plug wire. Disconnect the ECT timing connector..it's on the driver's side, near the blower fan motor...probably right up on the fender. It's a tan, single-wire connector. Now, on the harmonic balancer, there's a little plate that hovers over it that's bolted to the motor or a bracket or something. The plate has timing marks on it. Clean the plate off if necessary to read it without kneeling in close. If you can't get it good enough, get some white nail polish, white-out, etc. and mark a thin line where you want your timing set at. Now look on your balancer...it should have lines on it running front to back..pressed in.. Mark one of them with the white out. Connect the two leads to the battery. Start the car. Aim the timing light at the harmonic balancer, probably on the passenger side, and pull the trigger. Watch the mark on the balancer..it'll hover somewhere on that timing plate..hopefully. Now loosen the hold-down bolt on the distributor and turn it SLOWLY..VERY slowly..to adjust timing. Clockwise will advance it further...aka, make the mark move to the right. Counterclockwise will retard it..aka left. Keep turning until both lines match up...then tighten the hold-down and turn the car off. Disconnect the timing light, reconnect your timing connector on the fender, and you're set.

TIP: The timing won't read exactly right if the engine is cold, or is not at a normal idle. You want the motor to be fairly warm for this to work best, and you need your idle to be at its normal speed or very close to it, because the higher the rpms it's idling at, the more the distributor will advance the timing on its own...so if you set it at those higher rpms, the timing will actually be less than you wanted.

Hope any of that helps. But I know it won't until you can get the thing started!