So my car turns over all day but refuses to start. I'm assuming this is a timing problem.

I put all the spark plugs back on in the correct order I know that for sure.

I purchased a timing light, although the instructions are kind of vague and I didn't find anything during a search.

Where exactly is the timing mark on my engine, a picture would be helpful? and where do I am this gun at?

Sorry for the newbie question but I'm sure you guys can help out, you know everything

car
1992 Camaro RS 305V8 tbi

 

did your car run before you worked on it? why are you sure you have the plug back in the correct order? timing mark is on the dampner, front of engine end of crank. timing tap is on the timing cover front of engine. connect the light to power and the #1 wire. some inductive pick up are directional so watch for that. follow the timing procedure in your manual. also your manual should show you the tiing mark location and specs.

 

Forget the timing light for a minute.

What happened right before all this started? Have you moved the distributor yet?

If you haven't touched it yet, DON'T. The timing doesn't just up and jump off out into the ozone all by itself out of the blue. If the car was running normally and now you have a no-start, it isn't caused by the ignition timing. You need to fix whatever is keeping it from running FIRST, and then MAYBE worry about messing with the timing.... but probably not.

 

No i replaced my intake manifold gaskets, which i had to remove the distributor for.

 

then there's a very good change you have the timing off. considering you don't know where the timing marks are there's just about no way you have it right. line up your timing marks, #1 on compression, line up rotor to point to #1 post on cap. you'll have to pull the distributor to do all this. should be close enough to start.

 

i need to find the timing mark first!

 

Forget the marks. It's always amusing to see how everybody gets so hung up on those.

Instead, take out the #1 plug. Disconnect the power to the dist (big pink wire). Put your finger over the hole. Have somebody bump the engine over in as small bumps as they can. When you feel compression, have them stop; look in the hole, and have them bump it until you see the piston. Put the plug back in, put the dist back in so that the rotor points to the #1 terminal (should be the one on the very front just to the driver's side of straight ahead, and the little teeth of the little star wheel down in the bottom of the dist are aligned. Then have them continue to bump the starter while you push the dist down and hold it still, to get it to seat on the oil pump drive rod. Put the plug back in, tighten the dist down, hook the big pink wire back up.

The car should crank right up, and the timing should be within a couple of degrees of where it needs to be.

 

awesome instructions thanks, but how exactly do you 'bump the engine'

 

With the key...... you turn the key and let it go, just enough to make the starter go "bump" "bump" etc. instead of whirling it around continuously. A remote start pushbutton makes it easier, but you probably don't have one, so use what you've got.

 

Sorry one more quick question, when you say 'look in the hole' what are you referring to? The spark plug hole? Do you take out the distributor at the same time as the spark plug, or just take it out and put it back in after you see the piston?

 

Yes you look in the plug hole. The idea is to slowly turn the engine in a controlled manner until you see the piston approach the top of its stroke (i.e. until it reaches a few degrees BTDC); then drop the dist in such that it is exactly firing the #1 plug at that instant; then put everything back together.