im trying to get the piston at TDC, the crank has a white line on it, and the top of the timing cover has a thing to line up the crankshaft pulley.

i read somewhere where if you turn the crankshaft pulley one full turn and line the white line at 12:00 with the top of the timing cover, the piston will at the top and everything will be lined up.

so then i put the distributor, rotor facing the #1 piston.

is this all right??

please help, as im in the process of doing this right now

 

Lining the TDC mark on the damper ring with the 0 deg TDC mark on the timing chain cover will put either the #1 or #6 cyls. at TDC. Youll have to turn the engine over by hand or by bumping the starter and feel for compression on the #1 cylinder, usually by sticking your finger in the #1 sparkplug hole. Compression means that the #1 piston is approaching its TDC.

 

ok well is there anyway to tell if the rotor is at #6 or #1?

i can tell if #1 is going down or up because when its going down it sucks my finger it feels like, and when its coming up it blows air out. so i guess if its near the top and air is coming out, it will be #1 right?

im about 3 inches away, and air is blowing out right now, its just getting REALLY hard to turn the crank

 

When you feel air pushing out the spark plug hole, you're on the compression stroke. Then line up the damper further until the line on the damper lines up with the tab on your timing chain cover. It'll say either "0" or TDC.

Pull off the distributor cap and see if the rotor tip is pointing at the #1 plug wire terminal in the cap.

What are you doing anyway?

 

im trying to get my motor to start

i stripped it down to the block and put on trick flow heads, 1.6 roller rockers, edelbrock air gap intake, new HEI distributor, edelbrock 750cfm

the white line on the crank pulley is about 3 inches from 0 on the timing cover, and its getting harder to turn, but when i do, air is pushing out of the spark plug, so should i keep turning it to match it up to 0

the distributor is out right now, i was planning on dropping it in when i line up the piston at TDC, and crank pulley at 0

is this right?

 

i really cannot move the crank by hand anymore, can i plug in the battery and turn it over?

do i need the distributor plugged in?

can i just turn it for a second, i only need to move in 3 inches

 

anyone?

id like to put on the belts, and turn over the starter

do i need to put the #1 sparkplug back in? or the distributor?

can i leave it out and just turn the key for the pulley to move a little?

 

if you can't turn the motor over by hand then something is wrong.

Your question has been answered in the above replies. Turn the motor over by hand until you fell pressure coming out ot the number one hole. That'll mean #1 is on the compression stroke. If you go around again it'll be on exhaust stroke and #6 compression. Once you're on #1 compression, line up the mark on the balancer with the 0 on the timing tab. Then drop the distributor in so that the rotor is facing the #1 terminal on the cap. YOu may have to turn the oil pump driveshaft so the distributor will go all the way in.

 

The pressure of the comperssion stroke might be whats keeping you from turning the motor more. Put a socket on the harmonic balancer and use that to get the marks lined up. If you have to exert alot of force to get it to turn with the socket and breaker bar then you need to stop and find out whats causing you to bind.

 

k i tried to do that, but the crank would NOT move at all.. so i used the starter, and it kept going either too far or not far enough and i couldnt get it to work.

FINALLY i got it on the middle once so i said **** it. i put everything back in, unloosened the roller rockers, because they were so tight i compressed the springs, hand tightened them til the pushrods would not jiggle around, then i did 1/4 turn on all of them. not sure if the dizzy is in backwards or not, but i DID make progress. the car fired up, but i hear 3 backfires and it shuts right off.

so the problem is maybe the distributor on backwards right?

or something else, first time it turned on so far, so i am happy about it.

 

like i said, if you can't spin the motor over by hand there is something wrong. I hope you didn't bend valves when it fired up.

Secondly, did you adjust the rockers properly? You don't just go through there and tighten them up. You have to do them a certain way to make sure the lifter is on the base circle of the cam before you adjust them.

Third if the dist. was in 180* out then it wouldnt fire. Sounds like you've got it in right but you need to set the timing.

 

im not sure.

i hand tightened them til the pushrod would not move anymore, then 1/4 tightened them all after that.

i dunno if i bent anything.

for the timing, say i moved it like just alittle bit, does that make a big difference for the timing?

because the vacuum advance will not move anymore then an inch on each side

 

and i suppose your talking about that valve lash thing, its ****ed i couldnt move the crank so i couldnt set them, so i just tightened them.

 

Do you have all your spark plugs removed when trying to turn it by hand, or just #1 plug? Remove them all if not, it'll turn easier.
Don't even bother setting valve lash yet until you know where you are in the firing order, I'd loosen the rockers back up until you find out.

Optimally, your vacuum advance can should point at the passenger side wheel well if it's in right. (with rotor pointing at #1 terminal on the cap at TDC compression stroke).

 

you need to set the valves properly. Loosen them all up and do them right before you go farther. Even with all of the spark plugs in the motor it should turn over.

To adjust the valves turn the motor over until the exhaust valve is OPENING. Now adjust the Intake on the same cyilnder. Then turn it over until the Intake is CLOSING. Now adjust the exhaust. Do this on all 8 holes.

 

using the balancer bolt is not the best idea. infact they recomend you don't turn it over by the bolt. you can use vise grips on the flywheel/flexplate. you dont need to get super tight just enough so they don't slip off. (they will **** sideways) turn it a little bit at a time this way. there is a tool for this as well but, most people have vise grips.


get a repair manual it will tell you specifically what valves to adjust at tdc and so on. (this way I don't have to write it all out and you have it right there in black and white)

 

ok guys, after a frustrating night i used a ratchet this morning, wow this makes things SO much easier to turn the crankshaft pulley.

so i was turning the crank, and air was blowing pretty hard out the #1 spark plug so i turned it until the white mark on the crankshaft pulley lined up with 0 on the timing mark, tightened:

Intake -> 1,2,5,7
Exhaust -> 1,3,4,8

then i turned the crankshaft a full 360 degrees until the white mark on the crankshaft pulley lined up with the 0 on the timing mark again, tightened:

Intake -> 3,4,6,8
Exhaust -> 2,5,6,7

after this i turned the crankshaft ANOTHER 360 degrees and lined up the white marks again, so i could get the #1 piston to the top, and the rotor on the distributor was point at # 1 piston.

i have done it down to details from what i was told to do. i go to fire up the car the first time, it sounded like it started i got 3 backfires and it shut off. i went to start it again and a big bang came out of the carburetor.

what does this mean, this is what happened before?

 

before i started it, i made sure rotor was point at #1 piston. all plug wires, i THINK are right

i have HEI, and you know where the coil sticks out the side? wel its point towards right, then right after the little bump in the cap i have

2-1-8-4-3-6-5-7

is this right? its going blockwise, do you know what i mean by the bump/hump in the cap with HEI distributors? the coil?

 

You really where turning it over by hand

Summit sells an adaptor that bolts over the crank pulley and accepts either a breaker bar or large socket. dont even have to take anything off, just undo the three bolts on the crank pully and bolt the adaptor on.

The firing order always starts with the #1 cyliner first. Either way, it doesnt really matter, so long as teh rotor is pointing at #1 and the wires are each lined up with thier respective terminals.

I also wouldnt use that method to adjust the valves. You can do them individually in pairs. I can never remember it but its something like adjust the intake on that cylinder when the exhaust valve just opens and adjust the exhaust on that cylinder when the intake valve just closes. Move on to the next cylinder and repeat.

 

During your install of heads etc, did you replace timing chain or put in a new cam? Because if the chain is not timed correctly you will never get it to run right.

 

no camshaft n timing chain is all the same, never touched those.

i heard carburetor backfire means distributor is 180 degress off.

 

One quick way to test that theory, not recommended by some. Take your #1 plug wire and move it across the cap, should be four posts away and the do the same to the rest. Basically you would be turning the cap 180 degrees. If it runs right there or better than before you will know that the distributor is in wrong.

 

before i do this, when i take it out and turn it 180 degreess, and im gonna have to play with it until it goes to piston #1?

or just leave it where its at when i put it in 180 degrees?

i was told to turn it 180 degress, because when i turn it over, all i get is a backfire out the carburetor.

 

turn the engine over and re-align it at #1 TDC and verify that the rotor points toward the terminal that has teh #1 sparkplug wire. It shoudl point right at it, or just slightly ahead of it.

 

after adjusting a certain cylinders valves when that particular cylinder is at top dead center...you rotate teh crank shaft pulley 180* before you can go to the next cylinders valves....#1..with number 1 at top dead center (#1's intake valve..should just be closed)....tighten rocker nut on intake and exhaust valve of the #1 cylinder while moving the pushrod up and down..tighten VERY SLOWLY until you just cannot feel the pushrod having any vertical play...NOW TIGHTEN nut 1/4 turn.....then rotate crank pulley 180* and move on to #8, then 4, 3, 6, 5, 7 ,and 2...then double check by rotating the crank 180*(after doing cylinder #2) and make sure both rockers on #1 are at the same height meaning that the exhaust and intake valves are both closed......It really isnt that difficult..give it a shot

ALso the best way to avoid putting the distributor in 180* out..lol..i have done that a few times...is take the valve cover off and make sure piston#1's rockers are both at the same level meaning they are both closed..crank pulley is at 0*, intake valve might be a little higher as it JUST CLOSED...


***********NEVER USE THE SAME NUTS ONCE YOU HAVE LOOSENED THEM>>THEY WILL LOSE THEIR BITE AND YOU WILL TIGHTEN THEM DOWN MORE AND EVENTUALLY YOUR ROCKER STUDDS WILL POP OUT>>>DONT BE A BUM>>>USE NEW NUTZ
hope this helps

 

The problem with that method is that, IIRC, not all the lifters are on the cams base circle. This and that the balancer ring is seldom accurate for showing true TDC. The best way if you cant get the engine running is to adjust the intake and exhaust for each individual cylinder.

 

well that is the static timing...you have to do that before you can run the engine..that is correct...then you do a nother adjustment ..back off a rocker until it clacks a little..then tighten very slowly(OR ELSE YOULL BEND THE PUSHROD) until the clacking just goes aaway...then 1/4 turn after that and you should be set..remember you have to use new nuts

 

Here is what Haynes said, and what helped me (the first time distributor installer) do it right.

Take a 5/8 socket with an extension. Use it on the crank pulley's bolt in the center. Take your wrench and move the crank. Now move your crank unitll its aligned with 0 on the timing mark. Now, check your distributor. Take it out and try to get it in as close as possible for the rotor to point at the front of the engine. A bit towards drivers valve cover. You are not going to get this perfect. So what you do is make sure your distributor is in all the way, and the rotor pointing as close to what I described. Now, rotate your distributor, just the cap part, not the whole thing since its already in and locked. Rotate it to where the rotor stands between #1 and #8 wire on the cap. Now your car is set, and it should work fine. Make sure you bolt up the distributor hold down bracket. Any other set up will not make the car start, and it will usually spit crap out of the carb.

If you have electronic advance, make sure you unplugg that. If not, just fire it up and see whats happening. Get your timing light and go to town.

On the side note, did you by any chance mess with any wires in the distributor. I am not sure if you have the ignition module inside or not. But make sure you did not put the wires in backwards (that will do backfiring and not starting).

If all of this fails, than just check your wiring. A missfire could be a cause of misswired pluggs.

Follow what I did and your engine should work just fine.

 

The method I posted was an alternate if you cant run the motor. Takes about 15-20 mins since you have to turn the engine over multiple times by hand. Non the less, I like it because its good enough to get the lash set so I wont have to set it again with the engine running.

 

thanks guy. i did all that, still getting a no show, not sure what im doing wrong at all.

the wires going into the distributor only go in one way, one has a clip and one doesnt so it will fit right.

i put the crank pulley and number 0 on the timing mark. i then put the distributor in facing number 1 piston with rotor. then the HEI cap goes on and the 1-8 plug wires are aligned with the rotor.

i had it started for about 10 seconds, and i tried to keep it going so i hit the guess but it felt like it bogged down, and then after a couple seconds of that it shut off.

then after that i didnt get nothing.

 

Advance it by hand while your cranking the engine. Just turn it a little bit counterclockwise to get some advance. That may help keep it going.

 

yeah i was trying to get my brother to do that, but he wont come within 10 feet when i start it, not sure why. maybe cuz we had a fire the first time it cranked over cuz he spilled gas all over the intake.

ill try turning it while i start it

 

haha ur bros smart...when my old distributor crapped out and would result in very advanced timing i too had a backfire out of the carb....burned fresh 14x3 k&n ..and a few other things.....bad times
just triple check everything (rotors on tight, caps not cracked,,firing order, plugs in tight, distributor clamped down but loose for initial start( i am not sure if this is the case on HEI distributors but on my honda moving distributor..counter clockwise..to the left is advancing the timing and clockwise is retarding..you may want to be more on the retarded side..lol

if it ran for 10 seconds then ur getting closer..get someone to crank it while you move distributor...hope this helps..good luck ..

 

It might not be timing related. Maybe your idle screw is on too tight! Either that, or you are not getting enough fuel....

There is something else going on, since you started it and it worked.

Good luck.


Can't think right now, my TBI is giving me crap. So I'll try getting back here tommorow after I fix my pos.

 

Correct,

Clockwise = Retard
CCWise = Advance

Just try moving a bit in either direction and see what helps it.

 

yeah i got a buddy coming over to help me.

when i had it running, i was trying to give it gas, and it felt like everytime i hit the gas it bog'd, then the idle just died, i loooked under the hood and the distributor popped out.

distributor is brand new.

when i put it back in, it wouldnt start.

now for the 3rd time, i put the crank pulley mark at 0 on timing mark. put rotor pointing to piston #1, it just turns over and over, i dont get a backfire even.

fuel comes out pretty good to i checked, i flipped the choke and hit the gas and it squirts up.

im sure i have the firing order right. i have first plug wire going to where the rotor points.

there is a bump in the distributor where the coil sits, right?, so right after the bump going clockwise i start with:

2-1-8-4-3-6-5-7

is this all right guys, i have to be doing something wrong, and i cant figure it out, i quadroople checked everything

 

Thats right...

Your distributor hold down bracket is backwards.

Check it

 

well motor is up and running very nice. i couldnt believe it was so easy. i turned the distributor cap a little clockwise, and noticed the rotor was not pointing at 1, but 2, so i had to move the plug wires all over one.

fired right up