i have a 88 gta, i put a new distributer but car doesnt start. how does it have to be pointing, i kept on turning it around and it would sound like it would star but was fireing to late, then i moved it and i could hear it igniting but was fireing to early so how do i get the happy spot

With a timing light, preferrably.

isint the timing computer controled

You set the base timing, the ECM adjusts it from that point that you set initially.

were is the base timing

Check the emissions sticker under your hood for the factory base timing for your engine.

so their is no way to do it without a timing light

Not really. You can play with it for an hour trying to do it by "ear" until you get something that might work ok, or you can take 15 seconds to do it with a timing light.

alright thanx ill do it tomorrow

ok i finally got to work on the car, and i got a timing light, so i have the car on top dead center but how is the timing light going to help put it to time if the car dont start

i fanally got the car to start and runs really rough, so turned the distributer 180 degress and it didnt start so i fliped it again, and it started but still runs like crap and i think i hear knocking in the engine or if it is just the engine running rough

If you drop the distributor in anywhere within several degrees of TDC, you should be able to at least get it to run long enough to set the timing with the light.

How sure are you that you've got the right firing order?

the firing order is good but how do i time it

If it's running rough there's probably still something wrong.

Are you asking how to use the timing light?

will yeah i bought a advance timing light and i could get the car to star but sometimes it will turn off if i dont keep it at about 1000rpm so how do i use the time light and what do i do

To use the timing light, you clamp it's pickup to the #1 plug wire, and aim the light at the timing comb on the front of the engine. The light will flash every time the #1 plug fires, and it will appear to "freeze" the balancer so you can see the position of the timing mark on the balancer relative to the timing comb.

Since you've got an advance timing light, you can dial the advance you want to set into the light, and then turn the distributor until the balancer mark lines up with the 0 degree mark on the timing comb.

i heard i was to run the car to 3000rpm and set the advance to about35 is that correct. and is their a wire/vacum line to disconnect, and how do i get is to 0 deggre just move the distributer

Running it up to 3000 and setting it to 34 degrees works for a recurved non-computer distributor, but it's not going to work for you. You'll need to disconnect the EST wire so that the ECM isn't adding any advance while you set the base timing, I forgot to mention that. Yes, all you have to to is turn the body of the distributor to adjust the timing until the 0 mark on the comb lines up with the timing mark on the balancer, with the correct amount of advance dialed into the light.

alright so if i do that and it still runs like crap my problem is something other than the time right and so im not clear to what rpm to run the car

Set the timing at idle speed. I've got a feeling you might still have something wrong besides the timing.

alright thnx

okay i figured out somehow i moved it 90 degrees that is why i think it ran like crap so tomorrow ill move it back and try to start it

Did you check the rotor position when you put the new distributor in?

What's probably happened is that your old distributor had a different relationship between the positions of the oil pump drive slot and the rotor.

i got it to run ok but it just needs fine tununing