I know I am a bit of a ditz and I apologize. I just want to make sure I understand correctly. I have the timing gears lined up and when I pull off the distributor cap, the rotor points to the fourth plug wire on the cap. Is this correctly lined up?

 

Still working on this. I have everything lined up and half way back together. However my brother striped the bolt that holds the crankshaft pulley and vibration dampner. Any one know where I can get another one? Nobody seems to carry it.

 

OK. So we got the bolt from Pull A Part. Got it all back together now. I replaced the timing chain, connectors to my EGR (the cap was broken and the wires had exposed) and repaired a vacuum leak. Still not working. The engine starts but dies immediately. It sounds like timing but I tried adjusting that. Mechanically the engine sounds fine. It seems to be something electrical. Really not sure though. Any ideas?

 

since you know mechanical timing is on... now for setting the distributor. pull the number one plug. turn the engine over until air comes out the sparkplug hole. line up the timing mark on the harmonic dampner. replace the spark plug. take off the dist cap. turn it till the rotor points to the number one plug on the cap. put the cap back on... then that should be enough to get the car started to set it with a timing light.

hope that helps..... but it sounds like your engine has a lot of miles and is getting a little weak.

 

u checked the ecm fuse right? My neighbor just bought a cadillac for 300 bucks, wouldnt start, sounded like timing issue, we got it to start but it died, turned out it was an ecm fuse!

 

So I still haven't been able to get this running. At this point the work done on it totals to...been timed after installing a new timing chain, plugs and wires, fuel filter, ignition switch, fixed various vacuum leaks and damaged wiring. I have good spark at proper timing, good fuel pressure (though the fuel pump seems to take a long time) and no back firing. Compression seems good. The car will start but immediately dies. I have checked all the fuses as well. Any ideas? I really need to get my car fixed.

 

id say keep messing with the distributor. put your #1cylinder at TDC, and make sure the rotor is pointing to the #1 on the cap and go from there.

 

We already checked and made sure everything lines up where it is supposed to....

I am at a complete loss. I have tried everything I could possibly think of. I don't think it is anything extensive probably just something I over looked. I did find that the fuel pressure had been not so good to start (my brother had told me it was good but when I rechecked it ...). However that issue has been resolved. (Fuel filter was bad).

 

if you got fuel and you got spark, keep messing with that distributor