I changed the spark plug wires out and now it's not running right. I have the wires in the correct order, but I'm at my wit's end. I changed the coil as well. Nothing else has changed. I had it running, but the timing was way off. I moved the distributor in the right direction to advance the timing, and it it ran then died abruptly. I'm hoping I didn't kill my engine while I was really frustrated. I screw things up badly when I get really agitated, and I was.

Right now, I'm just sleeping on it. I'll go out tomorrow with a clear head, and I should be ok to get it going. This car brings out the worst in me when it comes to anger, and it's gotten to me today.

I did search, but it didn't seem to yeild any similar issues.

 

it ran fine before you changed that stuff?

 

Changing coil and wires wouldn't affect the timing at all.
Why were you changing the timing?

 

I suspect you didn't disable the EST by unplugging the wire before you set the timing. If you didn't, the timing is probably way retarded.

Put the distributor back where you had it (approximately), disable the EST and re-time per the underhood sticker.

 

I've been having studdering issues. I was getting a nice light show from both the wires and the coil itself.

I'll give things another shot tomorrow, making 100% I'm at TDC and reassigning wires on the cap from there. Like I said, I think it may be wrong because I was really pissed by the time I got the wires to my house.

Yes, the EST wire is disconnected.

Well, now my battery is dead. It's on to charge. I did verify that my wires are correct.

 

Just a little wider scope of what your doing:
I also have anger issues and have ben there done that:
when you say your battery is dead >>>>>>>look to see if you have several extra leads connected to your battery's positive cable specifically there is one that connects to a distribution block , AND if it is a spliced connection to the main positive lead some times movement in the area will pull those aftermarket leads apart inside the plastic crimp>>>>>>it will cause the engine to not have fuel.....it can be an electrical voltage drop on your alternater.....it can rarely but sometimes cause a fuse to blow Specifically I think it is the ERG 10amp fuse and that will cause your engine to Idle like an old 6 cylinder tractor running on 3 jugs of wine.......just a little nudge from "Q"

 

I got everything line back up andtriple checked my wires. Yup, had them wrong. I was SURE I had them right last night, but they weren't.

Another reason I reset the timing was because the ignition module was hitting the coil bracket, so I needed some room to adjust my timing. Moved the wires over and set the timing where it needed to be and it fired right up (after charging the battery for 30 minutes).

And I'm sure it's the battery. I've been having issues with this battery since September. It cranks fine, it just doesn't have the reserve capacity that it used to have.

So, in the end, how much damage could having the timing 45 degrees out cause? It never ran, just cranked and backfired. It runs, and that's all I care about, but I'm wondering if I need to think exit strategy. It's running about like it did before the coil and wire malfunction, so I'm thinking I'll be fine.