I have a 2.8L v6 85 camaro. I installed a new stock cam. And while I was at it I installed a new timing chain. I lined the dots on the crank gear and cam gear and just put it back together. I have it all back together and it was backfiring a lot then I moved the distributor to what I think is TDC I need to confirm that later tonight with some help. It was hard to do by myself. Now it is not backfiring just not starting. My question is do you think I installed the timing chain wrong or do you think the distributor is just not in right?

 

How did you work out where TDC was?
Did you use the right one; there are two TDC positions and only one is correct

 

If you aligned the dots you more than likely have it 180 out. Correct timing mark setting is both in the 12 o'clock position. You need to pull the no1 plug and find the compression stroke at TDC and then reset your dizzy.

 

I was doing it myself I set the timing mark to 0 degrees on the harmonic balancer and I stuck a screw drive in to feel if the piston was at the top of the cylinder. And I kind of guessed and set the rotor facing cylinder 1. It did make it so it was no longer back firing a lot it just wont start. But I may still have it wrong. Originally when I replaced the timing chain I just put the distributor in. So it may not be at TDC.

 

As said here. There are 2 TDC positions. Make sure your on the compression stroke.

 

remove spark plugs.

turn engine by hand. keep your other thumb on #1 spark plug hole

as you turn the engine and #1 approaches TDC on the compressin stroke you will feel air pressure against your thumb the point you feel no more air pressure you are at TDC. it may take a few tries to get the right feel but this is easiest way with the motor assembled

remove the dist cap
check the position of the rotors with #1 at TDC the rotor should be facing the#1post on the cap.. if not remove the dist and stab is back in until you get it right.. you may have to adjust the oil pump shaft to line up with the dist.

take your time it will fall into the position.

once you have this two items sorted out

USE A TIMING LIGHT to set the base timing.

here is a link to a video that can help...

 

Pull #1 plug jamb your finger in the hole and have someone crank it over. When the pressure from the cylinder wants to blow your finger out of the whole stop cranking. Then bring the piston up to TDC by manually turning the engine. Now pull the distributor cap off and your distributor out. Reset distributor so rotor is pointed at #1 plug wire. You might have to use a screw driver to adjust the oil pump drive so the distributor will fall into place. Now try to start, you might have to move the distributor one way or the other to get her to fire. Let us know how it is going.

 

remove spark plugs.

turn engine by hand. keep your other thumb on #1 spark plug hole

as you turn the engine and #1 approaches TDC on the compressin stroke you will feel air pressure against your thumb the point you feel no more air pressure you are at TDC. it may take a few tries to get the right feel but this is easiest way with the motor assembled

remove the dist cap
check the position of the rotors with #1 at TDC the rotor should be facing the#1post on the cap.. if not remove the dist and stab is back in until you get it right.. you may have to adjust the oil pump shaft to line up with the dist.

take your time it will fall into the position.

once you have this two items sorted out

USE A TIMING LIGHT to set the base timing.

here are links to videos that can help...

 

I also think that the distributor is off by 180 degrees. My big worrie was whether or not I installed the timing chain properly. I put the new cam in and I put the new gears on lined up the dots and put the timing chain on. So I am pretty sure I did that right. I am going to get a friend to help me find TDC tonight since it is difficult to do myself and I kind of have to guess. Thanks for the video it will be helpful. I know David Fryberger from Road Kill on youtube its an awesome show.

 

So I got a friend to help me and I found TDC and I set the distributer to point towards the cylinder one spark plug. Before it was popping and not starting. Now it is still popping but I did get it to start for a moment I just can't keep it running. Now that I think about it when I adjusted the rocker arms I am not sure it was TDC I think I should get help from a friend and make sure the are set right. The valves could be adjusted in some crazy way and the cylinders are not making the right compression at the right times

 

dot to dot as simple as it sounds...



you did that correct... just need to make sure distributor is installed correctly and set the timing..

yes valve lash is important too.

 

dot to dot as simple as it sounds...



you did that correct... just need to make sure distributor is installed correctly and set the timing..

yes valve lash is important too.

 

Yes Sir I would do the valves again, keep us updated.

 

The car has also not been started in about a month but I think it should be fairly easy to start and that is not the issue. I am going to try and adjust the valves tonight, after work, I don't know if I will be able to do it tonight but I will at least get started so it may take me a day or two.

 

Ok so I finished re-adjusting the valves tonight and while I had the engine at TDC I made sure the distributor was set in the correct firing order and I now know it is not 180 degrees off for sure. I started it after I got it back together and it fired right up for about 2 seconds then it died. And it never started back up it just kept turning over. It is late so I was not able to test it any further I will do it in the morning. At this point I think it is the timing chain or something else that is causing the issue.

 

Are you getting a steady supply of fuel.

 

I think its something else. It wouldn't have fired right up if the timing was still off. Make sure you have a steady supply of fuel and spark.

 

I was tired and did not get a lot of troubleshooting done on it last night I will work on it again tonight and check for spark from the ignition coil wire and the spark plugs. I do know that the passenger side spark plugs were covered in fuel when when I took them out to adjust the valves. As for the drivers side spark plugs I am not sure I will check tonight and post my results.

 

I adjusted the valves made sure that the distributor was not 180 off. I then tried firing it up today, and the new starter that I put on prior to this stopped turning over the engine. The bendix gear on the starter is not meshing up with the flywheel. It keeps getting stuck in the flywheel not pushing through the gears all the way. I have put the starter on with no shims, with the original shim, with the original and new shim, and with the new shim. It started to work with the original starter shim and had been when I was cranking over the engine it decided to stop today. Maybe the starter has not been engaging with the flywheel properly and it is causing the no start issues this whole time.

 

Well that is going to need to be fixed. If the starter isn't spinning the motor freely it will hinder your engine from starting up.

 

I dont know why it is having issues at this point it is just makes a clicking noise a lot when I try and get it to turn over. I have tested the battery and it has enough power and I have a portable battery jumper and hooked that up but the same result. I wonder if the engine is to hard to turn over for the starter? I can turn it over by hand.

 

You might have to pull the starter out and test it.

 

Ok I have figured out the starting issue. I went and replaced my battery to starter cable and the negative to block cable. I then charged up the battery. And the engine is turning over fine again. I was at 12.36 volts before and it would not turn over. I think that since I charged it up fully that gave it enough power to turn over since it has not been running in a while. Now I am at the point where I can get it to run but I have to keep my foot on the gas to do so it wont turn over and stay running.

 

I am having this same issue with mine at this time. Did you ever find the solution to this problem? I have to feather my gas pedal to keep it running or it will shut down.

 

I never managed to get mine started. What had happened is I got it all back together and I had water in my radiator for testing the engine the water froze and popped a freeze plug out of the back of my engine behind the flywheel. I ended up getting rid of the car. But before I got rid of it I think I figured out why it was not starting I was looking to see where the coolant was coming from and I noticed a ground was not attached to the cylinder head.

Hopefully this will help you out.