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how to check timing if car won't start

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Old 04-16-2016, 03:48 PM
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how to check timing if car won't start

Any ideas? Can't get the Camaro to start. Put new cap rotor and plugs on. New fuel pump is pushing 40 PSI at the fuel rail. The only thing we can think is that t is out of time, and not igniting at the right time. Is there a way to check the timing when the car won't run?
Old 04-16-2016, 03:56 PM
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Car: 82 TA 87 IZ L98 88 IZ LB9 88 IZ L98
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Re: how to check timing if car won't start

Yes, TDC on cyl 1 comp. stroke , pull cap. Note rotor orientation, out cap back on and check what terminal it's aiming at, that's #1
Old 04-16-2016, 04:38 PM
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Re: how to check timing if car won't start

Then, once you've discovered that since you haven't already messed with it and therefore it's the same as it was when it was running, go back and check your work, and figure out what you did wrong. (or unknowingly disturbed during the process)

Prime candidates to check would be the plugs around the coil; and, cap not on straight, and the rotor contact hit a cap contact and got broke off.

In any case, DO NOT disturb the "timing" if it hasn't already been disturbed; and if it has, JUST PUT IT BACK WHERE IT WAS.
Old 04-16-2016, 04:57 PM
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Re: how to check timing if car won't start

Originally Posted by sofakingdom

In any case, DO NOT disturb the "timing" if it hasn't already been disturbed; and if it has, JUST PUT IT BACK WHERE IT WAS.
Sofa is correct here , If you haven't loosened the distributor hold down bolt and haven't twisted the distributor after loosening the hold down , there is nothing wrong with your base timing and there should be no need to retime the distributor . The fact that it won't run is just as he said , something you worked on didn't go back together quite right and it's only the things you changed that should be checked to find the no start .
Old 04-16-2016, 07:27 PM
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Re: how to check timing if car won't start

I've seen stupid things like people not putting the new rotor back in.
Old 04-16-2016, 07:28 PM
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Re: how to check timing if car won't start

Let me give you boys background, I've never once had the car running. I bought it and the IU said he didn't know what was wrong with it. New caps. Rotor. Fuel pump. Fuel filter. 49 PAI at the lines. New plugs and I have spark at every plug.
Old 04-16-2016, 07:40 PM
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Re: how to check timing if car won't start

Does it have spark?

Whatever the cause REALLY is, unless somebody has monkeyed with it, a no-start is NOT caused by "timing".

Leave the "timing" alone. Troubleshoot it instead.

Air/fuel? (substitute w/ starting fluid to verify)
Spark? (any number of ways to get a yes/no on this)
Compression? (does the starter sound like it gets loaded 4 times per engine revolution)

Leave the "timing" alone, unless you have DAMNED GOOD REASON to suspect that somebody else already put their p****-pullers in it.
Old 04-16-2016, 07:45 PM
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Re: how to check timing if car won't start

Sorry, I missed the part about "spark at every plug"...

Starting fluid.

To make sure the spark is going to the correct cyl, you can unplug the 12V wires to the dist, pull the #1 plug, bring the engine to the instance of #1 TDC where it fires by observing for compression in that cyl followed by the piston approaching the top, and verifying that the rotor is pointing at the tower where the #1 plug wire is plugged in.
Old 04-16-2016, 09:32 PM
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Re: how to check timing if car won't start

I will check the rotor position tomorrow when I get to working on the car.
I can assure I have compression. Every cylinder tested 160-180 PSI. Each spark plug sparks. And fuel is good to go. I ohm tested injectors and they all ready 15.7-16.0 ohms. Starting fluid doesn't do much for it. It honestly seems like the spark isn't happening at the right time.

Last edited by EastonFrench; 04-16-2016 at 10:33 PM.
Old 04-17-2016, 08:44 AM
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Re: how to check timing if car won't start

If it was a timing issue, it would at least backfire..... If you aren't even getting that.... what does the spark look like at the plugs?
Old 04-17-2016, 09:10 AM
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Re: how to check timing if car won't start

Any idea of the history of this before you started working on it? I.e. did it run right before you started (apparently not), or did you buy it non-running? Did somebody else work on it? If so, any idea what they did? Did they leave tracks?

History, and detail, sometimes helps uncover where to look.
Old 04-17-2016, 09:25 AM
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Re: how to check timing if car won't start

this the car that had the jellied fuel tank? might be time to clean or replace the injectors.
Old 04-17-2016, 05:03 PM
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Re: how to check timing if car won't start

naf, we may have found he culprit. I pulled he injectors (that was a pain in the ***) and I hooked each one up to 12V pos/neg. blowing them with my mouth I got 4 injectors that were clean and 4 were clogged up with orange fuel. I ordered a new set of remanufactured injectors that should be here Thursday! Fingers crossed.

Thanks for the help everyone.
Old 04-17-2016, 10:16 PM
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Re: how to check timing if car won't start

Originally Posted by AlkyIROC
I've seen stupid things like people not putting the new rotor back in.
Or the rotor installed 180* off.
Old 04-17-2016, 10:51 PM
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Re: how to check timing if car won't start

Originally Posted by EastonFrench
naf, we may have found he culprit. I pulled he injectors (that was a pain in the ***) and I hooked each one up to 12V pos/neg. blowing them with my mouth I got 4 injectors that were clean and 4 were clogged up with orange fuel. I ordered a new set of remanufactured injectors that should be here Thursday! Fingers crossed.

Thanks for the help everyone.
if you need injectors , south bay has about the best deal out there , i just installed a set of bosch 3s from them , they are great
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