what a pain in the ***. all day yesterday trying to get the timing set on my 87' iroc-z 305ci TPI, auto trans. doesn't have HEI.

i just think its still really retarded, you take the car for a ride on the street and it has NO ***** at all. standing on the gas in first hesitates and takes forever to get up to about four grand. the car just has no power at all.

you hook up the timing light, #1 is on TDC. it's still acting like it's really retarded though.

anybody want to try to give me a foolproof guide to timing this? i know, put cylinder #1 to TDC, and align the rotor with #1 on the cap. the problem i kept running into though is when i put cylinder #1 to TDC, i CANNOT get the distributor to fall in completely when the rotor is facing #1 on the cap.

it falls in alot, but its not flush with the manifold. then when i turn the engine over alittle bit, the distributor falls into place, flush with the manifold. now the rotor is pointing at #1 on the cap, but cylinder #1 is no longer at TDC. some of you recomend unplugging the brown wire to get it into open loop? i can't find the brown wire on the fender or anywhere. unplugging the MAF would do the same or not?

any help would be majorly appreciated. i neeeeeed to get this running correctly, payin 150 dollars a month for it to sit in my driveway isn't any good.

 

To correctly do the timing you definately need to disconnect the set timing wire. This is a tan wire with a black stripe and on my 89 TPI it was located on the passenger side very close to the firewall sticking out of the wiring harness. It's the only wire that looks like this. After that rotate the distributor until the timing mark is around 6* btdc (thats what it is for my TPI350...yours could be different). When your done re-connect the wire. After I installed my new distributor the timing was way off and too retarded. I rotated counter-clockwise and got it to 6*. Now it runs better than ever. Hope this helps a little.

 

It sounds like youre distributor is not lining up with the oil pump drive shaft which will happen if you turned the crank at all with the distributor removed. What you need to do is set the piston back to TDC. You can do that a couple of ways: 1. Crank the motor over until you feel the compression push past your finger (make sure coil wire is disconnected). At the same time verify TDC mark on the balancer/timing tab is at zero. OR... 2. Hand turn engine while watching INT/EXH valves on #1 (valve cover off), you want both of them closed and timing marks aligned (zero at balancer). Once you have established TDC, look down the Dist hole and see which way the oil pump shaft is facing. Compare that to the engaging tang on the bottom of your distributor. If you need to change it (which you most certainly will) then use a long screwdriver and a flashlight to turn the oil pump shaft until it is in the correct position. You do this by lining up your rotor/dist housing the exact way you will be dropping it in, lift it up and look which way the tang is facing, make adjustment to oil pump driveshaft. Also remember the rotor will turn aprox 1/8 turn as it engages the cam gear on its way down.

NEVER crank the motor without your dist fully engaged (sitting flush)!! You take the chance of breaking a gear and complicating your problems... I know from experience. Good luck.

 

thanks alot

i work at a parts store, i was diggin through books today.
definatly found my problem. that set timing wire has to come unplugged, like both of you said.

thanks again! i'll probably come back and say if i got it good or what.

 

aaaaaaaaaah

i had timing aligned PERFECT.
i go and put a switch for my elec. fans, test it and it works mint.

i go to start the car, i got nothing, just keeps cranking. isnt even kicking. i turn the distributor, starts backfiring out exhaust. so i go alittle back. nothing.

i go reaaaally far the other day, starts back firing out the intake.

so then i tried to fine tune it, by moving the distributor a tiny bit and cranking. i get absolutley nothing. turned it all the way from firing out the intake, to backfiring out the exhaust.

coil is sparking, wires are from cap are getting spark. so i did the plugs, which is a bitch...i've never done them on a tuned port.

ALL new plugs, ready to run, STILL DOESN'T EVEN KICK. it's getting plenty of fuel and spark. it ran this morning at 8:00am, now doesn't even come close to running.


any help?

 

Put the engine at TDC (zero degrees) and check to see where your rotor is pointing. It should be pointing to the #1 plug wire position on the cap. If it is not close, youre dist is installed wrong. Double check your firing order and wires routed correctly. Backfiring is a definate tell tale the dist is incorrectly installed.

If the dizzy is installed correctly then youve got bigger problems.
Good luck.

 

It's probably out 180 degress.....

 

i'm thinkin its off 180 aswell.

cause i can only turn the distributor 90...if that.

im gonna go tinker with it right now..thanks again!

 

Listen to the MagMan.......

He is 100 percent correct. you are not at cyl. #1 tdc sounds like you are at cyl. 4 tdc.

Follow Magman's first reply. Take the driver valve cover off, rotate the crank and line up 0 deg. tdc on the bal. while watching cyl. 1 rockers for movement, if no movement you are at tdc cyl. 1. no movement, you are out 180 deg. give crank one full turn again.

 

OK. The easiest way to do it is to pull out the number one spark plug. Have your assistant put there finger in the spark plug hole to feel for compression or when their finger is being pushed out. You are going to put a breaker bar on the crank pulley bolt and turn it over by hand. When they start to feel compression you need to stop and start looking at the timing marks on the balancer. Bring it up to TDC. Stop rotating the engine then by hand. Drop the distributor in and have the Rotor facing the #1 cylinder. Most likly th distributor will not line up/mesh with the oil pump shaft, so you will just put it in and let it lie on top. Then turn the engine over by hand a little more, every turn stopping to push down on the dizzy and making sure it that it goes plop. Once the dizzy is in tighten the bolt finger tight. Then just rotate the rotor till it comes back around to TDC, about 10* TDC. Then put the Cap on it a little bit ahead of where the rotor is pointing because this will be the number one plug.

I have found turning it over by the starter and haveing somone feel for compression can be hard because the engine is turning so fast. Hand is much easier to feel for and stop.

If you do that you will for sure find TDC. If it still does ot fire up you will have to start checking for things like spark, fuel and such. It could be your ignition module if setting the timing does not work.

 

i have no idea why i didn't catch this when i was doing it.
i've been 180 off the last two times i've timed it.

when i'm turning the engine over to "TDC" it's not THAT hard, but when its on compression you can definalty tell, and i've been on exh.

thanks again!

 

Does that mean you solved your problem? Hope so...Got to remeber to look at the timming on the balancer. If you do not have timing tape or something like that, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to buy some. Very cheap and usefull.