Gents,

Im at wits end here! I am attempting to set the timing but am now having an issue getting the engine to start. After changing the plugwires (plugs are brand new) and replacing the old dist. cap it wont start. I verified the plugs are in the correct order both on the dist cap and the motor, upgraded the ignition module and coil, then put the old back thinking that was the issue, but still no start. It's back firing repeatedly through the exhaust but wont turn over. Car ran pretty rich but great before the plugwire and dist cap change. Hard to set timing when engine wont start! Any ideas would be great!! Thanks

 

pull the distributor and set it at 10 degrees btdc. should say on the sticker what its sapose to be at. sounds like ur a tooth off.

 

Thanks for the reply. Obviously, I am an absolute amateur when it comes to timing! I pulled the dist. with no problems, about 20 times now, and can't figure this out. I tried pulling the #1 spark plug to get to TDC, and cranking it until its at TDC and can't seem to get the piston all the way up. It doesn't seem to even move. Thankfully, this is not a DD cause i'd be way screwed. Forget the sticker, i'm getting no where here! Is there anyway you could dumb this all down for me? I've searched the boards endlessly for about 4 months trying to figure this out. Any help would be life saving!!!!!

 

Try turning the engine by HAND to line up the WIDE mark on the damper with the TDC mark on the timing indicator. Stick a screwdriver in the #1 plug hole (pass side front, not driver's side, FYI, in case you didn't know) and turn the engine slowly until the screwdriver doesn't come out of the hole any more. You might need to remove the rear alternator bracket for this... This way, you will either be on time or 180* off, in which case you swap the #1 and #4 plug wires and reset your firing order accordingly.

 

THANK YOU!!!! I had no idea the #1 plug should be on the pass side. Had a hard time figuring that out and re-wired when I began having problems. SO, just because I obviously need the clarification, when you say 'on time or 180* off', you mean once the #1 is correct and on the pass side right? Then I may swap the #1 and #4, just so the plug wires are all in sequential order from the #1 clockwise right...

 

Firing order is clockwise, 1-2-3-4-5-6, starting from the #1 plug wire, obviously. If you have everything lined up right, your #1 wire will be running to the pass side front plug. If you're 180 out, you need to swap the #4 wire with the #1 wire and run the firing order from there, clockwise. You'll know if you're 180 out, the engine will backfire like mad and not do anything but.

BTW, for clarification, on most GM engines, the #1 cylinder is the one closest to the front (non transmission end) of the engine...

 

Maverick H1L,

Thank you so much for your help! Another quick question if you don't mind, I've read a lot of posts that mention turning the dist. slightly to fine tune the timing when using a timing light. I'm a little confused by that. Does that mean completely pull the dist. upwards from the block, then turn, and then put back into the block? My hold down bolt has to be completely removed in order to allow enough room to pull the dist. out enough to turn it. I'm thinking this may not even be necessary if I follow your previous posts??? Thanks again for the guidance!!

 

LOOSEN the dist hold-down bolt until you can BARELY turn the dizzy by hand. DO NOT REMOVE EITHER THE DIZZY OR THE BOLT!!! You don't want it spinning on its own. If you set it to TDC, you will need to turn it to the LEFT (counterclockwise) to advance your timing to 10 BTDC. The dizzy WILL turn hard, and I recommend some sort of hand protection, such as winter gloves or something... The coil gives out around 35 KV, and even at the low amperage the plugs use, it still gives out enough of a shock to render an arm numb for hours.

 

Okay, so, just by loosing the hold-down bolt, I can spin the dist. while the engine is running. On mine, the plate that you screw the ignition module and the dist cap onto spins pretty freely when the hold-down bolt is loose. Is this what I should be turning or should I physically grab the dist. shaft, below the flat plate and dist cap and turn the shaft counter clockwise to advance the timing?

 

You don't need to loosen the hold-down bolt so much that you can turn the dizzy THAT easily, but, yes, you need to turn the main body of the dizzy (the cap with the ignition module inside) to adjust timing. Like I said before, you don't want the bolt that loose because the torque of the cam gear will reverse any timing advance you have and severely retard the firing time, so much so that the engine will quit. Just put one hand on the cap and gently turn the dizzy while you are lining up the timing marks. (Apply some wite-out or similar to the 10 BTDC mark on the timing tab and the wide notch in the damper and line both white lines up)