Well i'm back from vacation and still having problems with the vette. I have not personally tore into the engine to confirm that there is no damage but everything seems to work and theres no metallic noises. I messed with the timing and it wont start. I know your supposed to rotate the distributor until it starts but i've had no luck with that either.

I called a mechanic yesterday and told him what i'd done to the car, etc. He told me that i'd gotten in way over my head and that I didnt know what I was doing. He also said that I needed to have the timing set before adjusting the valves, I never messed with the timing until after I finished with the valves so thats not an issue.

I have a timing light at the ready and just need some good advice.

 

Have you had the dist. out? just rotate the engine until the line on the harmonic balancer lines up to TDC on the timing indicator-then check to make sure the rotor is pointing close to number 1 on the dist. cap. That should get you close enough. When you're ready for the timing light don't forget to disconnect the EST wire by the wiper motor, it's a single wire that just unplugs.

 

Thank you, yes I do know about the EST wire, in fact its unplugged right now. I dont know why I didnt think about taking out the distributer, duh!

 

Didn't mean for you to pull the dist., just wanted to know if you had it out once already? I've done this crap so often in my life it's all just second nature to me.

 

You will need to make sure the rotor is pointing at the #1 cylinder as Rick described. If you did not take the distrubitor out then it should already be lined up. Make sure all the connections are good around it, and when cranking have someone turn the distrubitor until it runs on it's own then get the timing light and set the timing. If it won't run or never catches, then check for spark.

 

I did take the distributor out and then rotated the engine to 0* on the harmonic balancer. I put the distributor back in, but the rotor points straight towards the front of the engine. This is how it was before I messed with the timing. It needs to be turned roughly 45* counter-clockwise for it to line up with cylinder #1.

I just dont understand how turning the distributer (with cap on) will change the timing. I can rotate it now and the rotor stays in place. I dont see how rotating it will move the rotor at all. Can someone clear this up for me?

 

Rotating the dist. does not change the rotor location, it only rotates the cap trying to get #1 on the cap to its closest orientation of the rotator.

If you pulled the dist. you must make sure #1 cylinder is up to TDC..on the compression stroke...both valves closed. You then can try to install the dist. so that the rotor is pointed to #1 on the dist. cap. Keep in mind you may need a long screw driver to rotate the oil pump drive shaft to get the dist. to drop in properly. And it sounds like the oil pump shaft needs to be turned.....with the dist. out, take a flashlite and look down the hole..you'll see the shaft with a slot in it...turn it, then try .

 

If the engine was turned any with the distrubitor out, it will have to be lined back up. Take #1 spark plug out..place your finger over the hole and rotate the engine manually until the pressure blows your finger off and/or when both #1 valves are closed. This is top dead center for #1 cylinder. The distubitor will have to be installed so as the rotor is pointing at #1 cylinder. The oil pump slot will be in the same orientation (direction) as the rotor, so you may have to turn the oil pump shaft some with a long flathead and flashlight.

If the engine was not turned with the distrubitor out, just install it the same way it came out and it should be fine.

When setting timing you want the distrubitor hold down bolt loose but not sloppy loose. This will allow you to turn the distrubitor cap when setting timing (EST disconnected). Have a good charge on the battery and have someone crank the engine while you turn the cap. It should catch and run on it's own (rough). This is where you use the timing light and set at 6* BTDC.

 

I got nothing, wont fire at all. The only other thing that I can think of is the valves being too tight, but I set them to factory GM settings. This situation is really messed up. I never did replace the seals and in the time its taken me thus far, I could have rebulit the whole stupid engine.

 

See if you have spark. Use a spare plug and disconnect one wire at a time. Snap the plug in the wire and hold it to the exhaust manifold while someone cranks the engine. You should see a blue spark on all 8. For the valves being too tight, recheck them and maybe back off 1/2 turn and try agian, your call.

Did the you turn the engine with the distrubitor out?

List some steps/things you did relating to the distrubitor, to help up solve this.

 

When adjusting the valves, I didnt touch the distributor at all. It ran fine before I messed with the valves. (Valve seals are bad) It still idled like crap though.

Finally found the GM specs, set the valves. Wont start at all so I figured it must be the timing. I took the distributor out, rotated the engine to 0* on the harmonic balancer (it was on the exhaust stroke, now on the compression stroke). I slid the distributor back in and did my best to line it up with cylinder #1. Still no luck starting it.

 

So we know you have turned the engine with the distrubitor out.

Try this ^. When sliding the distrubitor back in it may take a few times to get the oil pump slot/shaft lined up just right so the rotor points at #1.

 

It wont even turn over now for some reason. I'm going to have to tow to a shop I guess.

 

 

Charge the battery and try again.

 

charge that battery...then remove your valve covers...losen all your rockers 1/2 turn, bring #1 up, with both Exhaust and Intake valves closed...check your rotor and come back.

 

I may be missing something but what got you in this situation in the first place. If by adjusting valves you me setting the preload then I dont see why the timing would have been affected. But by pulling that distrubutor out you might have complicated the issue. Before you do anything else make sure you get your timing square away. Then you need to take a few minutes without a wrench in your hands and think back to exactly what you did when you adjusted your valves. After you know the timing is right check the basics: spark and fuel.

 

You can stick the distributor in with the rotor pointing at # 1 on the cap and have the timing up to 90 degrees off.

Look into the base of the distributor with the cap off. There's an 8 pointed star on the distributor shaft that's sitting inside a ring with 8 tit's pointing in. The star is the reluctor, the ring is the pickup. When those eight points line up it creates an inductive voltage that triggers the HEI module to send a signal the ECM which then calculates dwell and timing and then signals the module to fire the coil.

If you find TDC on the number 1 cylinder like was explained above and from there roll the engine back so that the timing pointer, points at 6 degrees BTDC. Then drop the distributor in with the rotor pointing to where the #1 plug wire should be. Then rotate the distributor so the points on the reluctor and the points on the pickup line up. If the rotor no longer points at the # 1 plug terminal on the cap you need to lift the distributor out and move it a tooth in the direction in needs to go. Repeat lining up the teeth. Snug the distributor there.

That should have the timing close enough to start on the first try without F'n around with somebody rotating the distributor with somebody else cranking. That BS wipes cams out on new motors. With the engine running you can then properly set the timing.

On setting the valves. Go back through the GM procedure and instead of rotating the push rod between your fingers. Lift it up and down. It's a whole lot easier to find zero preload this way.

 

What got me into this in the first place was me trying to get the engine running at its best. I bought it for cheap back in January and have been working and tinkering to make everything in good shape. Well the engine was burning some oil, but its all on startup. Its either the piston rings or the valve stem seals. The previous owner had the heads off (was rebuilding the top of the engine to fix a coolant leak) and didnt replace the seals. So instead of him paying $20 to fix a future problem, I have to do it.

I took the rocker arms off and realized that I needed an air tool adapter to do the job. I put everything back together, but accidently overtightened the rocker arms. Not enough to do any damage but it wouldnt start. I loosened the rocker arms and the car started, but loped badly. I tightened them down to GM specifications, which would be zero lash with 1 full turn added to center them on the lifters. It wont start like that, so I figured it was the timing. Now i've complicated things more by taking the distributor out in an attempt to fix the timing.

I dont want to take it to a shop, because I dont trust mechanics and dont really have the money to pay them to fix this. I know its now a major problem and I just need someone experience to help me with this. I understand everyone on here is trying to help, but I can only do so much on my own, but I do appreciate all the advice. I havent driven my vette in a month.

 

Tapped the starter so as put the rotor to point at #1. Pulled the distrubitor, did what I needed to do, placed the distrubitor back the same way and no start. Had someone crank the engine while I rotated the cap slightly to get the engine to have some idle. I then set the timing. No problems so far. What the hell is wrong with that?