Need a little help here. I replaced my intake and put the distributor back in and the rotor was slightly off as I put it back in. Was hoping the timing would not be affected, but it is. I have read the procedure to get the number 1 cyl to compression stroke and crank pulley mark to TDC. Any pointers/suggestions in the procedure?

 

You have the right concept you just need to take a long screwdriver and position the oil pump shaft in the right spot so the the distributer will drop in the correct spot.
Randy

 

well, get the #1 cylinder up on TDC. first disconnect the red or pink power wire on the dist. cap. Raise the distributor about 3 inches, let it flop to one side, and rest like that.
A. pull #1 spark plug and put your finger on the hole.
B. have someone crank the engine in tiny clicks of the key, like click click click.
C. when the compression tries to blow your finger off the hole, it's coming up on TDC, #1 compression. Turn off the key.
D. get a long handled ratchet. with ratchet on the center crankshaft bolt and a 5/8" socket, turn the engine in the direction that it normally turns with the center crankshaft bolt.
E. look at the timing mark on the harmonic balancer, watch it move towards the TDC heavy line on the timing tab.
F. When that is on the heavy line, lower the distributor into the engine with the rotor pointing towards #1 spark plug wire if the dist. cap was seated...The rotor will twist. untwist it 1 gear tooth. let it back down.
G. Chances are, that it will not fall all the way down.
H. click the key again till the rotor drops that last 3/8 inch.
J. get the engine back up on TDC, the timing mark will go around twice.
K. double check the position of the rotor with the cap resting in place.
If it does not line up, repeat till you get it.
Usually, you can feel the teeth of the cam trying to mesh with the dist. gear if you lightly rest the dist. in place, and turn the rotor. When it falls down, and it looks like it's not right, raise it up, and feel the teeth settle, and back it up a tooth, then drop it back in, and watch it align.
It probably still won't fall all the way down, but it will if you click the key, and it willfall in place under it's own weight.
Never force it. it's a light touch that works best.
If it doesn't start first time and poofs out the intake, you might be 180 degrees off on the crank mark. Just pick it up, and rotate it 180 degrees, and it should fall down into the oil pump drive shaft groove, and reinstall the dist. hold down.
On the back of the manifold, on the shoulder of the intake, right where the dist. goes into the manifold, you will see a cut line. THe dist. lines up with the cutline if it is as installed from the factory and the dist. is the original.
They did this so they could eliminate the step with a timing light should distributor service ever be needed at the dealer, and cut down on warranty claim costs.

 

Thanks for the in depth info. I think that I'm off because it did poof at the intake when I started it and as it ran it sounded real weak. Once again, thanks for the info.

 

The dist cap should have plug wires 1 and 8 exactly east-west; i.e., perpendicular to the vehicle center line, and you will be close to the required 6 degree BTDC static timing.

 

Before removing the cap use a marker pen to put a line on the base of the distributor where the #1 plug wire is in the cap. This will eliminate alot of guess work.

 

Thanks for the advice from everyone and big thanks to Coupeguy2001. The heartbeat is back. It had been about 15yrs since I actually had removed a distributor.

 

Can we get this stickied? The breakdown of the procedure totally helped.

 

WELL DONE ! Great write-up, Chris; thanks.