I recently removed the distributor to replace the oil pressure switch. In dropping it back in, the oil pump shaft had moved slightly, so I rotated the engine until the timing marks were aligned and reinserted the distributor where it was facing #1 wire. (Wires are all on the right cylinders) I spun the oil shaft accordingly. It just sat there and cranked, so I figured I was 180 out. So, I turned it 180 and aligned the marks. Again pointing to #1, so it looked good. No start. I have the est wire disconnected. I was under the impression that I didn't hook that up again until after it fired up. I must be missing something, because it ran before I messed with it. I know there are tons of posts like this, so sorry for the repeat. Just didn't find the answer. Thanks

 

Start by pulling #1 plug (driver's side front). Place your finger over the plug hole and rotate the engine by hand. I believe that a 5/8" six point socket on the balancer bolt will do the trick. Turn the engine until you feel pressure pushing your finger from the hole.

Now slowly turn the engine to line up the timing marks. Once they are aligned....stop.

Remove the cap from the distributor and point the rotor where the #1 wire is on the cap. Rotate the rotor back about another 10-15 degrees and drop it. As it drops in the gears on the cam will catch with the distributor and move the rotor the 10-15 degrees that you reversed and it should sit flush with the intake. If you, you may have to pull it out again and use a long screw driver to turn the oil pump shaft. Turning the oil pump shaft is a trial and error job until the distributor drops in place. Once this is done, replace the cap. Be sure that you have hooked up all the wires to the distributor. I believe there is a four wire harness at the base of the distributor then there should be two single wires that plug into the right side (Red and another wire).

Now you need someone to help....have them get into the car and turn it over....if it doesn't catch....slowly turn the distributor clockwise and counter clockwise until it catches. DON't forget to put #1 plug back in and press on the wire boot.

Once it is running. Shut it off and disconnect the single brown wire with a white strip next to the wiper motor. Hook up a timing light on and start the engine. Turn the distributor until the marks are 6-8 degrees with the light and tighten the distributor hold down bolt. Double check with the timing light to be sure the distributor has not moved. Hook up the single brow/white wire. disconnect the negative battery terminal.......disconnecting the brow wire to time the car will set a code 40 (believe it is 40). Connect the battery and you should be ready to go.

 

I guess I didn't realize you would have to fish for it a bit. I thought if I was pointing at number one it would fire. I'm doing this by myself, so it was impossible to keep my finger on the hole and keep the wrench on the balancer bolt at the same time. Wrench kept slipping off. So, thinking that it would fire if right, I figured with pointing to 1 it could only be in or 180 out, thus eliminating the finger hole trick. I'll have my wife go out with me and will start all over with a helper.

 

Use a torque wrench to turn the bolt. You should easily be able to stick your right index finger over the #1 plug hole and pull the torque wrench to line up tdc with your left. As soon as you feel air come out of the plug hole, line up the timing marks.

 

Torque wrench or a breaker bar with a six point not 12. The six point looks like a direct impression of the bolt head....will not slip off easily and won't round off the bolt head.

 

Turning the engine over without removing all the plugs put a lot of pressure on the balancer bolt. I prefer to pull the drivers side valve cover, and watch the intake valve rise, and go down and then bring the marks in alignment. The turn oil pump shaft wherever you want #1 to be. Leave the EST wire together until you get it running fair, and then set timing.

 

Just have an assistant bump it over while you watch, and feel.. you don't have to be Nuts on for this step, that's what the timing light is for.. just get it within +/- a few °'s of TDC. that's plenty close enough to drop an Distributor in... Now keep in mind the drive gear has an Helical cut so it will rotate as you lower it down, if it fails to drop down fully have an assistant bump the engine over until it does. At this point re-verify TDC on the Crank, Distributor points at #1, by Rotating the engine. Now your ready to fire it up and adjust the final timing..

 

^^^^
they also make a neat tool for doing it yourself if you dont have remote starter button (remove the power wire for the dist so it doesnt try to start).
Screws into the #1 plug hole and whistles when you hit the right spot

My shaft always leans off to one side when its pulled out so it will never drop in, pain in the neck. Once you hear the sound woosh out drop the dist in with the rotor pointing to where you think #2 on the cap would be. Then slowly tap the motor over as said as the dist goes around it will slowly grab the gear and drop into place. If its a tooth off pull it and point the rotor a little further back. Take you about 10 minutes to get it right and youre back in business.

Know that when you pull the dist out (watch the rotor) as it comes out the shaft will go counterclockwise a bit

 

To avoid screwing up next time do what I did... Once you have #1 TDC set, make a mark with a felt tip pen on the back of the plenum , then the next time you want to remove the dizzy all you have to do is rotate the crank until the pointer on the rotor lines up with the mark..Then you can pull the dizzy out, and when it's time to put it back in just install it with the rotor lined up with that mark..This way you can use that same mark every time you pull the dizzy........WW

PS. As cuisinartvette mentioned above, you have to go slightly past the mark when dropping the distributor in , so that when the distributor drops down and the gear spins into place, it ends up at the mark....

 

Ron, I really don't think the rest of us care what your shaft does.

 

 

So, I went through the whole process again. Turns out that I did have the rotor pointing at #1 at Tdc. So I tried cranking again. Nothing. I advanced the distributor and retarded it at a couple intervals. Nothing. It just cranks. It doesn't even stumble or try to fire. When the motor was assembled originally, the timing chain was advanced. Would that mess up the normal process?

 

Your engine obviously was not on #1 when you pulled the dist. Do as others have told you and it will run.
Edit, Okay, I just reread your last post and it looks like you did put the engine on tdc, so, did you remember to plug the connector back in that you almost had to unplug to get clearance to get the didtributor out.

 

did you pull a plug wire, and stick a old plug on it, and hold on the motor to ground it? have to have some one crank the motor for you.

that would tell you if you have spark. it should back fire even it the distributor is out of time.

 

Keep in mind; There are two TDC's, one at the firing stroke, and one at the Exhaust stroke.. You need to be set up on the #1Cyl Compression to firing stroke, otherwise you get Nothing!

Might be a stupid Question, but you did hook up the Dizzy before trying to start up right..

And... you are on #1 Cyl (correct)

 

I think something is not connected. Check the 4 wire connector behind the distributor by the firewall. That should be connected to the matching distributor connector. Make sure the wires on the cap are connected properly. Your distributor can be 180 degrees or whatever off. Your car will not start, but you will have backfire through the exhaust or intake.

 

I pulled the plug on the drivers side closest to the front of the car. I understand this to be #1. I plugged the hole until air came out and aligned the marks. Atthat point, the rotor is pointing towards the terminal which is approximately 5 o'clock (if you are standing in front of the car looking towards the rear, where 6 would be towards the hood). This terminal is connected to the afore mentioned plug that was removed to find the compression stroke. In my understanding all of this means that i have the distributor set correctly. There are two plugs on the drivers side of distributor. Both are pkugged in. There is one primary harness on the bottom side that is also connected. Am I missing something?

I'll head out and check spark and report back with an edit to this post.

 

also an easy way to find #1 tdc compression is to stick a cork or one of those plastic thread protector-plugs in the #1 spark plug hole.

when you come up on compression the cork will blow out with a pop and your there......................

 

Ok...I pulled #1 and placed it against several bolts on the motor. It didn't have any spark at all when cranking. I assume that pretty much any bolt should have worked to create a spark, correct?

Also assuming this means I need to replace parts now, but what? Where do I go from here and how could this have happened since it worked fine prior to pulling the distributor?

Is it possible that the main harness just isn't getting a good connection? Can I spray something in there to clean it up at all just to see?

 

At the base of the distributor (believe on the drivers side) there is a four prong FLAT plug that also has to be pluged in. You should see four wires coming out of the distributor if you take the cap off....or you should be able to see them coming out and going into the flat plug. You need these and the two at the top.