I'm doing my timing chain and I ran into a roadblock, please help

Website · Post by **lbrowne** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 7:56 pm

mine has the marks, the second one from the left is marked red so i guess that would be correct what i found

thing is though, when i pulled the top off the distributor, its pointing to number 1! i'm so confused now.

maybe i still have to pull out the oil pump, line up the punch marks and try again?

Post by **DAEDALUS** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 7:56 pm

Maybe...again, I'm ignorant here. But the problem might be exactly what you just said. I'm not sure when the plugs fire relative to where the distributor is pointing, but cylinders are supposed to fire a little before the piston hits TDC (like 15 degrees or so--red mark?). You've got the alignment marks...any chance you can borrow a timing light? That'll be the quickest way to verify your spark timing, as well as whether or not all plugs are firing.

Website · Post by **lbrowne** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 7:56 pm

i dunno anyone with a timing light. but i could very well be off a few degrees which is what is causing it i guess.

if i took that oil pump out, lined up the punch marks and such, put it back in and connected the distributor to it, i should be fine then right? it would be less trouble than me trying to find a timing light somewhere....

i have a crosslink put up in the online mechanic forum as well, dr john over there seems to know a few things about the sohc...i'm calling it a night since its 1:34 am here

thanks for your help though, its really appreciated.

Post by **mattback** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 7:56 pm

if you give it gas does it try and come up at all

by clocking the dist does it crank faster or slower??

indications that youre off a tooth.

Website · Post by **JNM240** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 7:56 pm

No, the problem is he didnt line up the oil pump and distributor correctly. Thats why i put those pics, you needed to line the distributor rotor up with the tiny notch on the lip of the distributor and line up the mark on the oil pump shaft with the matchmark on the oil pump!

So here's what you need to do to fix it:Remove your valve cover so you can see your cam sprocket. Get your crank socket and start turning the engine over by hand and watch the 2 shiny links go around the sprocket. You will need to be aware of the distances each travel, as you want them to line back up with their respective dots again. This will take several complete revolutions to get correct, but they will eventually line back up. As you cannot see the crank sprocket you will have to be aware of both links as they pass the cam sprocket. But once the second link is lined up with the cam sprocket dot at the 3 o'clock position, then the lower will be aligned.

From here, drop your oil pump and shaft and remove your distributor and line them up properly! The oil pump is the key. If the dots dont line up on the oil pump, nothing else matters! The distributor can only sit in the oil pump one way, and if the oil pump isnt line up right, its over.

Standing at the drivers side fender looking at the engine (front of engine is to your left, rear is to your right), the #1 cylinder tower on your distributor is at the 4 o'clock position. Like this:

4321

And it rotates counterclockwise 1-3-4-2

Hope this helps. btw: your car would start if the distributor was lined up correctly even if the timing was off to either adjustment extreme. So its not that its out of timing, its has no timing to start with.

Website · Post by **lbrowne** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 7:56 pm

oook , just so that i'm definitely lookin at the distributor right, which part is the actual pointing part? i'm thinking the end with the thin piece of conductor exposed.

on the oil pump theres a notch in the base of it, and then theres just an indent in the shaft gear, thats what i lined it up with because theres no small dot that i can see. and its pretty clean

btw, i can't find any such little notch on my distributor, but i'll look again.

Post by **bruinbear714** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 7:56 pm

There are punch marks on the oil pump and the distributor shaft. Line those up and insert back into the engine.

Also, before you pull out the oil pump, line up the red mark on the crank pulley with the needle on the timing cover, and make sure the rectangular notch on the cam sprocket is pointing UP (the dot should be pointing RIGHT if I recall correctly)

Now with the cam sprocket notch pointing up, dot pointing right, and crank pulley's red mark on the timing cover needle, see which direction the rotor is pointing. Pull out the pump, line up those punch marks, and assemble it again. It should point to the #1 spark plug which I believe is at about 5oclock.

Website · Post by **lbrowne** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 7:56 pm

SHE STARTED SHE STARTED OH GOD SHE STARTED!!!!

i woulda posted sooner but i was piecing everything together

Now I have to find a new T-Stat housing cuz mine is cracked. I could do a cartwheel right now!

There was a ticking as soon as i started her, probably was the distributor being off a bit from the marks that i had put there, so i adjusted them and now its alot quieter but i think still there. Could be that wher I'm in a small garage i'm hearing all the mechanicals.

time to do those TC Rods and front sway bar bushings!

Bruinbear, Daedelus, and more noteably JNM240, thank you for you assistnace in my desperate time of need. I would not have done this without you.

sincerely,

lbrowne

Website · Post by **JNM240** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 7:56 pm

If you were here, we'd be drinking cold beer together. AWESOME JOB!

Post by **DAEDALUS** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 7:56 pm

Great to hear. Pay it back to another NICO member in need when you get the chance!

Website · Post by **lbrowne** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 7:56 pm

Might as well keep this in the same forum

I took her for a test run, and the car's idle acts crazy. She'll be normal for a second, then goes up and down to the point of stalling, unless i get on the gas.

Could this be an alternator belt too tight or too loose? I can drive it, she can drive fine but its almost like shes gettin a shot of gas or getting cut fuel, like a hesitation....

it can't be anything major, she fires up right away and goes on again...any ideas? i'm starting to search the archives fopr stuff i've read before, but i'm not too sure on how to search for this one.

Post by **DAEDALUS** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 7:56 pm

Sounds like either a vacuum leak or a bad MAF sensor connection. Run the engine in park and wiggle your MAF sensor connection to see if it affects the idle at all. Should be on the intake system just past the airbox. (Heck, jiggle all harness connectors that you can see while you're at it.) If that's not it, check for vacuum leaks. Spray a mist of intake cleaner or something around vacuum line fittings and look for the mist to get sucked into any cracks.

Website · Post by **lbrowne** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 7:56 pm

i'll check that tomorrow, could very well be something around my intake, i have a 5 speed btw

i have an open cone intake but she certainly wasn't doing this before, so its something i got done.

is the MAF sensor the part that plugs into the MAF with the lil metal retaining clip?

Post by **Nismo_Freak** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 7:56 pm

I've stuck this thread up... seems to be a good thread for people to learn how to do the chain work.

Post by **DAEDALUS** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 7:56 pm

Yeah, that connector with the metal clip near the MAF. Just jiggle that guy, or remove it and give it a good cleaning if it's corroded. Careful not to bend the connector pins...NOT a cheap part.

Website · Post by **lbrowne** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 7:56 pm

you are god send

i never quite had it pushed all the way down but come to think of it, i was pivoting the intake tubing around while i was messin with the fan and it probably came out a bit since i never had it clipped in.

anyways this morning i pushed it all the way in, got out a screwdriver and a lil pair of pliers and made sure the clip fastener was in and shes running just like she was before.

the patented fluctuating idle, from about 500 to 800 rpm

Post by **pitbull_240** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 7:56 pm

lbrowne:

CONGRATS BRUH!!! I was considering doing the same work soon. (Just replaced water pump, so I will wait until I get my pulley kit, to do my timing chain.) This will be a great reference. I have to buy my FSM first though.

Again, CONGRATS!!!!

Website · Post by **lbrowne** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 7:56 pm

This thread should be all that you need aside from your manual

Like JMN240 said, you can take everything out no sweat but its making sure that oil pump is lined up with its marks and the distributor can only go on one way by connecting the half moons together.

Thanks for the congrats and the best of luck on your car!

Post by **mattback** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 7:56 pm

patented fluxuating idle is usually due to a weak connecitno to the air flow meter

Website · Post by **lbrowne** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 7:56 pm

the conncection that goes into the top of the MAF?

Post by **ricebike** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 7:56 pm

yup... that plug that you fiddled w/...

hey where's the link i posted that shows the whole process of the timing chain R & R?

Post by **ricebike** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 7:56 pm

agh, nevermind... i found it in the FAQs http://www.geocities.com/Motor...n.htm

I'm doing my timing chain and I ran into a roadblock, please help

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