timing chain trouble

[huggies]

So, my ex brings over the car, it's running rough and a loud rattle is coming from the timing chain cover. The engine looks like it wants to jump out of the car it is vibrating so bad. I immediately think it's the timing chain. I remove the valve cover and find the upper guide on the upper chain is broken off and just sitting there rattling around. I set #1 to TDC and remove the distibutor and the upper timing cover. I assumed because of the way it was running that the upper tensioner wasn't working properly, plus I could see marks on the valve cover where the chain had been tapping it. So after replacing the tensioner and reinstalling everything , it won't start. I've checked and rechecked that I"m at TDC on #1. The #1 cam lobes are pointing away from each other and the notches on the cam gears are at 9 and 12 oclock. The sprocket pulley is at the tdc mark, 2nd mark from the left. I even pulled the #1 spark plug and visually can see that #1 piston is up. I install the distributor with the rotor pointing to #1 , get everything else together and this d*** thing still won't start. What am I missing? I'm still thinking the timimng is off, but I don't see where. I tried playing with the distributor position when installing it and could actually get the car to start , but it won't run at idle and it don't run smooth at all. The plugs are hooked up in order counterclockwise on the cap 1 3 4 2. HELP!!

[InsanityInc]

The distributor is 180 out from where it should be. Remember, the engine rotates twice for every time the distributor rotates once.

Set the engine to 20 degress BTDC on the compression stroke and then install the distrubtor with the rotor pointing directly at the #1 stator.

To make sure it's on the compression stroke, remove the spark plugs, and put your hand over the #1 hole. if it's on the compression stroke, you will feel air being pushed against your hand.

[huggies]

How do I know I'm on the compression stroke? The valves for #1 are closed , so I thought I had it correct. It looks exactly like it does in the diagram in this http://jimwolftechnology.com/w...E.PDF

walk thru.

[InsanityInc]

like I said, take out the plugs, press your hand over the plug hole, and if you feel pressure against your hand when you turn it towards 20 BTDC, it's on the compression stroke.

[huggies]

Ok, I had it on the compression stroke, but I was installing the distributor with the crank pulley at TDC, which is where I thought I was supposed to be installing it. Installed with it at 20 BTDC and it fired right up. Thanks. Oh, it still seems to be vibrating more than it should or more than I remember to be normal. Adjusting the timing doesn't seem to have an effect. I haven't driven it yet, so I don't know about the power. It had a real lack of power when she brought it to me. Any ideas on the vibration or is it normal and I'm just not remembering correctly?

[InsanityInc]

hmm... how much vibration? Can you see the engine physically moving in the bay back and forth more than a milimeter or so?

Also, turn on the car, sit in it, put your hand on the shifter (assuming it's a 5speed, if it's not, you'll just have to sit there and be more perceptive) and let it idle. If there's any irregularity in the vibration (notably, a quick jerk, then a return to normal), your timing is off.

[huggies]

No , it's a constant vibration. It vibrates back and forth much more than a millimeter. I set the timing, it sounds fine at idle, cept the vibration, and it runs rough after it warms up a bit. I'm going to give it a tuneup and go from there.

[InsanityInc]

Hm. My only thought is that maybe one of the injectors is bad. I bought my 240 with a bad injector and it shook really bad. However, it'd probably run like absolute **** if one injector was bad.

[huggies]

It was injector #2. They want a hundred bucks for the da** thing.

[InsanityInc]

wow, I'm a good guesser.

The funny part is, I had to buy a new one, too. like 140 bucks from the dealership. Later I found out that I could buy a set of aftermarket ones for the price of one OEM one.