timing?

[bobdabuilder069]

my 89 240sx fastback had a blown headgasket i repaired that. set the timing the nissan dealer said to set the cam and crank by the keys not the punchmarks. so i did that and installed the distributor and oil pump but the car wont start, but it gets a strong spark. im stuck on this. the only thing i need for the car to run.

[pmkls2]

if i remember correctly the easiest way to time the cam and crank was to point the keys straight up on both. your problem may be what I just saw another person on the forum do is that you may have installed the distributor in 180 degrees off. what you need to do is remove the #1 plug and put your finger in the plug hole and have somebody bump the engine over until the compression pushes your finger off of the hole. now you know you are on the compression stroke instead of the exhaust stroke. rotate the crank to TDC from there and see if your distributor rotor is pointing at the #1 firing position. if not then you installed it 180 degrees out. anyhow drop the oil pump down and set the rotor at the #1 position and reinstall the pump. remember that as you install the pump the rotor will rotate some so note which way it rotates and compensate for it a little. you may end up doing this a couple times before you get everything lined up but just be patient. anyhow that should at least help some

[bobdabuilder069]

I reset that so the rotor is on #1 cyl on the distributor cap. but now im not getting any spark. the distributor is brand new i tested the coil and control module on my friends 240 and it all worked so i dont know why im not getting any spark now becuase i was before. i double checked to make sure everything was hooked up correctly and all. im just wondering if maybe there is something that i dont know about that would keep it from sparking.

[pmkls2]

i believe there is a little ground there somewhere coming out of the dist make sure it is connected. other than that im not sure what it would be off hand.

[bobdabuilder069]

if my coil isnt putting out spark would the control module have anything to do with that. because i think it would still spark just when its supposed to right? this car has me stumped.