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Installing distributor

2074 Views 11 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  yodasfro, 
J
I had my motor all torn down and redid all the gaskets on it...I am in the process of trying to get it started and can't get a spark. I am almost positive that it is the alignment of the distributor...I have the bentley, and tried getting it lined up correctly but think I am doing it wrong...sorry for the silly question, but can anyone make this clearer??

http://20v.org/engprob.htm
1. Rotate the engine to #1 TDC. Rotor pointing to #1 plug terminal and0-degree flywheel mark at pointer edge. Get this right!
2. With dist cap and Hall sensor connector removed from the dist and other junk out of the way as much as possible, note the angular position relativeto horizontal (3B), or vertical (7A) of the Hall sensor connector and the rotor (these will be opposite each other) for later return to original oriention purposes.

I have the motor on TDC, but can't understand the "rotor pointing to #1 plug terminal"..?
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urQ83
Number 1 plug wire terminal on the distributor cap. Isn't there a notch on the distributor housing that's
on the "front" of the distributor? I'm trying to remember..... I recall that the rotor position points at the notch.
That becomes the position for the #1 wire after the cap is installed, then the balance are installed in the
firing order sequence, making sure that the proper direction of rotation is observed.

I think that's it.
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yodasfro
Align the two lines ignore rotor pointing at #1 logic.

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J
Cool, I didn't realize that there was another notch under that cover.

I have it all installed and still no spark. Does it matter which way the cap snaps on? I didn't remove the spark plug wires from the cap but removed them from the cylinder holes. I just went off the length of wires to reinstall...is that okay? I still have no spark...sigh
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a4v8swap
You'd still see spark if the plug wires were in the wrong order. Problem lies somewhere else. Check to make sure everything is plugged in. Check the crank reference sensor that could also produce a no spark condition.
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yodasfro
The cap is keyed so it only goes on one way see this for the proper wire order. Are your ECU grounds hooked up at the back of the intake manifold? All your timing marks are lined up see the attached pic use the FW and cam marks
viewtopic.php?t=24618

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J
Thanks for the help so far, the two ground wires are connected to the back of the intake manifold. The FW mark and cam gear mark line up correctly, if there was something to be off it would be the chain that connects the cams, but I wouldn't think that has changed because I didn't disconnect that. I will check the crank sensor tomorrow.

I don't believe it is my ignition coil because I got a low mileage late model CQ one that was working when removed...also I tried hooking up my original ignition coil that was working also, and that didn't change anything.
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J
I have checked the firing pin on the flywheel because I read it can fall off, it's there.

Using the bentley manual:
I checked the ignition coil sender harness and it passed.
I checked the ignition coil and it passed.
I checked the black harness at the driver side of engine bay that connects down at transmission and it passed.
I checked the hall sensor harness and it passed.

The next thing the bentley has to check is the distributor, but requires specialty tool 3179...I guess that I will order this tool and then check that?
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yodasfro
That tool isn't needed to set the timing dead on.
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J
Cool, I was hoping that you would say that. I am 99% sure that the distributor is installed at tdc(basically because that was my issue from the beginning).

I will take it out and reinstall it...I haven't checked the knock sensors yet either..

Any other things I may have overlooked?
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J
yodasfro said:
Align the two lines ignore rotor pointing at #1 logic.
Click to expand...
If the motor is set at tdc and I line up the two marks on the distributor, does it matter any way the distributor is installed in the motor? For example does it matter if those two marks are pointing towards the front of the car, or towards the firewall, or towards the ground, etc.?
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yodasfro
Nope the clocking of the distributor doesn't matter as long as the marks are lined up. But obviously you don't what to install so the hall sender plug is stressed by the wiring harness etc.
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