timing is jumping?

Marc5ohGT

New Member
Sep 14, 2003
18
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Houston
well my car just died on me last week and wouldnt start back up. i finally had a chance to look at it tonight. i recently pulled a PIP circuit fail code so i replaced the MSD distributor i had in there with the stock one. restabbed the correct way at TDC with rotor pointing to #1 cylinder and tried to start and no go. i checked for spark and fuel and everything seems fine. funny thing is when i put the motor back at TDC the rotor on the distrib. was about 180 deg. off. so i put another distrib in there and it did the same thing. i dont know what to do now, i would appreciate any info on what the problem could be.
 
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You gotta try to read the whole post. Is the coil grounded properly? Do you have a DVOM? If not, you will need one before long if you are gonna fix this thing, instead of paying someone else to do it. You can jump it to ground to check, but a meter will tell you if you have a good ground or not.
 
If you installed the distributor TDC then found it 180 off, either you are missing some teeth on the cam gear or you didn't really have TDC.
Get it to to TDC and have someone try to start it as you advance the timing, see if you get anything. 180 off you should have gotten some backfires at least.
 
check the timing chain!!!!! its the only thing besides the gear teeth that can hake this happen.

read the post. he said it is lined up with tdc and then after he trys to start nothing. then puts it back to tdc and its 180 out. well one other possability.... your feeling a little compresion on the exhaust stroke. which would mean you set it in at the exhaust stroke.

this is a no brianer!
remove #1 plug.
trun engine with socket till you feel compression on your finger(fingure in the hole)
when it pushes your fingure out or you pull it out you will hear air.
then put a screw driver in the hole and slowly turn the engine till you feel it real close to the hole( tdc )
install plug.
install dissy.
install rotor
mark ware rotor points---- on the dissy!!!( now your #1 spark plug lead)
look inside your cap and see the metal posts
ling up cap with rotor by turning the dissy.
install cap.
make sure you use the right firing order!!!!!!
turn over engine in attempt to start.
no start?
check tdc again.
if its not at the mark you made earlier on the dissy(rotor pointing to mark)
you have a mechanical problem in eighter the timing chain/ or your gear is sliping on the dissy! check them all!
 
Put a new control module in the msd. My msd sh** on me today and Im about to put it back in the morning with a new module from Autozone in it. If the stock one you have is messed up you will never know it without getting it checked. If the car died on you while you were driving, either the chain broke on you which I doubt, your fuel pump went out, or the module got hot and crapped out on you. I think you are 180* out on your distributor anyway. Listen to fast/broken, he has it down pat.
 
fast broken and somers both are thinking what i was gonna say (stabbed dizzy in, out of phase).

as for checking timing chain, two ways that i know of (without visual inspection). if it runs, timing light will jump around. not running, put a socket on the crank and take the cap off so you can see the rotor. turn the crank and see if it takes much before the rotor turns. now if the dizzy gear is messed up, this will mess up the test. but gives an idea.
good luck.
happy holidays!