Help with timing belt please

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Thanks Nut, and you still have to come visit me someday, so we can talk camshafts and manifold vacuum advance!

-Bryan

[Mheinle]

Wanted to update the forum, nothing worse than tracking down and issue and following someone else's problem to solve an issue and find it goes cold...So here is where it is at. Bryan is my hero, that should be said first, his guidance really helped me get as far as I am.

After trying what Bryan suggested above the car ran very briefly then I could not get it started back up. In the process of getting it back to TDC I broke the #4 cylinder plug wire, which I think may have already been broken on the previous attempt which is why it would not start. I got new wires got everything else set up and called Bryan. He walked me through where everything should be Cam holes aligned with the nubs on the engine, crank at TDC and dizzy pointed to cylinder #4. We gave it a rip and the car ran...horribly but it ran. Bryan advised a 1/2 inch turn counterclockwise on the distributor and try again. The car started right up and was even better, not perfect but better. At this point we ended the call and I continued to play with the timing using a light each try I would turn the distributor a 1/2 inch counterclockwise and watch the timing mark move. While I was focused on the timing (more to come on that) I noticed the engine smoking a little and no fan. I went to turn off the car and saw I was overheating...time for a break.

After dealing with kids a sports and grocery trips I got back to it and found the radiator fan fuze was blown, easy fix.

I fired the car back up and checked the timing. The mark on the crank is currently at about 12 o'clock, which is interesting, because at TDC in the pic above the mark is at 12 o'clock. If I try to turn the distributor counter clockwise to move the timing mark to 0 degrees, the engine starts to sputter and knock. At 12 it is pretty happy. I am not sure why this is so I need to figure that out, but I decided to wait until I got 4 tires back on the ground. I don't like that the rear wheels are turning even though I am neutral. I am assuming this is another issue that I will need to fix, unless someone can tell me it is normal for the differential to turn when the transmission is not engaged (and yes it is a manual trans)???

Anyway, that is where things are at. I am hoping the information helps someone else. Big creds to Bryan as he was a huge help for me, I am feeling a little better about where things are at...

[18Fiatsandcounting]

I don't like that the rear wheels are turning even though I am neutral. I am assuming this is another issue that I will need to fix, unless someone can tell me it is normal for the differential to turn when the transmission is not engaged (and yes it is a manual trans)???

It's normal. There's enough friction in the transmission (in neutral) so that the rear wheels will slowly turn if the engine is running and the rear wheels are off the ground. If you grab one wheel, the other should start turning. If you stop both wheels from turning, you'll feel a slight tug but the wheels won't spin. Kinda creepy, but it's just the way it is.

And thanks for improving my street cred!

-Bryan

[Nut124]

The mark on the crank is currently at about 12 o'clock, which is interesting, because at TDC in the pic above the mark is at 12 o'clock. If I try to turn the distributor counter clockwise to move the timing mark to 0 degrees, the engine starts to sputter and knock. At 12 it is pretty happy.

I would try to validate your timing marks on the crank. You need reliable timing marks.

My experience about ign timing at idle goes something like this:

0 BTDC engine runs weak
10 BTDC Engine runs better
20 BTDS Even better
25 BTDC Best
35 BTCD Starting to knock hard

This does not mean set timing at 25, no. Just what the engine does so you could see if your observation matches as you assess the tming marks.

[Mheinle]

I would try to validate your timing marks on the crank. You need reliable timing marks.

My experience about ign timing at idle goes something like this:

0 BTDC engine runs weak
10 BTDC Engine runs better
20 BTDS Even better
25 BTDC Best
35 BTCD Starting to knock hard

This does not mean set timing at 25, no. Just what the engine does so you could see if your observation matches as you assess the tming marks.[/quote]

Yes! I was doing more research and it clicked last night that I never checked the advance on the light. It was up to 40ish degrees. I dialed it back today and the timing was very close. I now have it right around 12 degrees and will check again once the the wheels are on the ground and I get it warm. It will be a bit though since now my old flare nuts on the brake lines are not working, I will be grabbing the tool and nuts tomorrow to put new ones on.