88transam5.0

Heres my situation, I have an 88 transam 5.0 TPI, I had motor rebuilt and I installed it. everything went fine till the distributor install. I can't start car I've been trying for 2-3 days now. 1st I had wires crossed, then I had rotation wrong and now I've got a big mess. what I need to know is where should the distributor be lined up and on the balancer when you have it on 0 degrees does this mean # 1 piston is on top and when you rotate balancer again to 0 degrees will the piston # 1 will it be on top again or not. what I need is big time help as if you were installing from begining without knowing original location. I've replaced plugs 2x due to gas flooding while cranking. Engineboy has been trying to help but I guess I'm not getting it need another opinon. or could there be another problem, before rebuild ignition was working fine. please reply soon. Thanks

89LT1Formula

Sounds to me like you're timing is 180 degrees out. I would pull the timing cover and check to make sure that they put the timing chain on right. Then start your by putting you #1 cylinder at top dead center and make sure your rotor is pointing to the #1 plug. Then just check to make sure you have the firing order right from there

------------------
Jason
89 Formula LT1

Engineboy

Pull #1 plug.

Disable ignition.

Put finger over plug hole and have someone "bump" the engine over until you start to get air coming out of the cylinder. (or rotate by hand) Keep turning engine by hand clockwise until the marks are at 0 deg. on the tab.

This is #1 comp. Dist. should be pointing at #1. If you go one more rebvolution of the crank you will be 180 deg. off. (firing #6)

The crankshaft will rotate twice for every 1 distributor revolution.

I hope this is clear enough.

Good luck

------------------
ASE Mechanic/Machinist/Smog Tech

1999 NBM Trans Am
1986 Chevy 3/4 ton pick up
1981 corvette
1995 Kawi ZX6R

R.I.P. #3
My favorite quote about D.E. "He can see air"

[This message has been edited by Engineboy (edited March 24, 2001).]

gruveb

Here's what I did. I did a cam swap, and had the distributor off somehow. So I pulled the driver's side valve cover, loosened the belts, and turned the engine over by hand, until I got cylinder #1 to TDC on the compression stroke (both valves closed). The mark on the harmonic balancer should be at 12 o'clock.

Then, I took my drop light and looked down the distributor hole to see the position of the oil pump shaft, and had to use a big screw driver to turn it. It should point just a little counterclockwise (driver's side) to where the rotor will be pointing. Play around with it a little bit. (Look at the bottom of the distributor and see how that line corrolates to the direction of the rotor) Of course you turn the rotor back (counter-clockwise)about 1/4 or a turn or so to where it needs to be facing when installed, and drop it in, and it should end up pointing at the #1 plug. If the distributor were a clock the #1 would be at 5 o'clock, a space at 6 and then the #8 would be at 7 o'clock.

The best way to ensure that you don't get a wire crossed is to go slowly and refer to the cylinder numbers stamped on your intake. It should also have the firing order right there on the intake as well. As long as you start with #1 plug wire on the 5 o'clock position and following the numbers you'll get it right.

Play around with getting the rotor lined up with #1 cylinder while the cylinder is sitting at TDC, and you can build from there. Get that part nailed down first though. It can take a couple tries getting the oil shaft turned properly, but it's not all that hard. I've never worked on these cars before and I got it done fairly easily, I'm sure you can do the same.