distributor replacement -

Started by Nick_W · Jan 29, 2013 · 5postsSMF 2010–26

Nick_WJan 29, 2013, 7:35 pm · #1

My car died while idling the other day and wouldn't restart. I replaced the distributor because i believed it to be the CAS, and I got a distributor for relatively cheap. I put it back together and now it still won't start.

Couple questions here..

I couldn't remember which way the cap and rotor went when i put it back... which is on the top the exhaust or intake coil wires running into the cap?

Also I had a hell of a time pulling the electrical connector out of the back of the diizzy, and possibly damaged it i guess. It had a metal bracket on the back of it that screwed in nearby which had a second electrical connector on it, i lost the damn screw so i used a small self-tapping screw. What does that connection go to?

sooo.. i either replaced teh cap backwards, the wires wrong, damaged that electrical connector, or my timing is way off...

Spec-breJan 29, 2013, 7:52 pm · #2

I can't answer your question but I am curious to here what you find. Do you have any spark at all?? I assume not but wanted to ask.

Nick_WJan 29, 2013, 9:38 pm · #3

Spec-bre on 07:52:33 PM / 29-Jan-13I can't answer your question but I am curious to here what you find. Do you have any spark at all?? I assume not but wanted to ask.

I had no spark at the plugs, so i checked for power running to the coils and I DID have it. I assumed at that point that it must be in the distributor, so i checked the ecu codes and sure enough i got a CAS signal... i can't remember which number that is now, but i double checked it.

I was tired and it was getting dark when i was finishing up so i may have done something stupid like put the cables on wrong.

I pulled the dizzy, got the new one, rotated the engine so the #1 cylinder was at tdc (on exhaust side, does it matter?) I put the new distributor in with the mark on the dizzy lining straight up, and the mark on the gears one tooth to the left as per the fsm, hooked up the wires.. and no start. I did get a backfire or something and then nothing...

Nick_WFeb 2, 2013, 9:50 pm · #4

ok. so my friend came over, which made things helpful. My number one cylinder was not on compression stroke so my rotor ended up being 180 degrees off. Fixed it and now the car is running! and in fact its running a hell of a lot better than before i replaced it.

as far as the cap is concerned, exhaust is on the top, intake is on the bottom, and if you were on the drivers side of the car looking at the cap the number one intake cylinder would be at 3 o'clock, pointing straight at the firewall

Edit:

WHen I pulled the old dizzy there was an obvious oil leak coming out, i inspected the O-ring and it looked perfectly fine. Anyone have any suggestions? Also where can you get a new O-ring? I didn't see it for sale on rockauto when i bought the distributor

Spec-breFeb 2, 2013, 10:02 pm · #5

Hmmmm.. Maybe I should recheck my dizzy for proper alignment..
Good to hear you got it running and all is better!!