timing question

[Mark_88]

I would do it with a volt meter...you can get a cheap one, but they don't have an accurate scale for measuring...I got one for about $5 that was made in China...it does the basics, but that's about it...and the crappy leads fell apart on me at one point...and it doesn't have very good increments...meaning it jumps from 10 VDC right up to 1,000...and the scale is so small you really have to bust your eyeballs to read it...

Best to invest in a good digital one if you're going to spring for it...or take the coil to a shop to have them test it...and the coil wire to the dizzy...if it doesn't have the right resistance then the current won't be the same at the dizzy...

There were a few other vids on testing other components in that series...I ended up watching a bunch of them before I found the ones that I needed and learned to test the components...but mine turned out to be a carb problem...too much gas can really dampen the ignition system in cold weather...

 

[Rogue_Wulff]

Gonna toss this out there, but have you tried a different set of plugs? I've seen many cases where spark plugs that got wet with gas never recovered from it.
As I said pretty early on, until you are getting a decent blue/white spark at all 4 plugs, it's not likely to start. Even with starting fluid.
Kinda hard to really follow, but it appears you've replaced the plug wires, but not the cap/rotor, and the cap is broke. At this point, I believe a cap and rotor, and new set of plugs would be the most prudent way to go. That should give you a mostly new ignition system, and be capable of lasting for a while. Assuming the coil is good, and the carb is ok, it should run unless you have something set wrong on the timing belt.
This is a rather simple little engine, and it will run as long as it is getting fuel & air, along with good hot spark at about the right time.

 

[86ranger4x4owner]

Gonna toss this out there, but have you tried a different set of plugs? I've seen many cases where spark plugs that got wet with gas never recovered from it.
As I said pretty early on, until you are getting a decent blue/white spark at all 4 plugs, it's not likely to start. Even with starting fluid.
Kinda hard to really follow, but it appears you've replaced the plug wires, but not the cap/rotor, and the cap is broke. At this point, I believe a cap and rotor, and new set of plugs would be the most prudent way to go. That should give you a mostly new ignition system, and be capable of lasting for a while. Assuming the coil is good, and the carb is ok, it should run unless you have something set wrong on the timing belt.
This is a rather simple little engine, and it will run as long as it is getting fuel & air, along with good hot spark at about the right time.

i got the cap fixed and put a new cap and rotor on it and its fuel injected not carbed.Tonight am going to take a good look at the spark at the coil from the coil to the dizzy and then take all the plug wires off one at a time at the dizzy and see if am getting a nice blue spark out of the dizzy.And for the timing i got the cam lined up on the marks on the inner timing belt and i got the crankshaft lined up with tdc on the outher timing belt cover and the rotor button pointing right at the number one wire terminal on the cap is this right?

 

[Mark_88]

i got the cap fixed and put a new cap and rotor on it and its fuel injected not carbed.Tonight am going to take a good look at the spark at the coil from the coil to the dizzy and then take all the plug wires off one at a time at the dizzy and see if am getting a nice blue spark out of the dizzy.And for the timing i got the cam lined up on the marks on the inner timing belt and i got the crankshaft lined up with tdc on the outher timing belt cover and the rotor button pointing right at the number one wire terminal on the cap is this right?

Sounds good...

That's the place to start...but I've been where Rogue_Wulfe is going with the saturated plugs...I ended up swapping out one complete set at one point because of the flooding and it started up with the new plugs...but, then again, there was quite a bit more involved...

Doesn't hurt to remove the hose from the throttle body when you're having start issues also...if you're not getting enough air in the mix it won't fire...even with good spark...have you checked the air filter lately? My Tempo had a no start issue one time and it would not kick until I removed the rubber hose from the air filter and left it off...but that turned out to be a damp dizzy that caused the no start...

 

[86ranger4x4owner]

Sounds good...

That's the place to start...but I've been where Rogue_Wulfe is going with the saturated plugs...I ended up swapping out one complete set at one point because of the flooding and it started up with the new plugs...but, then again, there was quite a bit more involved...

Doesn't hurt to remove the hose from the throttle body when you're having start issues also...if you're not getting enough air in the mix it won't fire...even with good spark...have you checked the air filter lately? My Tempo had a no start issue one time and it would not kick until I removed the rubber hose from the air filter and left it off...but that turned out to be a damp dizzy that caused the no start...

i have the throttle body hose removed and the air filter is good.If i had the distributor turned not enough could that cause a weak spark and doesnt the rotor buttons suppose to be pointing at number one when everythings lined up?

 

[Mark_88]

i have the throttle body hose removed and the air filter is good.If i had the distributor turned not enough could that cause a weak spark and doesnt the rotor buttons suppose to be pointing at number one when everythings lined up?

If the rotor is not positioned properly then, yes, it will result in a weak or non-existent spark...that's why I mentioned previously to rotate the dizzy forward and backward a bit at a time to see if it catches...that advances/retards the timing enough sometimes that it works...I've had my engine not start in the place where it was always set, only to find that for some reason the dizzy needed to be moved about 10* counterclockwise...then it fired right up

Trial and error...it's your friend~

 

[86ranger4x4owner]

If the rotor is not positioned properly then, yes, it will result in a weak or non-existent spark...that's why I mentioned previously to rotate the dizzy forward and backward a bit at a time to see if it catches...that advances/retards the timing enough sometimes that it works...I've had my engine not start in the place where it was always set, only to find that for some reason the dizzy needed to be moved about 10* counterclockwise...then it fired right up

Trial and error...it's your friend~

so with it in time and the distributor buton at number one i still might need to the distributor counter-clockwise or clockwise?and is that with taking the distributor all the way out? of just turning it a little?

 

[Mark_88]

Just loosen the 11/16" bolt that holds the dizzy tight...then you can rotate it clockwise or counterclockwise a few degrees...if it starts, backfires, or even chuggles a bit then move it a bit more in the same direction...you can only rotate them about 150* in most cases...sometimes much less...but it should give you some difference in the firing if everything else is working...

And, btw, the timing can be tweaked with the dizzy on these systems...once you get it running you will notice the RPMs either rise or fall when you rotate it slightly...you're just fine tuning the timing...

 

[86ranger4x4owner]

Just loosen the 11/16" bolt that holds the dizzy tight...then you can rotate it clockwise or counterclockwise a few degrees...if it starts, backfires, or even chuggles a bit then move it a bit more in the same direction...you can only rotate them about 150* in most cases...sometimes much less...but it should give you some difference in the firing if everything else is working...

And, btw, the timing can be tweaked with the dizzy on these systems...once you get it running you will notice the RPMs either rise or fall when you rotate it slightly...you're just fine tuning the timing...

ok i rotated it but it still will not start up i guess i should rotate it a little and check the spark everytime i rotate it until i get a blue spark. But tell me if this is right.I lined the crankshaft up at tdc on the compression stroke and then the camshaf with the marks then the rotor button at the number one spark plug on the cap is this right?

 

[Mark_88]

ok i rotated it but it still will not start up i guess i should rotate it a little and check the spark everytime i rotate it until i get a blue spark. But tell me if this is right.I lined the crankshaft up at tdc on the compression stroke and then the camshaf with the marks then the rotor button at the number one spark plug on the cap is this right?

Hypothetically, yes, everything is set correctly...

The cam should be pointing towards the middle prong on the plastic marker...and with the rotor on the dizzy shaft the spark end should point to the #1 cylinder...

You will notice, with the cap off, that when you turn the dizzy the rotor does not move...and you can actually adjust that position by taking the dizzy out and turning the shaft slightly...but don't try that just yet...

I only mention this because I had mine pointing too far towards the back of the engine and there was little or no adjustment for it that way...yours should point about towards the driver side tire...or, essentially, straight out towards the fender at a 90* angle to the fender...if it's not then you may want to adjust it slightly...later...

 

[86ranger4x4owner]

Hypothetically, yes, everything is set correctly...

The cam should be pointing towards the middle prong on the plastic marker...and with the rotor on the dizzy shaft the spark end should point to the #1 cylinder...

You will notice, with the cap off, that when you turn the dizzy the rotor does not move...and you can actually adjust that position by taking the dizzy out and turning the shaft slightly...but don't try that just yet...

I only mention this because I had mine pointing too far towards the back of the engine and there was little or no adjustment for it that way...yours should point about towards the driver side tire...or, essentially, straight out towards the fender at a 90* angle to the fender...if it's not then you may want to adjust it slightly...later...

yea i know that you can finely adjust the dizzy by turning it a little.And since i took the hos off at the thottle body and my spark plugs are fuel of gas that should mean i am getting fuel and air correct?and i have compression in the motor.So its either something in the firing or a bad sensor right?and when i turn the igniton on i can hear the fuel pump so thats all good.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

You can allways put the timing light on #1 plug wire and crank on it while watching the timing marks. Have someone turn the key for you if you dont have a remote start button. Adjust the dizzy while your cranking it to see if you can see the marks. If not go to the next plug wire and do it again do that on all the plug wires until you can see the timing marks line up. Then use that post on the dizzy and put the #1 plug wire on it and set the firing order from there. If it starts you can keep it like that or you will need to spin the rotor by lifting the dizzy enough to spin the rotor so you can get #1 on the cap in line with #1 on the compression stroke.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

If you are doing alot of cranking you will want to charge the battery regularly low voltage will affect the spark and give you a no start condition (weak spark). Do a slow charge overnite for cranking amps and is easier on the battery. A fast charge is not good for the battery and when you start it with a weak battery it puts alot of strain on the charging system. Keep it charged between smackin your head on the bumper.

 

[86ranger4x4owner]

You can allways put the timing light on #1 plug wire and crank on it while watching the timing marks. Have someone turn the key for you if you dont have a remote start button. Adjust the dizzy while your cranking it to see if you can see the marks. If not go to the next plug wire and do it again do that on all the plug wires until you can see the timing marks line up. Then use that post on the dizzy and put the #1 plug wire on it and set the firing order from there. If it starts you can keep it like that or you will need to spin the rotor by lifting the dizzy enough to spin the rotor so you can get #1 on the cap in line with #1 on the compression stroke.

i have the rotor button on the number one just cant get a blue spark thinking about adjusting the dizzy a little.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

Does your battery have a full charge very important. How old are the plug wires if you don`t know change them so you do know. To check the coil and ignition module put A plug in the coil wire and set it on a good ground. Crank on it you should get a steady blue spark. To check just the coil turn the ignition on and take a jumper from coil neg to ground quick touches with the plug still in the coil wire you should get a crisp blue spark.