Get #1 cyl drivers side front to compression stroke. Thumb over spark plug hole when turning. Set timing marks aligned on balancer and timing cover to zero. Install dist so that blade of rotor points to the Terminal in dist cap that goes to #1 cylinder. It's tricky to set dist all the way down it has to line up with gear on cam and the oil pump as well. Point it to #1 If it doesn't go all the way down rotate engine slowly till it does. Sounds like to don't have dist in correct position on #1 compression stroke. If you still have trouble come back someone will help you. A lot of good people here. Good Luck Ernie.

 

You can also put #1 at TDC with the valve covers off, with #1 at TDC when the rocker arms aren't moving. Then check the rotor in the distributor. It must be pointed at the terminal for the plug wire for #1.

 

Get #1 cyl drivers side front to compression stroke. Thumb over spark plug hole when turning. Set timing marks aligned on balancer and timing cover to zero. Install dist so that blade of rotor points to the Terminal in dist cap that goes to #1 cylinder. It's tricky to set dist all the way down it has to line up with gear on cam and the oil pump as well. Point it to #1 If it doesn't go all the way down rotate engine slowly till it does. Sounds like to don't have dist in correct position on #1 compression stroke. If you still have trouble come back someone will help you. A lot of good people here. Good Luck Ernie.

Ok. Going to try it that way. Also there are two timing lines on the cam. I am assuming I am on the correct line because it should not be possible to find TDC with the wrong line lined up right? Would this be correct? Or should I try the other line? The distributor was pointing to #1. after I cranked engine one full revolution putting me at the #4 cylinder firing position the distributor was then pointing to #4. I borrowed an old compression tester. The kind you have to hold in place to read. I took three readings each Cylinder. Cylinder #1 was 65,70,65 // cylinder #2 was 60,65,65 // cylinder #3 was 30,35,30 // cylinder #4 was 35,50,35. // cylinder #5 was 65,60,65 // and cylinder #6 was 60,55,65. What do these numbers mean?

Get #1 cyl drivers side front to compression stroke. Thumb over spark plug hole when turning. Set timing marks aligned on balancer and timing cover to zero. Install dist so that blade of rotor points to the Terminal in dist cap that goes to #1 cylinder. It's tricky to set dist all the way down it has to line up with gear on cam and the oil pump as well. Point it to #1 If it doesn't go all the way down rotate engine slowly till it does. Sounds like to don't have dist in correct position on #1 compression stroke. If you still have trouble come back someone will help you. A lot of good people here. Good Luck Ernie.

The distributor was pointing at #1. However after I had turned the engine one full revolution putting me at the #4 cylinder firing position I noticed the distributor was then pointing towards the #4. It did sit all way down and cap was easy to line up for once. Also there are two timing lines on the cam. Assuming that it probably wouldn't be possible to find TDC with the wrong line lined up. Would this be correct? Or should I try the other line? As of now when my timing line is lined up with the wide box arrow , the extra line is roughly about the 4 "0"clock position. If I were to use the other line then the extra line would be at about 8 "0"clock position. I borrowed an old dial type compression tester. The kind you have to have someone hold in place to read. I took three readings per cylinder. Cylinder #1 was 65,70,70 // cylinder#2 was 65,60,65 // cylinder #3 was 35,50,35 // cylinder #4 was 30,35,30 // cylinder #5 was 60,65,65 // cylinder #6 was 65,60,60. What do these numbers mean? NOTE: I had all sparkplugs out while doing compression. Is this ok? Or should I have only removed plug from the cylinder I was testing?

 

Ok. Going to try it that way. Also there are two timing lines on the cam. I am assuming I am on the correct line because it should not be possible to find TDC with the wrong line lined up right? Would this be correct? Or should I try the other line? The distributor was pointing to #1. after I cranked engine one full revolution putting me at the #4 cylinder firing position the distributor was then pointing to #4. I borrowed an old compression tester. The kind you have to hold in place to read. I took three readings each Cylinder. Cylinder #1 was 65,70,65 // cylinder #2 was 60,65,65 // cylinder #3 was 30,35,30 // cylinder #4 was 35,50,35. // cylinder #5 was 65,60,65 // and cylinder #6 was 60,55,65. What do these numbers mean?


The distributor was pointing at #1. However after I had turned the engine one full revolution putting me at the #4 cylinder firing position I noticed the distributor was then pointing towards the #4. It did sit all way down and cap was easy to line up for once. Also there are two timing lines on the cam. Assuming that it probably wouldn't be possible to find TDC with the wrong line lined up. Would this be correct? Or should I try the other line? As of now when my timing line is lined up with the wide box arrow , the extra line is roughly about the 4 "0"clock position. If I were to use the other line then the extra line would be at about 8 "0"clock position. I borrowed an old dial type compression tester. The kind you have to have someone hold in place to read. I took three readings per cylinder. Cylinder #1 was 65,70,70 // cylinder#2 was 65,60,65 // cylinder #3 was 35,50,35 // cylinder #4 was 30,35,30 // cylinder #5 was 60,65,65 // cylinder #6 was 65,60,60. What do these numbers mean? NOTE: I had all sparkplugs out while doing compression. Is this ok? Or should I have only removed plug from the cylinder I was testing?

I'm not sure what lines on the cam you are referring to. Do you mean the line on the harmonic balancer. Or are you referring to dots on the cam or crank sprockets. Those compression numbers are very low. Could mean in correct cam timing or rocker adjustment too tight keeping valves from seating. Those are just 2 possibilities. Kind of hard to follow what you are saying sorry. Ernie.

 

Yes, the cam is internal to the engine, the cam to crank timing is set with the sprokets and timing chain, which you didn' t remove for just doing head gaskets.
Set the valves on the base circle, meaning on the compression stroke, both rockers up. So, loosen the rockers bring "x" cylinder up on the compression stroke and tighten to darn near no lash then 1/2 turn more. I do this by wiggling the push rod up and down until the lash is nearly nil, then tighten from there. When doing a compression check, remove all the spark plugs and remove the throttle body injector connectors, or pull the appropriate fuse. Hold the throttle plates wide open (you can do this with a block of wood holding the throttle pedal to the floor) and crank the engine to test each cylinder for compression with your test gauge. If you are reading 50 to 60psi, those are not good compression readings. Are you sure your compression gauge is reading correctly? I just read a couple threads over at the S10 group and they are getting 150-220 depending on the engine.
Once you get it all buttoned up, and ready to fire, you will need a helper to crank the engine while you rotate the dizzy if need be to start the engine. This is fairly normal way to get the engine fired the first time when the timing is slightly off. You won't be turning the dizzy that much maybe an 1/8th turn either direction and it should fire off. Then after you get it running you can put a timing light on it and dial it right in. Your dizzy should be a computer controlled unit that requires a different way to set base timing when the engine is running.
"Unplug timing connector to prevent the computer from changing the timing while you are adjusting it. The timing connector is a single wire connector containing a tan wire with a black stripe and is located taped to the outside of the main wiring harness on the firewall or behind the front carpet on the passenger-side floorboard of the vehicle."

Keith

 

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Yes, the cam is internal to the engine, the cam to crank timing is set with the sprokets and timing chain, which you didn' t remove for just doing head gaskets.
Set the valves on the base circle, meaning on the compression stroke, both rockers up. So, loosen the rockers bring "x" cylinder up on the compression stroke and tighten to darn near no lash then 1/2 turn more. I do this by wiggling the push rod up and down until the lash is nearly nil, then tighten from there. When doing a compression check, remove all the spark plugs and remove the throttle body injector connectors, or pull the appropriate fuse. Hold the throttle plates wide open (you can do this with a block of wood holding the throttle pedal to the floor) and crank the engine to test each cylinder for compression with your test gauge. If you are reading 50 to 60psi, those are not good compression readings. Are you sure your compression gauge is reading correctly? I just read a couple threads over at the S10 group and they are getting 150-220 depending on the engine.
Once you get it all buttoned up, and ready to fire, you will need a helper to crank the engine while you rotate the dizzy if need be to start the engine. This is fairly normal way to get the engine fired the first time when the timing is slightly off. You won't be turning the dizzy that much maybe an 1/8th turn either direction and it should fire off. Then after you get it running you can put a timing light on it and dial it right in. Your dizzy should be a computer controlled unit that requires a different way to set base timing when the engine is running.
"Unplug timing connector to prevent the computer from changing the timing while you are adjusting it. The timing connector is a single wire connector containing a tan wire with a black stripe and is located taped to the outside of the main wiring harness on the firewall or behind the front carpet on the passenger-side floorboard of the vehicle."

Keith

Yes I have located the tan wire with the stripe behind carpet on passenger side floor. I have had this unplugged for about a week. I unplugged it before I readjusted rockers. Hopefully that is ok, or should I have waited until right before adjusting distributor? Also I jumped the "A" and "B" terminals located in that 12 terminal plug located under the steering wheel in attempt to retrieve diagnostic engine codes. I get 12 repeatedly. Thought I could clear this code somehow: I've disconnected positive on battery // tried disconnecting negative on battery // turned key to on position up to 20 times repeatedly // disconnected both sides of battery // pulled out every fuse and replaced it one at a time // whats odd is when the diagnostic is jumpered there is a sensor/ or whatever the thing is that sits near the TBI body (plastic cylinder shaped thing) it clicks the entire time the jumper wire is in place. Also the alternator makes a humming sound. Is this nornal? How can I remove the code 12?

Yes, the cam is internal to the engine, the cam to crank timing is set with the sprokets and timing chain, which you didn' t remove for just doing head gaskets.
Set the valves on the base circle, meaning on the compression stroke, both rockers up. So, loosen the rockers bring "x" cylinder up on the compression stroke and tighten to darn near no lash then 1/2 turn more. I do this by wiggling the push rod up and down until the lash is nearly nil, then tighten from there. When doing a compression check, remove all the spark plugs and remove the throttle body injector connectors, or pull the appropriate fuse. Hold the throttle plates wide open (you can do this with a block of wood holding the throttle pedal to the floor) and crank the engine to test each cylinder for compression with your test gauge. If you are reading 50 to 60psi, those are not good compression readings. Are you sure your compression gauge is reading correctly? I just read a couple threads over at the S10 group and they are getting 150-220 depending on the engine.
Once you get it all buttoned up, and ready to fire, you will need a helper to crank the engine while you rotate the dizzy if need be to start the engine. This is fairly normal way to get the engine fired the first time when the timing is slightly off. You won't be turning the dizzy that much maybe an 1/8th turn either direction and it should fire off. Then after you get it running you can put a timing light on it and dial it right in. Your dizzy should be a computer controlled unit that requires a different way to set base timing when the engine is running.
"Unplug timing connector to prevent the computer from changing the timing while you are adjusting it. The timing connector is a single wire connector containing a tan wire with a black stripe and is located taped to the outside of the main wiring harness on the firewall or behind the front carpet on the passenger-side floorboard of the vehicle."

Keith

I wrote down everything you mentioned. I am going out to try this now. Thank You for your help! I have been so stuck! I almost thought about letting it burn next time it catches fire and redefining it's purpose into scrap metal. But then I would still be so stranded!

 

I am a female & engine work is more for males.

Allow me to disagree. There are just as many men here asking similar questions. Engine work is for people. Welcome aboard.

 

Thank You!