Ok So im a noob when it comes to bigger repairs(not gonna lie). And I just redid my head gasket. I used all the latest specs for torque settings ect ect. My problem is: I pulled out the distributor and have no idea what way it came out to set it in back staright. Also replaced the cap and rotor and think i may have moved the position of the rotor. How do I set it to firing position 1? And how do i find firing position 1? Lost my paper from where the wires all go(firing order ect). Car is a 1985 Buick Regal 5.0L Any help is appreciated as my car is a big paperweight until I get this figured out. Thanks so much in advance for any help/suggesions!
Chevy 305 (Edited: The Olds 307) is same firing order as Buick V-8s, 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 Remove spark plug #1 (plug on the right closest to the radiator as you face the engine). Plug the hole lightly with something. I use a small wad of paper towel (leave it large enough so it can't get sucked into the chamber), some people just use their thumb. Rotate the engine by tapping the ignition to turn the engine over slowly. When the plug flies out or you feel the air push your thumb, you know the piston is coming up on TDC stroke. I then use a socket on the crank/balancer bolt to manual rotate the engine so the line on the harmonic balancer lines up with the 0 degree mark on the timing tab. Your engine now has the #1 piston at TDC. Now you can drop your distributor in. First, if you look at the bottom of the distributor shaft, there is a flat blade. Look in the distributor hole, you will see a shaft with a slot. It is critical that the blade match that slot since that shaft turns the oil pump. This takes trial and error because as the distributor gear engages the cam gear, it will rotate slightly so you have the estimate the position of the shaft in relation to the slot when the distributor is fully seated. (After you do this a couple times, you'll be able to estimate the position pretty quickly since you will see how much the rotor turns as the distributor is seated) You'll know when it is properly engaged because the distributor will be fully seated. If it isn't, you'll see the collar on the distributor where the distributor hold down clamps down on raised up slightly about a quarter of an inch from the intake manifold. To line up the blade and slot you can position the blade before you drop it in and you can also move the slot using a large screw driver. After the distributor is in, when you put your cap on, the position of the rotor will be pointing to the #1 terminal on the cap. Then working ( Edited: counter-clockwise) the other positions are 8,4,3,6,5,7,2 for the spark plug wires. You will be able to rotate the distributor slightly, I usually rotate it so the rotor is positioned a little before the terminal to give a little advance ( the rotor won't move as you turn the distributor, so rotate the distributor base so that when the cap is on, the rotor is a little before that terminal on the cap.) Put the distributor clamp on loosely so that you will be able to turn it but it can't be pulled out. Time the engine using a timing light and tighten the distributor clamp. Hope that helps!
Thanks for the clarification Bammax...I shouldn't have assumed. You know what they say when you assume.... Stony, make sure you go counter clockwise!
I got everything done like u said and I'm just getting backfires. My mechanic told me I wouldn't need to time the motor cause I didn't change the timing belt and didn't go near it. He told me I could turn the distributor to time it In the motor. What am I doin wrong still?
Double check your timing, you need a timing light to do that. The timing chain is related to valve timing, you still need to set your spark timing. Turning the distributor will change the ignition (spark) timing. Try advancing the timing a small amount at a time by loosening the lock down clamp and turning your distributor and reclamping it so it can move. Since you are reverse rotation, to advance it you would turn it counter-clockwise. If it started and is back firing, since you've removed the intake to change the head gasket, make sure you don't have a vacuum leak somewhere either manifold to the heads, carb to manifold, or any other vacuum tubes you may have disconnected.
If you stab the distributor with the rotor pointed correctly, you have a 50/50 chance its right. Your on number 1 or 6, remember the crank goes round twice for every cam rotation. The wade was to tell you #1 compression. Sometimes it's confussing. I like to watch the intake valve for #1 (you can see it thru the filler cap), it opens then goes closed and both valve stay closed as the mark comes up then your on #1 compression stroke. Stab the distributor so that the rotor tab is pointing at the radiator cap or just inbound slightly. Put the cap back on and move the dist. slightly so that the rotor is facing #1 post. Use the long screw driver to put some lead on the oil pump rod slot. The dist. gear teeth have an angle so this rotates the shaft as it drops in place. If you get it engaged and don't like the cap door location then just pull and repeat until you get the lead just right.
I did get it running but very rough. I found my paper with the way the plug wires were on it before and its completely different than the stock firing order. But when i bought the car i was told the cams were changed and after a little research i found that the new cams can change the firing order. Im going to try again tomorrow to get it running correctly. I just need to figure out the vaccum lines too :S. I cant find the paper i wrote them down on. Because the car originally had a/c(now removed) there are some not used vaccum lines. And because the carb was changed to a holley i believe that changed the vaccum lines as well :S Man im in way over my head. :S
I hope you realize that the engine in your car is not a Buick engine. It also probably has emissions systems that may have been disconnected or bypassed. The 1980's Olds engines used Electronic Spark Timing in some years, so timing them is more complex. In addition, you CANNOT just bolt a Holley carburetor onto this engine, because it used a catalytic converter, oxygen sensor, and electronic feedback Q-jet carburetor. You are way over your head here. In addition, you are posting in the BUICK 400-430-455 RACE Forum. A better place for this would be in the "Bench". You will get more exposure and help there. The more information and pictures you can provide, the more help you may get.
Like it was said. The 80's Olds motors used the CCC system which means when the carb got swapped your timing is going to be wrong forever. You need to swap in an old style vacuum advance type distributor from an earlier Olds (or aftermarket) to be able to do the timing and make the car run to its full potential. There's actually a small computer that handles the carb richness and timing advance based on the O2 and temp sensors.
Sorry i didn't realize I even posted in the wrong spot. And there are alot of aftermarkets I've been told will mess the timing so far. When I bought the car it was running perfect besides the was gasket leak. As for aftermarket that's been added: Holley carb Hooker headers Edelbrock valve covers and air breather. When I bought the car he also told me there were comp cams installed but I haven't had the engine apart enough to confirm this with no receipts just the guys word. There is no catiletic converter installed it is straight piped right off the hooker headers. I will try and get some photos or a video uploaded to YouTube of what it is doing soon.
There is a vaccum advance on my distributor but the vaccum hose has never been hooked up as long as I've owned the car.
Is it the stock intake manifold, or an aftermarket intake? You cannot bolt a Holley Carburetor onto the stock intake without an adapter plate, unless the Holley is a spreadbore model.
OK, if the distributor has a vacuum advance, it has been replaced, and it also has a mechanical advance mechanism. What you need to do is put a timing light on it to see where the timing is. Can you do that? What type of distributor do you have, GM HEI? Power Time the engine to set the total advance. This thread will help a bit. http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=63475
Yes I can defiantly try. I will pick up a timing light today and start on it first thing tomorrow. And I'm not sure if it's gm hei...is there a way to tell?
