there should be a mark on the cam and sprocket to line up also and if 4 is TDC both valves are closed but on #1 only one will be closed. and visvera. but yes 1 an 4 will be TDC but you need to make sure the cam is right for that cylinder if you get what i mean... if i was at the shop i would show you but my back is out and i am at home... maybe this will help
800xl wrote:
Compression test is what I was thinking too. That will also tell you if the timing chain is not in the right position.
It sounds like you *might* have it 180 degree out. My 80 was like that when I got it, and no amount of turning the distributor even clear around got it to start. Once I confirmed it was indeed 180 off, I swapped the plug wires around and it fired right up. You just swap them with the wire directly across, so 1 for 4 and 2 for 3. Point the distributor so the advance is pointing directly back and then a little bit toward the engine block. That should get you timing that is in the right neighborhood.
I did a post a while back that walked through the steps to check alignment of the cam, crank, and distributor gear, here is the basic steps from it:
To check for misaligned disti drive gear:
Remove valve cover
Turn the motor so the timing mark on the crank pulley is at 0 degrees
Check the valves to see which are fully closed (rocker should have a little slack)
You want #4 both valves closed, #2 exhaust and #3 intake closed to put the #4 cylinder in firing position. There is also a mark on the camshaft gear and on the rocker bracket right behind it, they should line up I believe, but as long as the valves are closed on #4 (not #1) and the mark on the gear is straight up and down it is right.
Pull the disti and look down the hole. (You can pull the cap and look what wire the rotor points at, but pulling the works you can be more precise)
The slot in the gear at the bottom should be straight up and down, and it will be offset toward the front. If its offset toward the back or not straight up and down then you know its in there wrong. Find a way to line up the rotor with the #4 wire on the cap and you can work around it.
Bigbub wrote:
Cam timing is set with #4 on compression stroke.
At this point the line on the cam is pointing up. Its located on the front bushing, not the timing gear. What I used to do is, with the head off, turn the crankshaft to TDC. Take off the distributor cap and see if the rotor is pointing to #4. If it is not--rotate crankshaft one more revolution to TDC. With the head back on in this position both rockers on #4 will be a bit loose (rattle with some play in them, valves closed). At the same time #1 will have play in one rocker (intake valve) and no play in exhaust valve rocker as the valve is pushed open. At the next crankshaft revolution the process is reversed.
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