Hey everyone. I have been trying to time my stock 2.8 for the past couple of weeks. I have looked on this fourm and have done the timing accordingly, but every time I put the engine in diagnostic mode, then let it warm up and try to time it, the engine dies when I turn the distributer to line up the mark on the harmonic dampener and engine (I can't even see the timing mark, I have to look under the car with the timing light and then I could see the timing mark) I have done this several times. So today I tried timing it again but this time used the ignition coil wire to time it and when I did that I can see the timing mark and line it up to the timing tab at 10*. But the engine still runs bad. So I decided to check for any slop with my timing chain and came up with 10* of play in the timing chain. So does this mean I need a new chain or am I missing something? I know I am doing the timing procedure right, my valves are adjusted right, the compression test came out good and I put a new fiero dampener on the crank. So any advice would be appreciated

Thanks
Josh

some balancers have multiple groves (timeing marks in it) take the number one spark plug out.. get to top dead center and mark the balancer... it should be exactly on one of the groves.. get a rock..or something white to mark it..

I agree, you need to verify where TDC is on the damper even if you did replace it.
Pull the plug, put your finger over the hole to make sure your on the comrpression stroke and then feel the top of the piston with a wire etc until you know your at TDC.

Don't worry about the slop in the chain, I've seem them run with more than that.

You say the valves are adjusted right, does that mean the engine has been worked on? Has the cam and chain been touched?
If so you sure it was installed and timed right?

I did mark the widest grove with paint, I do get it to tdc on compression stroke for cyl 1 and I set the distributor to spark plug one, but then when I try to start it it wont start. So I have to move around the distributor until I get it to start and then I try to time it. I set the valves myself and I am not sure what other work has been done to the engine. Could it be an ecm problem or maybe a fuel problem. I havent done a fuel pressure test yet.

Thanks
Josh

[This message has been edited by fieroeater (edited 11-06-2007).]

It won't run very well in diagnostic mode since the advance has been taken out. How does it run after being timed properly and the car taken out of diagnostic mode?

Well I only took it out of diagnostic mode once and that was when I timed it using the coil wire. And it ran really rough and missed. But what I dont get is when I use spark plug wire 1 or 4 the timing mark is about at 3 o'clock and I am not able to time it because when I rotate the distributor to line up the mark with the timing tab on the engine, the engine dies before I can get the timing mark to line up, but when I use the coil wire the timing mark is right on the timing tab and im able to time it using the coil wire, but then the engine doesnt run well when I take it out of diagnostic mode. Does that mean anything?

Thanks
Josh

I would guess your spark plug wires may be on the wrong plugs.

the outer ring may have slipped on the HMB, and at that point you are just beating your head against the wall.

maybe i didn't see it in your other posts, but is your timing tab closer the the rear of the car or towards the front?

To clear somethings up. In my last post I said the timing mark appears at 3 o'clock when I use spark plug wire 1 or 4. The reason being is the car wont start when I set the engine to tdc on compression stroke for cyl 1 and set the rotor to spark plug wire 1( and I do have the car in diangnostic mode) .Therefore I have to rotate the distributor some to get the car to start. Thanks for the diagram but I have checked and rechecked the wires and they are right (thats why this thing is driving me crazy). Also I replaced my harmonic damper with another good one off of another v6 fiero, because my old one did slip. The timing tab is closer to the rear, facing the trunk. Thanks for all the help.

Josh

Could the timing chain have jumped a tooth?

It could of jumped a tooth. What would that mean if it did. Would the engine still be usable or not. And would there be any way to tell if it did.

Ok, u bring it to top dead center on the compression stroke. You set your dist. to where the rotor button points at number one on the cap. You try to start it and have to turn the dist. to get it to hit. All that's normal. You said you have the wires correct. Pull the dist and check the gear on the dist to see if it's loose or sheared the roll pin. Check the pickup coil inside the dist to see if it's still stationary and not broken the tab that holds it still. Then check your plugs to make sure you haven't gas fouled them from all the cranking.

he could be 180 out too... to check that.. pull the tie down off remove the cap and pull the dist up just enought to turn the rotor.. to point in the opposite direction you started with..

To verify that the harmonic dampener's outer ring hasn't slip, take an old plug and break out the ceramic and the tip. Epoxy a wooden dowl into the hole such that it sticks out around one inch or so. Use hardwood, 1/4". Screw it into the #1 cylinder and rotate the crank until it stops, use a wrench with all the other plugs out. Mark the dampener at the 0° of the timing tab. Rotate the engine the opposite direction until it stops again, then mark the dampener at the 0° of the timing tab. The midpoint between those two marks is the true TDC of #1, and it should land exactly on the wide groove in the outer ring of the dampener.

JazzMan

[This message has been edited by JazzMan (edited 11-07-2007).]

Jazzman discribed the method I use to check my dampers are right, it takes the guess work out of it..

Also when you said that with the light on plug 1 or 4 the mark is at the 3 oclock position, that sounds like the damper might be from a 3.4 since that is where the mark would be if you put on on a 2.8.

Thanks for everyones input. I will go check everything you guys suggested again and then I will update you guys on how it goes.

Thanks
Josh

UPDATE: Hey everyone, I just wanted to let everyone know that I finally got my car timed and got it to pass emmissions with flying colors. The problem I had was the harmonic dampener I got off of the other v6 fiero was the wrong one and had the timing marks in the wrong position. So I had to find tdc and remark the dampener. I also wanted to say thanks for everyones replies(a +), you guys put another fiero on the road.

Thanks again,
Josh

And to you for bringing finality to the topic (some don't), I learned from all of ya.

Norm

[This message has been edited by gt88norm (edited 11-13-2007).]

This is another reason, once I get the car running, I prefer to set the timing by 'ear'. I never rely on printed specs to get the best running engine. Ive got a timing light I havent used in prob 30 years.