bweaver Posted January 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 the wires coming from the coils themselves. i unplugged both of them, then took one of the coil wires and plugged it into the intake hole on the distributor, then tested the spark, and still nothing. then i swapped wires. and still no spark on the intake side Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted January 30, 2019 Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 This would indicate there is something wrong with the distributor cap or rotor.. When set at TDC the rotor should be pointing to 9 and 4 like this... #1 Int. is at 9 and #1 Ex is at 4 Quote Link to comment
bweaver Posted January 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 my rotor is set at 9, and 4. i just aligned it today, i just replaced the cap also today. i also just re adjusted my timing. i was about 4 teeth off on the cam gear.lets just say IF i have the timing correct on both parts rotor and cam. can it be anything else other then the distributor?? Quote Link to comment
bweaver Posted January 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 also, even if one side wasn't getting any spark, shouldn't it still run?? Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted January 30, 2019 Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 Well both coils send spark to the distributor but no combination get spark through to the intake side. That would indicate that the cap or the rotor is stopping it.. It should run though poorly as the timing will be too retarded with one plug. Try turning the distributor slightly clockwise to advance it. Quote Link to comment
bweaver Posted January 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 i have the distributor fully advanced at the moment. that is the only way it will remotely run. it runs TERRIBLE but it only does that when fully advanced. Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted January 30, 2019 Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 I do not know a lot about the napZ engine, but he says he lost the tensioner, how he got it back in and got the cam timed correctly without knowing about TDC would be a mystery too me. When I replaced a headgasket on an L20b for the first time I got mixed up and had the cam timed wrong, it started but ran bad and it would rev slowly, this sounds like the same thing to me, this has to be done over from the start, the proper TDC needs to be found, and the cam needs to be timed properly, and then the distributor needs to be set up properly also, the cam is likely off 2 or more teeth, the distributor is likely alright if he never removed the oil pump, I also wonder if valves could have hit a pistons, that it runs at all at this point is a miracle. Start over at the beginning, TDC, cam, distributor, and you have to know it is right, not think it is right. We all make mistakes and assume things, I have made plenty of mistakes, this is how we learn, I had all my L blocks cams off a tooth for years assuming things, then Mike posted one of them photos of a cam timed correctly and i looked at the block I had set up right next to this computer and it was wrong, I looked at another one on a test stand I have, it was wrong, I checked the 520 engine I had just did a head change on, it was wrong, then I checked the work truck that I had been driving for years the way it was, it was wrong, the 2 drivers had more power once the cam was timed properly, but unfortunately the work truck has had an issue since that day, I have to have the timing set at 0 degrees BTDC to keep it from knocking now, the only reason I thought it was alright before with the cam timed wrong was because it still had more torque and power than the L20b that it replaced, oh and it did not knock timed at 6 degrees BTDC. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted January 30, 2019 Report Share Posted January 30, 2019 10 hours ago, bweaver said: i have the distributor fully advanced at the moment. that is the only way it will remotely run. it runs TERRIBLE but it only does that when fully advanced. The only thing that matters is that you set the timing to 3 degrees and both side plugs are working.. Can you get 3 degrees? Fully advanced means very little. Quote Link to comment
bweaver Posted January 31, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2019 I’m not sure. I can’t find the timing marks anywhere, and I did start over, and put it on TDC. And my cam was off quite a bit. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted February 1, 2019 Report Share Posted February 1, 2019 Well how did you determine TDC???? Quote Link to comment
bweaver Posted February 1, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2019 Pulled the plugs and watched the piston come all the way up then start to come back down, the yearned it back. Valve timing is perfect. Brand new fuses. Brand new distributor. Still am not getting power to the intake side of the block. do you guys have any ideas On what it might be. Maybe an electrical problem? Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted February 1, 2019 Report Share Posted February 1, 2019 There is a ground near the intake manifold that goes to the inner fender I believe, if that wire is not grounded anymore because you forgot to put it back when removing the head for a head gasket change, one of the coils will not work, it should still run though. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted February 1, 2019 Report Share Posted February 1, 2019 I can't see that wayno. The distributor ground is the engine with the battery ground on the intake. Both coils are grounded to the same place. Both coils get their power from the same place. A fusible link to the ignition switch to the intake coil, although the exhaust coil is fed through the #1 fuse for some reason. Grounding the body or not will have no effect. Quote Link to comment
bweaver Posted February 1, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2019 i checked both the coils though, i stuck a screwdriver in the distributor where the coil goes and stuck the coil wire real close to the metal part of the screwdriver, then cranked it over, and the electricity was arcing, and it backfired out the carburetor, i did that for both with the same results. Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted February 1, 2019 Report Share Posted February 1, 2019 Well it is in the 1985 version, I just assumed 1983 on would be close to the same, maybe not. I know this because I put a 1970 Datsun 521 cab onto an 85 frame/chassis and I used the 85 wiring harness, I just could not figure out why both coils were not working, when I found that wire hanging in the air and I touched touched it to a brake line(bare) the engine all of a sudden ran smooth, as I recall that ground wire is part of the bundle of wires going to the carb/intake manifold, it is in that area. It doesn't matter as he has power to both the coils as he posted that point before I finished this post. I am back to starting over from the beginning, TDC, cam, distributor, if it was an L block this would be easier to deal with. Just for my information, when at TDC, at what spark plug post is the rotor pointed at? If it keeps backfiring out the carb, that sounds like the distributor is timed wrong, when it back fires out the exhaust does it have a hollow sound? If it sounds hollow something is not timed properly, the distributor or cam are timed wrong. Quote Link to comment
bweaver Posted February 1, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2019 I do need to fix the timing on the distributor. But right now at tdc the contact is pointing to the from of the engine, when standing by the driver fender Quote Link to comment
wayno Posted February 1, 2019 Report Share Posted February 1, 2019 I do not know where the number one plug wires are in a napZ engine, what you should see is when the engine is at TDC the rotor inside the distributor should be pointed right at the spark plug wires going to number one cylinder on the distributor cap, if it is pointed anywhere else other than the number one spark plug wires it is not going to run properly if it will even run at all. Also the cam has to be timed properly. Quote Link to comment
bweaver Posted February 1, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2019 Okay I’ll try that. Also my cam is timed properly, but at TDC the rotor dosent align with the #1 cylinder, or so I think. But I’m still stumped on the whole no spark on one side of the engine Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted February 1, 2019 Report Share Posted February 1, 2019 Set TDC by your method and then clean the crank pulley at the timing scale I posted. There should be a very small notch in the rim. It's small and may be rust or oil covered. Unlike the L series, there is no thrust washer on the cam with a mark to align the cam to. So here's what I do... Set accurately to TDC. It's imperative that the crank be only turned in a clockwise direction up to TDC. If you over shoot the mark you must back up well before and try again. You MUST NOT back the cam up to TDC in a counter clockwise direction, as this will introduce slack to the cam chain and give a terribly wrong timing reading. Look through the cam sprocket hole, use a flash light. The bottom back side of the sprocket will have a V or U shaped notch. It's blurry in this picture Look up just above it between the two rocker arm towers. There's a small barely seen vertical ridge in the casting... Now look at the first picture.... you'll see that the U notch is under or just slightly to the right of the vertical mark. Cam is in time. If not and it's to the left, the chain must be wedged to hold the tensioner, the cam sprocket removed and the cam dowel moved to a different hole. More on that later... see what you get. Quote Link to comment
bweaver Posted February 2, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2019 Do you guys know how to time a distributor? I bought a new rotor for my distributor today, and installed it. I’m now getting spark to the intake side of the engine. I double/triple/quadruple checked the cam timing and I’m good. But the only way to get the dang thing to run is I have to take the cap off the distributor and twist is further then the thing will let me advance it. In other words I have to hold the cap way more advanced then the bracket will allow me to turn it. 1 Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted February 2, 2019 Report Share Posted February 2, 2019 On 1/28/2019 at 6:31 PM, datzenmike said: The distributor turns once for every two turns of the crankshaft so there will be two TCD positions. For ignition purposes you want the TDC on the compression stroke. Align the small notch on the pulley with the O (zero) on the timing scale below the alternator. This thing... Now take the distributor cap off. The rotor should be pointing towards the rad at about 9 o'clock. (as viewed from the driver's fender) If not, you are on the exhaust stroke TDC so turn the engine over ONE turn and line up the notch and the zero point, the rotor should now be pointing forward. You are now at TDC on the #1 compression stroke. If you can't get the rotor to point at the 9 o'clock position, loosen and remove the two 10mm bolts that hold the distributor pedestal base to the timing cover and lift the distributor up and out of the hole. This will not disturb your ignition timing. What you should see is this... Note that there is a large and small side half moon. If it is not in this position the oil pump may have to be removed and the drive spindle re positioned to show the above. Well we're back to the above post. Set TDC exactly and look in the distributor hole. Quote Link to comment
DIY 1985 Posted February 2, 2019 Report Share Posted February 2, 2019 What about timing the oil pump on the cam? Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted February 2, 2019 Report Share Posted February 2, 2019 Keep in mind that the oil pump/distributor has no connection to the cam. Both are driven separately from the crankshaft. Adjusting one does not affect the other. If the picture above is different from what you have, then yes, the oil pump/distributor drive spindle will need to be 'clocked' to re-position the distributor correctly. Set to TDC as accurately as possible. Remove the distributor keeping the base pedestal on the distributor. Have a few rags ready to catch the oil drips. Unbolt the oil pump 2 long and 2 short 12mm bolts. Wiggle and pull down and the oil pump drops right out. There is a very thin waxy paper gasket that usually survives this but if torn must be replaced. Almost always the drive spindle will drop out too so be ready. The drive spindle is turned by a worm gear on the crankshaft. Place the bottom of the spindle into the oil pump and align marks in them it like this... Slide the spindle up into place so that you have the 11:28 positioning as in the picture above. Don't forget that there is a large and small side half moon so the distributor can only go in one way. You may have to trial and error till you get this. Once aligned, bolt pump and distributor in place. 1 Quote Link to comment
bweaver Posted February 2, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2019 why does my truck only run start when my distributor is fully advanced. do you know why that is? Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted February 2, 2019 Report Share Posted February 2, 2019 Are you going to check the distributor position or just talk about it? OK............ the drive spindle is likely put in with it out a tooth in the clockwise position, perhaps 11:35 or so, so the distributor must be turned all the way to the right side to get it close to correct. Moving the spindle back into the correct position will place the distributor correctly and the adjustment range will be more in the middle now. This is simple and you only need a 10mm and 12mm wrench to fix Quote Link to comment
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