1982 210(B310) Wagon Timing Nightmare

[strutwagon]

Greetings Ya'll!

 

Reaching out to all the Datsun wizards here!  So six or seven months ago, my 82 wagon (A15) was stalling out randomly, losing power and acceleration.  After digging around, I came to find out that the magnetic assembly within the electronic distributor was broken into three pieces!  Go figure.  Now, it has always had a very high idle, I had just accepted that as most of the work I had done on her at this point was structural (aka steering and suspension) and I rebuilt the hitachi carb two or three times.  I had never messed with the timing.  Well, i was prepared to tear apart the distributor and rebuild it, i bought a new pickup and reluctor, new rotor and cap, new wires, new plugs; but i dare you to try and find either a reluctor roll pin or the magnetic assembly itself (the thin dainty ferrous magnetic ring the sits underneath the pickup)!  I couldnt even find a new distributor as a whole part.  So i had to settle with a rebuild service from A1-Cardone.  Biggest mistake I have made so far in working on any Datsun I own.  I paid about 150.00 for the service and sent out the distributor.  A month later I finally got it back with the fixing plate inverted (the timing marks facing the engine block!).  No good.  After talking with a Cardone rep (who lied to me and stated that they would reimburse my shipping costs) I sent it away again and month later I got it back in the exact same condition, ie- the fixing plate inverted.  Called Cardone, and they told me that their techs "had no frame of reference" for the fixing plate because it was so old and most modern distributors have the fixing plate integrated into the body.  I politely explained to them that they were mentally deficient (just kidding) and I sent it back with their promise to get things squared away.  A month later I received it and the fixing plate was finally installed correctly.  BUT, the electronic ignition module that i was instructed to send with it had both terminals bent, one at nearly 45 degrees, the body had score marks all over it, like someone tapped a flathead screwdriver into it randomly.  After talking to Cardone over a period of 2 weeks, they agreed to send me a new ignition module, as well as a new distributor.  After receiving the new distributor and IM I was so excited to finally get her back on the road.  At first glance all looked good, but the vacuum advance was different with the pipes coming off of it toward the engine block and would not fit.  So i had to take out the vacuum advance and switch it with the old one.  Ok, whatever right?  Starting from scratch with the timing I find compression stroke on #1 and turn the flywheel to TDC, drop the distributor down in and...she runs like crap, backfire through the carb and major stutter.  Remember, I've never done anything with the timing before.  So I correct my wire placement 1-3-2-4 and try again...better.  Take her out for a short run and she idles good, but dies out if I press the gas.  She has sat for a while now and its humid where i live so I put a pint of 91% isopropyl alcohol in the tank.  Much better.  Take her out and the same problem, just not as bad.  Used a goodly amount of carb cleaner and it helped too.  Now the problem was that we simply could not get her to go past 40mph.  WTH?   Inspected everything really closely and I notice that the lever pin on the carb accelerator pump has disappeared!!  I dont have any spares so i flange a pin for a makeshift lever and i think "that has got to be the problem!  When I have been depressing the accelerator pedal, its just flooding the carb!  Nope.  Same problem of low power and minimal top speed.  Pulling my hair out, I take out the "new" distributor and put in the old one.  Problem solved!  We can now get good acceleration and speed.  But it still stutters and falters.  then it started to randomly die while driving.  the bent teeth on the IM seemed to be the cause of that problem because when i switched out to the "new" IM Cardone sent, that problem went away.  In my copious research I had come across someone who had said that they had similar problems after switching the two wires to the IM from the dist.  Out of curiousity I put in the "old" IM and switched the red and green wires and by golly, the idle was a sweet 650.  But it died out while idling, and i assumed this was because of the terminals.  Put the "new" IM back in and switched the wires and the car would not even start!  Switched them back and it starts and runs but the idle is ungodly high (1000-1200).  I just have no idea what that means or what to do about it.  I felt all i could do was recheck the timing.  Set the flywheel to 8 degrees BTDC and I drop the distributor down in and upon close inspection i notice that I cannot seem to get the reluctor and pickup teeth to line up when the rotor is at #1.  the reluctor teeth are about an 1/8 in past(moving counter-clockwise) the pickup teeth.  they only line up when i move the flywheel to about 25 degrees BTDC!  and then the rotor is slightly off dead center to the #1 cylinder.  The car is running but still stutters under acceleration.  I am at a total loss as to what to do or where to start looking.  I did buy a timing kit for it, but before I tear her open (i dont have a workshop, I work outside in the sand) I would like to have a better idea that I NEED to.  If you made it through this post, I appreciate it.  Any help, insight, education or advise is GREATLY appreciated!!! 

 

 

ps  what is the ulr for posting pics?  i took some and thought it might help. 

 

Thanks again, strutwagon