[QUOTE=azzurribaggio;2042185]Ok, adjusted the distributor counter-clockwise as you said, the top bolt is just covering the hole on the left side. But it’s still just cranking and not starting.
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a lil farther man. move it like 1mm to left. u can even move it more to help it start. once it starts then u go ahead n move it to 1mm of that position right there.
I’m pretty sure I tried that as well to where there was a gap on the left side still nothing. If I sanded the rotor & cap contacts points too much will any of this adjusting help at all?
My next step is to get a replacement cap since that’s the easiest one to replace just to get the car started. Then I’ll deal with the rotor and that fukin almost stripped screw this weekend.
Else I’ll just have to get it towed to the garage around the corner, what a clusterfuk this was.
here’s a pic of the tool.
but for u to have sanded the points down u’d have to sand it for a while. all u have to do is scratch it up enough to make it look like new. take a pic of ur rotor. i highly doubt u sanded it like a freak and stuff to where there isn’t anymore contact metal left.
and don’t just replace the cap, replace the cap n rotor if it really needs it. but by seeing the screw for the rotor, replace that for sure.
and i mean keep moving it counter clockwise to where there u are overlapping the whole on the left side. if there is a gap showing on the left that means its kinda retarded.
[QUOTE=Squeezethis;2042205]here’s a pic of the tool.
but for u to have sanded the points down u’d have to sand it for a while. all u have to do is scratch it up enough to make it look like new. take a pic of ur rotor. i highly doubt u sanded it like a freak and stuff to where there isn’t anymore contact metal left.
and don’t just replace the cap, replace the cap n rotor if it really needs it. but by seeing the screw for the rotor, replace that for sure.
and i mean keep moving it counter clockwise to where there u are overlapping the whole on the left side. if there is a gap showing on the left that means its kinda retarded.[/QUOTE]
No dice bro I moved it counter-clockwise to the point where there is a big gap on the left side. Same thing.
So I’ll purchase a cap & rotor tomorrow from Acura and see if replacing the cap starts this fuker up. I just want it to start! Then I’ll tackle the rotor screw.
I mean the only thing I did was remove the distributor, sand down the flat part of the points inside the cap, and the face of the rotor.
Funny thing about this entire adventure is that I haven’t even gotten to inspect the ignition coil for cracks!!! :bawl:
Worse case scenario is I take the distributor to the shop around the corner and see if they can check it out, or I tow the entire car over there…
I know for a FACT that you can put the distributor back on with the rotor being 180 degrees out from where it came out. I’ve done it… A few times… Not proud of that… hah but its true. Pull your distributor, rotate the rotor 180 degrees and put it back it. It can’t hurt to try it. When I did it, and then changed it around, my car fired right up… and I commenced to feel like an ass because I believed the same thing about it being keyed. 
well the keyed part on the distributor that goes into the camshaft CANNOT be put in 180 degrees off. and regarding the rotor… i dunno about u guys… but maybe its cuz i do some things that make it fool proof.
crank the motor to TDC, and verify that the camshafts are at TDC for #1. once u do that, remove the cap. the rotor will be pointing at around 7 oclock or so. that means its pointing to #1 plug wire. that right there takes all the guessing out of everything. then go ahead n remove the distributor, do whatever u gotta to it… put the rotor on too. put the distributor back on and if that rotor isn’t pointing to #1… 7 oclock… then u got it on 180 degrees off. i thought that the last time i looked at my oem rotor that it was somewhat notched, like a half moon or something and that u can’t put it on wrong. i could be wrong tho, and if i am, then my bad.
Ok maybe I have an aftermarket distributor that isn’t the same as oem or something, and somehow isn’t keyed, but I know for a “fact” that I have installed my distributor with the rotor pointing 180 degrees away from where it was supposed to be installed. You can tell me all day long that it isn’t possible, and I will reply the same way… I’ve done it, period… So you can’t tell me that it can’t be done. As far as the rotor being installed the wrong way, I don’t believe that it can be. On mine, the screw that holds it on can only be started from one side. I believe on the newer ones, it has a flat spot where it can only slide on one way.
I might’ve not been clear regarding the “180 degrees” thing with my rotor.
So when I pulled my distributor let’s say the rotor metal contact point was at 12 o’clock…and when I put the distributor back I had the rotor metal contact point now facing 6 o’clock, which is totally fine from the camshaft point of view because it would still line up. This is what I meant, because I never took the rotor off the distributor shaft because I didn’t want to strip the damn screw.
Squeezethis, I hope you didn’t think I was talking about putting the ROTOR back on the distributor shaft 180, because this my friends is next to impossible since the shaft I believe is shaped like a “D” and the rotor can only slide in one way.
u just said there that u don’t believe the rotor can be installed the wrong way. and yes the shaft should have a flat spot. and the rotor should have that flat spot too. but if someone wants to confirm this that would be great. i just cleaned up 2 distributors this week and i honestly didn’t pay too much attention to it cuz i’m pretty sure that the rotors could only go on way.
and with an OEM distributor. u CANNOT put it in upside down no matter what u try. and i know many can back me up on that. the spline part is offset so it isn’t in the middle. if u drew a circle, then drew a line down the middle (diameter) it would be a line parallel to that line but off to the side a bit. u can try to shove it into the hole and camshaft all u like but IT WILL NOT GO IN. even an aftermarket distributor would have to follow suit.
the only possibility is that the rotor was on 180 degrees off. then that means ur distributor (or maybe da distributors) can flip them around. maybe obd0 distributors can or maybe obd1… i can’t verify any of that. i’d have to look at mine again which i definitely am too lazy to do anytime soon.
[QUOTE=azzurribaggio;2042265]
Squeezethis, I hope you didn’t think I was talking about putting the ROTOR back on the distributor shaft 180, because this my friends is next to impossible since the shaft I believe is shaped like a “D” and the rotor can only slide in one way.[/QUOTE]
no i didn’t mean u.
and SEE ITS SHAPED LIKE A D!. which is what i kinda meant. thx azzurribaggio
[QUOTE=Squeezethis;2042252]well the keyed part on the distributor that goes into the camshaft CANNOT be put in 180 degrees off. and regarding the rotor… i dunno about u guys… but maybe its cuz i do some things that make it fool proof.
crank the motor to TDC, and verify that the camshafts are at TDC for #1. once u do that, remove the cap. the rotor will be pointing at around 7 oclock or so. that means its pointing to #1 plug wire. that right there takes all the guessing out of everything. then go ahead n remove the distributor, do whatever u gotta to it… put the rotor on too. put the distributor back on and if that rotor isn’t pointing to #1… 7 oclock… then u got it on 180 degrees off. i thought that the last time i looked at my oem rotor that it was somewhat notched, like a half moon or something and that u can’t put it on wrong. i could be wrong tho, and if i am, then my bad.[/QUOTE]
If all what you’ve said is true in that I can’t really fuk up the contact points then I do believe my rotor may not be pointing to #1 when then crank is at TDC…I’ll rule this out by trying this little test cause that’s the only thing I can think of.
Well good news…that was the issue, once I loosened the distributor and pulled it off the crank a bit, then removed the cap and rotated the rotor 180 degrees then put her back in it started trying to run again. Currently it’s stalling, I mean it sounds like it’s trying to come to life as I give her gas but she’s still stalling. Haven’t gotten her to idle yet. Not sure if the engine is flooded with all the previous tries when the rotor wasn’t at TDC. But my garage sure smelled of strong gasoline just now. I retarded the timing like your mentioned squeezethis to try and get her to start. Should I turn the distributor counter-clockwise all the way? Right now there’s a small gap to the left of the top bolt. I’m going to fiddle with it more tomorrow but I’m just happy to know I’m almost there…this sounds like more of a timing issue now right?
Thanks everyone.
[QUOTE=azzurribaggio;2042306]Well good news…that was the issue, once I loosened the distributor and pulled it off the crank a bit, then removed the cap and rotated the rotor 180 degrees then put her back in it started trying to run again. Currently it’s stalling, I mean it sounds like it’s trying to come to life as I give her gas but she’s still stalling. Haven’t gotten her to idle yet. Not sure if the engine is flooded with all the previous tries when the rotor wasn’t at TDC. But my garage sure smelled of strong gasoline just now. I retarded the timing like your mentioned squeezethis to try and get her to start. Should I turn the distributor counter-clockwise all the way? Right now there’s a small gap to the left of the top bolt. I’m going to fiddle with it more tomorrow but I’m just happy to know I’m almost there…this sounds like more of a timing issue now right?
Thanks everyone.[/QUOTE]
retarding makes it harder to start. advancing is going COUNTER CLOCKWISE. to help it start u advance it… make it gap to the right of bolt/washer. make sure there is NO GAP on the left basically. u can go farther counter clockwise all the way but u dont’ wanna run it like that for very long. just have the bolts loose enough so that u can tap the distributor over n move it. so if u do get it to idle u can move the distributor about 1mm counter clockwise compared to the pic u have of it before. that should get u good enough to get it timed properly later.
if ur rotor was 180…from being right, and u never took off the rotor… then i’m trying to figure out how ur car ever ran in the first place.
but yes turn the distributor more counter clockwise.
My rotor was 180 degrees off because when I put the distributor back in I never bothered to check which way the rotor was facing, I was just trying to make the distributor line up with the crankshaft. Makes sense now?
[QUOTE=Squeezethis;2042314]retarding makes it harder to start. advancing is going COUNTER CLOCKWISE. to help it start u advance it… make it gap to the right of bolt/washer. make sure there is NO GAP on the left basically. u can go farther counter clockwise all the way but u dont’ wanna run it like that for very long. just have the bolts loose enough so that u can tap the distributor over n move it. so if u do get it to idle u can move the distributor about 1mm counter clockwise compared to the pic u have of it before. that should get u good enough to get it timed properly later.
but yes turn the distributor more counter clockwise.[/QUOTE]
If I turn it counter-clockwise the gap will be on the left of the bolt/washer, so do you mean clockwise for advancing the timing? This is all while standing on the passenger side and looking at the distributor.
yea. but since the end that goes into the camshaft is “keyed” it would only wanna go in one way…
WAIT A MINUTE NOW I GET EVERYBODY.
the only way for ppl to be 180 on the rotor is… bcuz there are 4 strokes per cylinder. that means that the camshaft (which is a circle) can be either up or down but could be in a different stroke.
in short… yes u can only put the distributor into the camshaft in ONE WAY. but that means if u are not lined up in a sense of what way it came out… then the rotor can be pointing at the wrong cylinder/plug.
ninezeroteg: so i apologize. but like i just stated, u can only put the distributor into the camshaft right or 360. but not 180. but i get what u are saying now tho. thx.
for me by putting it to tdc all the time whenever i remove the distributor eliminated that bcuz i knew that the rotor had to point to #1 whenever i inserted it. but if i didn’t know that it was at tdc… it could be possible to still insert the distributor into the camshaft and make it point to #4. cuz the firing order is 1-3-4-2.
so its not possible to put the rotor on backwards on the shaft… and its not possible to put the distributor into the camshaft 180… but it can be 360!!!
counter clockwise… the top of the distributor would start pointing towards the firewall more… here ima use paint and draw on that pic that u posted up.
NEW UPDATED IMAGE
[QUOTE=Squeezethis;2042323]counter clockwise… the top of the distributor would start pointing towards the firewall more… here ima use paint and draw on that pic that u posted up.
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If I turn it the way you say then the gap on the left will increase, I’ll just put the gap on the right and see how she behaves in the morning…
no prob man. i was hoping it wouldn’t need any drawings tho. but yea i hope that helps
Well gave it a try just now…sorta idled but ran really rough…too advanced then? Running pretty rich it seems…