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Started motor with dis cap not clamped:( couple issues.


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So yes I did it, I bought an awesome cap and rotor from the dealer$$$, decided to track down a noise coming from what seems to be coming right at the distributor, I took both clamps off gave it a quick look see...............started doing something else...............started cleaning things ................um did more things............ate some food .............ah all done went to move it up in the drive and it won't start.............hmmmmm what the fork...........tried again......heard a pop like a mini backfire.........and then it hit me, YOU HAVE GOT TO BE FRICKEN KIDDING ME.

 

So I hate myself before I even got out of the car:( get out take a look sure enough I knew exactly what I did but I was still in denial. Well brand new cap cracked but the rotor is fine.

 

From what I saw the cap was just laying just right where the rotor caught an edge broke the cap and that's when I realized I'm not an idiot just got a little to ahead of myself:(

 

anyhoo so, had to go get a stupid cap and rotor from autozone (not excited) put it in and it will barely run so wow it must have tweaked it enough to throw the timing off? Well the two screws haven't moved at all and I figured it would take more than a plastic cap to get caught in there to tweak it.

 

So I loosened the screws to mess with the timing and it's waaaaay retarded, not having a light I adjusted the best I could before it was pinging under load and went to my buddies.

 

Threw the light on it and got it to 15, now I know spec is 20 but when I had it on 20 it pinged like a madman. So 15 was ultimately my happy spot. Ok well it's at 15 but it is all the way advanced on the adjustment, it will not adjust anymore. SO

 

1) Could I have tweaked something in the distributor to put it I guess you could say off a tooth?? I mean the gear is held with a pin I think so a plastic rotor and cap binding just doesn't seem to me that it would tweak Anything metal.

 

2) Why was 15 my happy spot instead of 20? I know it's not related but thought I would ask:)

 

3) If it is in fact hosed it runs fine now but I have no adjustment at all anything less is to retarded and it has no power, having no adjustment bugs me and I will end up replacing if needed.

 

4) Back to the original reason for this entire issue is the noise coming from the distributor, if I hold the distributor I can feel the noise and it almost sounds like the rotor is hitting something but it can't be as there are no marks on the contacts and it runs fine. Any ideas on this noise? And again this noise is the same now and was the same before I broke the cap.

 

Sorry for the long post, I am very aggravated with myself right now but whatever it happened now I just need some ideas:)

 

As always thanks in advance!!

 

Disco.

Edited by Discombobulated
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Yes greens plugged in while timing, advance is working, and the thing that confused me was I can see on the two timing adjustment bolts that it was in the middle of the adjustment range if that makes sense pretty equal amounts both ways right at 15. This did not move, but now I had to advance it until there Is no more adjustment it's all the way and at 15?

 

Like it skipped a tooth but is this possible?

Edited by Discombobulated
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So the noise I take it you are talking timing belt, would this noise be coming from right at the distributor and no where near any other parts of the motor? And sorry I forgot to add after driving at higher speeds or for an extended amount of time the noise is gone completely, shut it down for 10 min start it up the noise will be the same as a cold start for a couple minutes then disappear.

 

If I start the car cold and idle for 20 minutes it will stay the same, but if I were to start it jump on the highway, stop, it's gone before the 20 minutes? And shearing the pin wouldn't make it just a done deal?

 

So If I slipped on the belt would it take a belt adjustment or can I reposition the distributor by taking it out and re aligning it I guess you could say.

 

Man I need to quit geeking out on the Suby, I think I am getting it dialed in a little to quick and things like this happen........deep breath......ok I'm cool:)

Edited by Discombobulated
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hi,

  i just had a T-belt incident, it was preceeded by a noise that i could not quite locate,, turned out it was the idler bearing on the left side saying  "i'm dry, help me".

  point is you should do a routine check and see if you have a tight idler or tensioner bearing that might be the the noise,,, and the rotor hanging up could have put enough tension on the dist shaft to pull the belt a tooth off position.

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those distributors have a very week tone ring under the tin cover on the inside. I know this bc like a moron idk how but I put the cap of me 92 loyal on backward and the rotor hit the cap and destroyed this tone ring. any ways on the ea82 distributors if the rotor hits anything very hard at all it basically destroys the distributor.. as for the noise it may bee the bushing in the distributor going out

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Yea, I might just hit up the yard and see if the last Suby there might have a decent looking distributor and if I can get it cheap enough I might just throw it in to see if it's just a quick swap, at least the noise may or may not go away but why not.

 

I would imagine the dealer might want my left leg for one so I don't even think I'm going to check but I have not checked on aftermarket stuff but I really don't want to, hmmmmm it runs right now just fine but my OCD is killing me.

 

I will update when I decide to mess with it, of course thanks for all the help guys feel free to keep throwing stuff in advice is always welcome:)

 

Disco.

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