Hey guys. Yesterday when I got to work my car died while it was idling. When I got off I saw it was the driver side timing belt, it was off. So I put it back on and tried to start the car and it back fired right away. Now it just makes kind of a gurgling sound when I try to start it, and all it will do is turn over. The timing is spot on, so I don't know what it is. Any ideas?

You need to double check belt installation. One belt goes on, then you have to rotate the engine and put the other on. They are not interference motors, so it's most likely on incorrectly.

Check the tensioners as that may be why the belt came off. Maybe it was loose, and now it is tight that you reinstalled the belt. The cams should be 180 out of phase. PErhaps you are 180 off

Not to sound like a broken record, but it's a pretty safe bet that you're 180 off on the drivers side cam.

With the timing marks on the flywheel lined up on the middle one, the driver side cam mark is lined up with the top mark on the inner timing cover, and the passenger side is lined up with the bottom mark on the inner cover. And when I rotate the engine the cams are lined up opposite. Driver down, passenger up.

It is possible that the cams can be correct, but the distributor is off 180 degress, if you have rotated anything while the belt was off.

 

Following the timing belt procedure fro start to finish, from the beginning step of having the flywheel in the center, and the driver side cam pointing up, rotate the crank until you see the TDC mark. Then inspect the rotor position on the disty. It should be pointing towards the brake booster. If not, flip it around. Remove the disty to flip it, or remove the driver belt and start the belt rotations from the beginning, and then the ign timing will be correct when you install the 2nd belt. YOu will have to know the position of the rotor when doing this unless you remove the disty.

Edited October 4, 201312 yr by MilesFox

It is possible that the cams can be correct, but the distributor is off 180 degress, if you have rotated anything while the belt was off.

I beg to differ:  As long as the distributor has not been unbolted/removed, the distributor should be phased to  cam.  As long as this cam is aligned, the distributor should also be aligned/timed properly.

 

Is this an 87+ Ea82? (i.e. later EFI)  It might be worth checking the distributor rotor to see if the set screw has fallen out.  Unlikely that you would have a double failure, yet worth checking anyway. 

No, its an 86 ea82. The rotor is pointing at the very front of the brake booster on tdc.

have you removed any of the spark plug wires? have you disconnected the ground wire frm the water pipe to fender. there isalso another smaller ground wirte from teh water pipe to the disty harness.

 

Are you getting fuel pressure?

OK, diagnostic remotely from 15,000 miles away...is the rotor pointing to the #1 spark leads terminal in the cap . I usually recall rotor points to firewall when in #1 TDC on RHD anyway .....

I havnt pulled any wires or anything. I ended up giving up on it last night and taking it to the local mechanic. Ill let you guys know what the verdict is when I get it back. Thank you all for the help, I really appreciate it.

Your local mechanic joined up yet ?

I'll place my bets on the cam and or the disty being 180 out of phase form the power stroke for #1 cyl