YATT - Yet Another Timing Thread

[seancooney]

So here is my situation:

 

I have a 1993 Subaru Loyale 1.8l OHC (EA-82). About a year ago I was driving down the freeway when my engine cut out. Turned out I broke the driver side timing belt. Well, being the n00b that I am, I thought it was the distributor, so I pulled it without marking the #1 position. So now, after about a year I've finally gotten off my rear to fix the thing (I ride my bike to/from classes) and I've done the following:

 

*Got to the timing belts and replaced both. I followed the guide on this board, which indicated lining up both cam sprockets to 12 o'clock, then rotating the engine to center on the valve timing marks. Then I put the driver side belt on, rotated the engine 360, so the cam was at 6 o'clock. Put the passenger side belt on and rotated the engine another 360 to get the #1 cyclinder to compression. Put the whole thing back together.

 

*Found and pointed distributor rotor towards the wire for the #1 cyclinder.

 

Now here's my problem: When I try to start, I'll hear some firing, but it won't fully start. As I adjust the distributor and I hear more and more firing until I can't adjust it any further. So I pulled the distributor and moved one tooth in the direction of adjustment and it sounds like total crap. It won't get any better until I start adjusting it BACK towards the tooth I just left. The coil works fine and the plugs are sparking.

 

Am I missing something? Could it be insufficient spark caused by a combination of bad rotor, cap, wires, or plugs? Bad fuel (it's been sitting for a while)?

[Subarian]

Since it's a 93, it should have about 20 degrees of initial advance (20 degrees BTDC). Find the compression stroke by removing the #1 plug (right front, closest to air cleaner) and plugging the hole with your finger while you turn the engine by hand with a wrench on the crank bolt. You will feel pressure on the compression stroke as it approaches TDC. Stop at 20 BTDC. Now make a mark on the distributor housing that corresponds to the position of the #1 wire on the cap. Remove the cap and install the distributor so the rotor points at the mark you just made. Now replace the cap and the #1 plug and it should fire right up.

 

Also make sure that when your flywheel timing mark for the belt (the center of the three hash marks) is lined up that one of the timing marks on the cams is up and the other is down. Some of the manuals out there have the procedure wrong.

[fbh]

Also, make sure all the coil's wires are still properly attached. Exactly the same things happened to a little Mitsubishi we had here, took two days to find this problem..

[hooziewhatsit]

the other thing you can do if your fingers aren't long enough to get in the spark plug hole to feel for the compression;

 

Remove the passenger side outer t-belt cover, and rotate the engine until the dot on the cam is pointing north-west (10:30 o'clock). Now, put the disty in so it points directly at the #1 plug on the cap.

 

Now you try to start it, and if it doesn't, move the disty around a bit until it does. Then you'll have to using a timing light to fine tune it.

 

That should at least get you close enough that it will fire.

[seancooney]

Thanks everyone for the advice! I ended up replacing the cap, rotor, wires, and plugs and after following your advice got the car started up, timed, and running nicely now!

[Subarian]

Thanks. It's nice to have an update!