Distributor alignment

[tgraham]

I need a quick sanity check:

When aligning the distributor rotor (to the mark on the distributor frame), should cylinder #1 be at 0-degrees/TDC or 13-degrees BTDC? It seems to be a tooth's difference between the two.

The manual text says "TDC," but the reference photo shows the pulley aligned to the 13-deg BTDC mark... I cannot remember which is correct. I thought it was the former (at TDC), but I'm second-guessing everything now that it's not firing up.

Thanks!
Travis

[content22207]

4915

Bill Robertson
#5939

[tgraham]

Thanks! That part is correct and the rotor is aligned with that mark. But, for the rotor in this exact position, should the crankshaft pulley notch for cylinder #1 be aligned with the 0 degree/TDC plate notch or the 13-degrees BTDC plate notch?

The DMC book says set the crankshaft to "TDC" but illustrates the pulley and timing scale plate notches aligned at 13-degrees BTDC.

Thanks!
Travis

[DMCMW Dave]

Set at zero. If you are off one tooth, the car will run (sort of) but you'll hit the correct timing with the distributor all the way one way or the other.

If you are off 180 degrees or on the wrong mark it won't run at all. Careful - there are a couple of marks on the pulley, be sure you are on the right one. Be sure #1 is really at TDC with valves closed.

[tgraham]

Excellent. I'm going to double-check my setting... I'm reasonably sure it's correct and I'm 99.9% sure I'm not 180 degrees off (or else I REALLY screwed something up)... hopefully I just overlooked something stupid.

Thanks!
Travis

[content22207]

4918

Bill Robertson
#5939

[nullset]

There's a 720 degree rotation. Pull the passenger side valve cover, and line up the marks. Make sure you can wiggle the rocker arms of cylinder 1 (passenger side closest to the front of the car). If you can't, go all the way around again on the crankshaft.

Ask me how I know…..

--buddy

[Bitsyncmaster]

What I do is watch the intake valve open, continue turning the crank and see it close then continue turning to till the mark comes up to TDC. That puts you at the end of the compression stroke and is ready to fire.

[tgraham]

What I do is watch the intake valve open, continue turning the crank and see it close

Yep, that's what I did, hence why I don't think I'm wildly off. I am still reasonably sure that I aligned the crankshaft to the TDC mark (as opposed to the 13 degrees BTDC mark) when I installed the distributor - just needed clarification on the timing plate marks for when I double-check everything.

That's the problem with the DMC manual - sometimes it says one thing and shows another! I should have looked at the Volvo books, but left them out at the shop :(

Travis

[Ron]

What I do is watch the intake valve open, continue turning the crank and see it close then continue turning to till the mark comes up to TDC. That puts you at the end of the compression stroke and is ready to fire.Same here if the cover is off.
Otherwise I just pull #1 plug, wait for its compression to start, and then on around to TDC...sos

[content22207]

That's the problem with the DMC manual - sometimes it says one thing and shows another! I should have looked at the Volvo books, but left them out at the shop :(

The Workshop Manual has its place and purpose, but any owner who fails to augment it with pertinent Volvo manuals (engine and fuel system) is just making his or her job harder, especially considering how inexpensive and readily available the Volvo literature is. Volvo's manuals also are illustrated with step by step photographs, which sometimes convey more information than line drawings.

Bill Robertson
#5939

[dmc6960]

The Workshop Manual has its place and purpose, but any owner who fails to augment it with pertinent Volvo manuals (engine and fuel system) is just making his or her job harder, especially considering how inexpensive and readily available the Volvo literature is. Volvo's manuals also are illustrated with step by step photographs, which sometimes convey more information than line drawings.

Bill Robertson
#5939

Well, I completely tore down and rebuilt my engine using nothing but the DeLorean shop manual. For a person who already has basic engine knowledge, it is completely sufficient. My engine started started right up and by sheer luck I didn't even need to move the distributor, it had landed exactly on 13ºbtdc.

Travis, you haven't explicity said it, but it sounds like your engine is done and your trying to start it? Are you this far along or are you just being extra cautious? If you are trying to start it, perhaps it is something simple, like the coil wire or something.

[Bitsyncmaster]

If you have the intake still off, you don't even need to pull the valve cover to see the intake valve.

[content22207]

Well, I completely tore down and rebuilt my engine using nothing but the DeLorean shop manual.

Not everyone is you.

For owners who like photographs versus line drawings, Volvo factory literature is a good purchase. For owners who like step by step annotated photographs versus a line drawing of the finished installation, Volvo factory literature is a good purchase. For owners who want to fill in information missing from the Workshop Manual, Volvo factory literature is a good purchase. For owners who are interested in alternative PRV installations, Volvo factory literature is a good purchase.

Bill Robertson
#5939

[sean]

The Workshop Manual has its place and purpose, but any owner who fails to augment it with pertinent Volvo manuals (engine and fuel system) is just making his or her job harder


Roger that! The Volvo and Bosch manuals make great supplements for digging into the engine and fuel components.

[content22207]

The Bosch manual is available online: http://www.dmcnews.com/Techsection/Bosch%20K-Jetronic%20Fuel%20Injection%20Manual%20-%20boschtech-12d.pdf. There is no reason *NOT* to download it (even if you don't print it, at least read it on the screen).

Bill Robertson
#5939

[tgraham]

Travis, you haven't explicity said it, but it sounds like your engine is done and your trying to start it? Are you this far along or are you just being extra cautious? If you are trying to start it, perhaps it is something simple, like the coil wire or something.

Yep, the engine is "done" but has yet to fire up. I found a few problems but am trying to double check everything. I don't have an assistant, which doesn't help when the ignition key is required. Another problem I have is a major lack of time. Between work and constantly going out of town, I just don't have enough of that. The engine sure looks good sitting in the car, IMO, though! (Jim, I took your suggestion with the DMC EU cams!)

At this point, it looks like I'm probably going to be relegated to the "Battle of the Rentals" in Houston next month.

Travis

[content22207]

I don't have an assistant, which doesn't help when the ignition key is required.

No assistant necessary:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY2P3EyY95E

Bill Robertson
#5939

[sean]

No assistant necessary:


Key needs to be in the run position too doesn't it?

[content22207]

If you want the engine to run.

If you just want to make the engine spin around the key doesn't even need to be in the tumbler (of course ignition won't work). Not really necessary on a DeLorean, but on other vehicles there are times to do that, such as walking a belt on.

This trick does come in handy when you're trying to diagnose starting problems (for example, if you want to put a timing light on one of the spark plug wires and watch it flash as the engine rotates).

Farrar has also been using it whenever his starting circuit misbehaves.

It's no different than manually triggering the starter solenoid on an old Ford. Note that you can't actually bridge the solenoid in case of total failure, like you can on a Ford.

Bill Robertson
#5939

[tgraham]

Travis, you haven't explicity said it, but it sounds like your engine is done and your trying to start it? Are you this far along or are you just being extra cautious? If you are trying to start it, perhaps it is something simple, like the coil wire or something.

Oh, it was something simple: a dead fuel pump! I tested for fuel first (yes, it was spraying fine at the time), then found an electrical issue. The pump must have died while troubleshooting that. I wasted plenty of time going crazy searching for a ghost problem, then went back to the basics and found it pretty promptly.

The pickup tube had sheered off at the pump inlet. And the pump did nothing except generate heat. I renewed everything in the tank in late 2000... Guess the ethanol did it's work, because the boot was awful too. There was a disturbing amount of crap in there too. I guess I'll be doing this again in 2022.

I renewed everything in the tank last weekend and got it running. I put about 20 miles on it today to shake down the suspension. So far, so good! It completed the "test track" (road near the garage with plenty of steep hills and curves) with flying colors.

Travis

[Bitsyncmaster]

I think that's the problem I had with the "power pump". The rubber that clamps the pump to the boot got soft and the pump will twist when it starts running. If it does twist that breaks the pickup hose.