No Spark to the Plug

[spederman85]

I was taking a nice leisurely drive when the car quit and would not start In checking various things, I found no spark to the plug. I did get spark from the coil to the cap. So, I replaced the cap, wires, rotor and control module. Still no spark to the plug.

I then checked the distributor to see if the rotor spun with the cap off. Surprise, surprise - no spin of the roatar when I cranked it over.

I am assuming that I need to replace the distributor. Before I go any further, I thought I should check with my fellow fiat friends.

Any thought or suggestions?

Thanks.

[ventura ace]

I would pull the distributor out and look at it before buying a replacement. You may see that the problem is fixable. Broken pin that holds the drive gear maybe?

Alvon

[htchevyii]

Your cams are still turning, right? It should sound weird cranking over if the t belt is broken.

[So Cal Mark]

oh yeah, I'd first check to make sure the cams are turning

[spederman85]

oh yeah, I'd first check to make sure the cams are turning

When I turn it over, it sounds normal. How do I check to see for sure if the cam is turning? Maybe pull a plug?

Thanks

[So Cal Mark]

you should be able to see the back side of the cam pulleys, unless you have an FI car that still has the rear timing cover shields in place

[spederman85]

Well, I finally got a chance to take a peak at the timing belt by taking off the top bolts of the cover off. I found the belt to be in tack. The cams are not turning when I turn the engine over. The lower pully is turning but not the top.

Any ideas?

[ventura ace]

My guess is that the keyway on the lower drive pulley (the toothed pulley behind the v-belt pulley) is bogus or the teeth on the belt are chewed off at that pulley. I'm guessing that the aux drive pulley is not turning either, is that right??

Alvon

[So Cal Mark]

sheared teeth on the t-belt

[spederman85]

Well, I finally got a chance to work on the car and you are right on.

The teeth on the belt at the lower pully are completely stripped. When I turn the engine over, none of the pullies for the timing belt turn. The alternator belt/pullies are turning - for whatever that is worth.

Now my questions are:
1. What is a keyway and how do you get to it?
2. How do I fix it?
3. What parts should I order before going any further?
4. Where do you live and do have any free time to come over to help? Kidding!

Thanks,
Rich

My guess is that the keyway on the lower drive pulley (the toothed pulley behind the v-belt pulley) is bogus or the teeth on the belt are chewed off at that pulley. I'm guessing that the aux drive pulley is not turning either, is that right??

Alvon

[pastaroni34]

A keyway is what keeps the timing pulley on the crankshaft indexed correctly. In this case Fiat used a woodruff (half moon) key. Here's some more wiki info: Keyways

Assuming you have a non-interference engine, all you have to to do fix your problem is change the timing belt and tensioner bearing.

You might want to do some other routine maintenance like change the water pump and hoses at the same time if you don't know when they were last replaced.

[spederman85]

Thank you for your assistance. If anyone can give me some specific steps on how to proceed, I would appreciate it.

[So Cal Mark]

you'll have to remove the t-belt before you can inspect the crank gear and key. I doubt you'll find any issues with the gear. Just follow the steps in a timing belt replacement. if you were planning to replace front seals, that gear would have to come off anyway