spitting at me through the carb...

[SLOSpider]

Yes I would first start by getting your true TDC. As mentioned but the screw driver down #1 cylinder and move crank back and forth till you are sure its at the top of its stroke. Then hold the plastic cover into place where it would bolt up. Where is the crank timing mark pointed? This is your true top dead center and then your cams holes should be pointing to there marks as well. Brian

Normal compression should be anywhere from 120 psi and up. Check with all the plugs removed and cranking the engine over about 3 - 4 revolutions.

[majicwrench]

The old screwdriver down the hole method will NOT get you true Top Dead Center, but you may be able to get close that way, give or take a few degrees. Piston travels though quite a few degrees of crank travel with very little or no action motion.
To get accurate TDC. take an old plug and remove the porcelin from inside the metal part of the plug.This is easier said than done BTW. Then take a long machine screw and two nuts and run screw thru plug with nuts on both sides. Nuts are so you can adjust depth of machine screw into cylinder. The idea here is to have the machine screw stop the upward travel of the piston. Now insert new trick tool into plug hole, and rotate engine by hand till piston contacts machine screw and comes to a stop. Now mark that (mark #1) on the balancer. Now rotate engine the other way, till once again piston contacts machine screw and stops. Mark that (mark #2) on the balancer. Half way between mark #1 and mark #2 is TDC.
Keith

[lamborghinikid]

I got a new belt comming sat around noon Auto Zone special I ask for a 80 belt I believe it should have 148 teeth I'll make sure also I have a nother dist. I may try to install that. we shall see tomorrow..

[lamborghinikid]

Disappointed let down by autozone didn't get the belt in this weekend go figure that one... I really think this old belt is letting the timing move around it is really loose even after it starts out tight. Is it possible for a belt to stretch that much. I ordered a belt for a 80 because thats the year of the engine in the car,, I believe it is suppose to have 146 teeth am I correct here?

[ventura ace]

It depends on which engine is in your car. Normally, 1980 would have a 2.0 liter engine, with a 148 tooth belt. The 1.8L engine and 1.6L use a 146 tooth belt. The 1438cc uses a 144 tooth belt.

If the 148 tooth belt is loose on a 2.0L engine, then possibly there is something wrong with the tensioner or the tensioner bearing. I read recently where somebody had supplied a tensioner bearing that was too small in diameter (and resulted in a loose timing belt). Do a search for my recent posts, where I gave the diameter for my tensioner bearing -- and should be the same size as yours, I believe.

Alvon

[djchan]

When you put a timing light on, is the timing mark on the crank pully steady or is it irratic. If it's irratic, the magnet under the pickup may be upside down, if you've rebuilt the distributor. My timing belt skipped a tooth or two and ran fine until I replaced the belt after 30 yrs., now it runs better.

[lamborghinikid]

I really believe its the dist. Heres where I am New belt 148 teeth it is tighter than the used one the bearing that has the spring is new it is the proper size per aces post not the smaller one. I do not use the yellow cover that came with the engine as it has no timing marks on it. I use the 3 little arrows near the crankshaft that has a rivet and a 10 mm bolt I use the top arrow with the notch in the pulley on the crank shaft. the aux pulley is easy 1 0'clock nothing to do with timing just don't want it to hit anything. The cams I line the marks up from behind because this insures they are spot on. Then I turn the dist to where the #4 plug is firing. Ok heres where it goes goofy it will start here but has extremely poor performance like none. The compression is around 60psi if I move the timing mark to the bottom arrow on the crank shaft I improve on the compression but worsen the performance. It gets even better, If I put it TDC on the crank then move just the cams 2 or 3 teeth clockwise I get compression of 130 but cant even find the timing mark on the crank with the timing light because its near the bottom of the engine. This engine is a 1980 FI it is in a 1979 that was carbed, I have removed the FI because I don't want FI and put a 77 or 78 intake with carb on the car. The engine ran with the FI while using starting fluid. It also ran with this carb and intake it just didnt have any power at all. I believe I have another dist. I'm going to try it. I know I'm getting good spark because it has lit me up on several occasions. Kind of getting where I like it, gets my mind off the damn timing problem. I have timed cars before from vetts to 280zs even my old vr4. I have been 180 out before on chevys I thought I was 180 out here but I can't see how.. Oh and I didn't go to college for writing, I just want to get this darn thing going. I really appreciate the input. My question of the day is if I'm getting 130 psi and the timing marks are not lined up There had to be something wrong. IF I can get the 130 then why isn't it just a matter of getting the plug to fire at the right time by turning the dist. even if I have to take it out and move it, It works off the exhaust cam, I was thinking get the 130 then rotate the engine until the exhaust cam timing hole lines up put the dist on the #4 plug position and it should work, right?

[So Cal Mark]

it sounds like the cam gears are on the wrong cams

[ventura ace]

To check for what Mark is suggesting, look at the cam pulleys. With the locating dowel pin pointed straight up at the 12:00 o'clock postion, the timing mark should be toward the center of the engine. This goes for both pulleys. If they are swapped, the engine won't run worth crap, if it will even run at all. The overlap will be way off, and you'll have gas spitting out through the carbs, like you described.

Alvon

[majicwrench]

It is NOT your distributor at this point. You have GOT to get the compression up. Like the others, methinks something fishy going on with cam timing.

[FrameShift]

I hate to ask this question, because I'm scared that I'm about to say something absolutely bl***y stupid, but how can the number of teeth on the timing belt make any difference, except to the belt's interaction with the tensioner position? If the belt is 2 teeth longer than correct, provided the tensioner can accommodate the slightly increased length of belt it shouldn't make any difference, should it?

Cheers, I feel for you LK, I've been there.

[lamborghinikid]

OK I'm with you on possibly the cams being switched at this point anything is possible,, I am not sure about what you mean on the timing marks at 12 o'clock do you mean the lobes should point straight up because there are only the 1 set of holes on the cam wheels. The manul I have is for up to 78 it says put the lobes at 12 o'clock slightly pointing toward each other, but this gives me no marks to go with... because the holes are at the bottom. Is there light at the end of the tunnel well at least I got good compression even if the marks were not in the correct place.... Thanks for the help I'm sure if you guys were here it would take you about 5 minutes to figure this one out.. I am trying to eliminate parts of this puzzle but having a hard time doing so...

[lamborghinikid]

I think the belt makes a differance because of the retelative distance between the points of contact of the cams to the crankshaft.. I know this is when I fell asleep in science class.. My question why didn't they use a chain??? or better gears???

[So Cal Mark]

a chain is no different than a belt in theory. Do your cam gears have belt guides on them? If so, which gear has the guide on the outside and which has it on the inside?

[lamborghinikid]

my gears don't have the ridge on them I do know what your talking about though. is there another way to tell exhaust from intake ?