**timing help**

[rm2406]

i was wondering should the distributor rotor always be pointing at #1 plug? reason im asking is cause when i look at mine it is ALWAYS pointing at #3 plug. sometimes i get a rough idle and sometimes it feels powerless.it doesnt crank up right away either. one thing i did that might have effect was when i changed my serpentine belt i turned the crank a bit to get the belt on. any ideas jeepsters?? should it always be pointing at #1?? or am i ok?

[Mudderoy]

i was wondering should the distributor rotor always be pointing at #1 plug? reason im asking is cause when i look at mine it is ALWAYS pointing at #3 plug. sometimes i get a rough idle and sometimes it feels powerless.it doesnt crank up right away either. one thing i did that might have effect was when i changed my serpentine belt i turned the crank a bit to get the belt on. any ideas jeepsters?? should it always be pointing at #1?? or am i ok?

Well first off you can run the engine without the serpentine belt. It is not used for engine timing at all. It runs the water pump, alternator, power steering and A/C. So moving the crank while putting on the belt isn't an issue.

Timing is determined by the timing gears and chain. This chain and gears connect the crank shaft to the cam shaft. With these gears and chain the valves know exactly where to open and close in relation to where the piston is at during each crankshaft cycle.

On my 1998 there is a little hole in the distributor that when cylinder #1 is TOP DEAD CENTER lines up with a 2nd hole in the distributor. If it isn't then the distributor has be be removed and re-stabbed until it is. But you have to be CERTAIN that you are TDC on cylinder #1.

I doubt that your distributor isn't lined up.

[rm2406]

so my distributor rotor (black thing under cap)when engine off is pointing at #3 cyl. (5'oclock) is ok? my crank(the little groove on vibration dampner crank) isnt even lined up on 0. the little groove is at the 6'oclock position.
what i meant about the belt was when it was off i manually turned the crank by hand and maybe that was why my timing is off a bit and why my marks dont match up on crank and distributor rotor.

[rm2406]

also how can i do a check that my timing is ok? that im at TDC?? i would like to just verify.. thanks in advance..

[msmoorenburg]

hope this helps

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y299/msmoorenburg/timing4.jpg


if its not at #1 it will be 180 degrees off just turn the motor over by hand, and check again

[denverd1]

Changing the serp wouldn't matter. The rotor/crank move together unless you pulled the distributor, turned the crank then dropped it back in. Something else is causing your rough idle.

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[denverd1]

You know #1 is at TDC by pulling that plug, placing your finger or the handle of a screwdriver over the hole and rotating crank until air is pushed out on the compression stroke. Line up the mark on balancer with 0 mark and drop distributor where rotor has just passed #1.

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[Mudderoy]

hope this helps

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y299/msmoorenburg/timing4.jpg


if its not at #1 it will be 180 degrees off just turn the motor over by hand, and check again

lol oh yeah!

[rm2406]

yeah distributor was never removed.. i think i threw it off all together because i turn the crank manually. so if i manually rotate the crank again so that the groove lines up on the 0 degree mark it should be fine. before turning the crank by hand my marks were legit.so i will just try the suggestions above. thanks all for your time!

[XJ Wheeler]

Turning the crank with the belt off has nothing to do with timing. One time the alternator in my moms zj locked up and broke the belt. We were still able to drive it to a place to stop. So, no problem there.

As suggested put the crank pulley mark to "top dead center" or "TDC" and see if the rotor is pointing at the #1 plug wire.

[rm2406]

ok, so if i put the crank at "TDC" and the rotor is NOT pointing and #1cyl. than what will be my next move? pull dist. and align??

[denverd1]

yep. Setting timing on these is not something you can just rotate the dizzy to adjust...

[denverd1]

set #1 cylinder to TDC with the timing marker at 0 degrees,
mark the position of the left side of the cap #1 post on the distributor case as described,
then align the oil pump slot properly,
slide the distributor in as described, and
check that the tail/backside of the rotor is on or just past the line once the distributor is fully inserted.
the distributor should be good to go. I've gone through this procedure quite a few times & it's easy to get the distributor one tooth off one way or the other, but if you check the rotor positioning, any misalignment is easy to see - you just pull it back up and re-do steps 3,4, & 5. If the distributor is in properly and you still get misfiring, then you'll need to look elsewhere for the problem.

[denverd1]

its a matter of getting the cam pos sensor and the sensor in the distributor to line up. It doesn't matter where/when they line up, just so that they do. You mark the cap as a point of reference. Then drop the distributor so that it is just passed plug 1 on the cap. (where you marked for reference) TDC is just the starting point since you don't where the crank is. And like I said, you can't get it close and then dial it in. Its a computer controlled dealeybob. :crazy:

[denverd1]

The oil pump deal really makes a difference. If you're looking down the distributor hole, the manual says to aim the pump drive slot at 11 and 5 oclock. Its more like 10 and 4 if you're facing the engine from the passenger side (only way to look at it really..). Makes is easier to get the rotor into the right place.

found it:
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f12/timing-4-0l-508405/

[denverd1]

I thought about doing a writeup on this, but haven't had time. Muddy, et al, Let me know if anyone else would find it valuable to have some details on setting timing.

[OrangeXJ]

Also remember when timing a 4 stroke engine set TDC on the compression stroke not the exhust stroke.

[rm2406]

ok so my distributor has never been replaced and engine is original. what im looking to find out is if my timing is ok.. the groove on the crank almost always stops in a different position and not on the 0 degree mark and my distributor rotor is always pointing at #6 cyl post on the cap. ive read different opinions on where the rotor should be. does this sound like its right? or should i put the crank on 0 degree and then pull distr and align to #1 cyl post on distr cap???? seems like its off to me by180degrees but nothing has been touched or replaced...

[OrangeXJ]

From what I've read it starts and runs How many miles does it have on it? Sounds to me the timing chain needs to be replaced. Do not I repeat do not pull the distributer and re set it. It will never start again if you do. IMHO

[rm2406]

it has 217k... it does start and run but it doesnt crank right away and it hesitates on heavy take off. once in awhile when i come to a fast stop it kinda bogs down and seems like its gonna die but NEVER does. when it does that i give it a little gas and it runs fine again. also in park running if i turn the steering wheel either way it bogs down,wants to die but again never does. so it seem like some kind of engine drag to me.... ive checked all pulleys twice they turn very freely.

[denverd1]

Loose timing chain would explain some of that. How your steering plays into it?? no clue.

If you read the manual (or read the link i posted a few days ago) setting the timing is easy and straightforward. I'll admit that its a bit different than other engines, but easy to do once you wrap your head around it.