Simon

I believe the timing for VG30I engines is 12 degrees btdc. For VG30E, it's 15 degress btdc. 2 degrees shouldn't make much of a difference though, at least not at idle.

Yep. Just pull them, and let them hang, or cut off the harnesses.

As MZ said, something must be ripping them. Check for anything hanging down, or the clamps themselves rubbing on something.

Search! 3+3=33s There are exceptions to that rule, but they seem to be a lot more work.

Same thing happened on my rear bumper, which has 3/6 or 1/4" wall....I can't remember. IT was quite funny.

It's screwed to the floor, under the carpet. Unscrew the shifter knobs from the shafts. Undo the screws holding the shifter boot to the floor. Pull.

Yeah, remove the swaybar for sure, to get the pressure off it.

Well, considering it's running like a bag of sh!t right now, you don't have the money, nor inclination to fix it yourself, I'd say your choice is pretty simple no? Don't mean to be a prick about it, but what options do you have, unless you know someone who can weld up that frame properly for you (might just be better to rebuilt it in the rear section) it'll cost quite a bit.

LOL...how is a Phord any better? It's all domestic crap. FORD: We've circled the problem for you!

Pezzy's got the same setup on hers. Bilsteins and KYB's.

A ) How the hell would you know that? B ) The fact that you broke everything so badly shows two things 1) You drive like an idiot 2) You didn't build it for wheeling Maybe use your head a little, and you won't break as much stuff. Oh, and if you're going to claim how hard you've wheeled it, you may want some method of proving said claims.

It could be the battery. Check to see the voltage at the battery with it running. It should be up around 13-14v Then shut it off, and check the voltage. If it drops significantly (under 12v) with it off, it's the battery not holding a charge.

Alternator is probably going out. Either that, or your battery is no longer holding a charge, but I'd be more inclined to think it's the alternator.

I'm 99% sure you're hydrolocking with gas. Sounds to me like your ECU, or it's wiring is toast, and 1 of your injectors is stuck open.

Bad ECU? Bad wiring? Bad Distributor? Timing belt jumped a tooth or two?

Wow....how the hell did that happen? Anyways, glad you got her going.

Right in the middle is 15degrees BTDC

Weird. The shaft shouldn't have turned, so if you put the cap in the right place, and the rotor on (there's only 1 way) and you've got the wires right, it should start. If the shaft turned while you were pulling the rotor off, something's seriously wrong.

Did you put the plug wires on the new cap in the right order?

Did he take the whole distributor out?

Penetrating oil.

As long as the shaft isn't also turning, and just the rotor is. keep playing with it. It'll come off.

Another possible issue is a leaky injector. I've never had it happen on a Pathy, but on an old Grand Am my dad had it would be hard to start, and run like crap if you shut it off for say 10-30 minutes and tried to start it again. Any longer, it was fine, any shorter, it was fine. Basically, in less than 10 minutes the leaky injector couldn't flood the engine, in 10-30 it would, and after 30 minutes the pressure in the fuel lines had dissipated enough that it wasn't leaking, and what had leaked out would either flow past the seals, or evaporate.

From what I can see (haven't done it myself, yet) it would be a body lift, and a straight drill.

Twist and pull....it'll come off. The shaft of the distributor is steel....worst case, you'll break the plastic of the rotor.