1988 pathfinder distributor help!

[Henry]

Hey there! I’m new to this forum. I’m having problems getting my pathfinder running. It was diagnosed to have a bad distributor so I replaced it along with the coil and module. 

 

(1988 pathfinder SE 4WD)

 

Now I’m  having problems getting it running. I have removed the distributor over and over trying to get the timing right. I had to start over and find top dead center. When I adjust the distributor I can get it to sort of run but with my foot on the gas and it sounds like crap. As soon as I release my foot it dies. It seems that the distributor is at the end of its adjustment. If I turn it to the end of the adjustment (counter clockwise) it gets to this state of “almost starting”. The other direction makes it not want to start at all. Could I be a tooth off somehow? I’ve tried repositioning the distributor quite a few times but to no avail. 

 

I believe I have it lined up properly at TDC with the rotor on the #1 spark plug. 

 

What else should I be trying? 

[Mr_Reverse]

Sounds like either you had a timing belt jump, or you don't have the engine at top dead center on the compression stroke. I suggest you ensure you have the engine at TDC on compression and try reinstalling the distributor since that is easier. Otherwise, you will need to pull the top timing cover off to ensure the cams and crank are properly aligned. 

[Henry]

13 hours ago, Mr_Reverse said:

Sounds like either you had a timing belt jump, or you don't have the engine at top dead center on the compression stroke. I suggest you ensure you have the engine at TDC on compression and try reinstalling the distributor since that is easier. Otherwise, you will need to pull the top timing cover off to ensure the cams and crank are properly aligned. 

 

Thanks for your input. Definitely hoping it’s not the timing belt. I’ll check again. 

 

If I did have it at TDC but not on the compression stroke, does that mean I’d just flip the distributor 180 degrees? 

[Mr_Reverse]

Well, the distributor would be off, but don't believe it would be 180°, you have a 6 cyl 4 cycle engine. My mind is tired and don't really want to figure all the variables. I find it easier to just ensure TDC compression. You can do this by pulling #1 plug, put something like a cotton ball in the hole and turn the crankshaft by hand while watching the ball. When it pops up, you know you are on the compression stroke. Then you can use a long screwdriver or other rod that is long enough to reach the piston top. Watching the rod, turn the crankshaft until the rod hits it's highest point. That will have you at TDC compression. Then you can install the distributor with the rotor arm pointing to #1 tower on the cap. 

I find it easier to mark the base of the distributor where #1 is so aligning that rotor is easier. Set the distributor into place and see how far the rotor turns. Then pull the distributor back out, turn the rotor the same distance the opposite side of the mark. Then when you put the distributor back in, the rotor should be lined up with your mark. 

That should get you pretty much at 0° TDC. You should be able to get the engine to start and finish setting the base timing. 

[Henry]

19 hours ago, Mr_Reverse said:

Well, the distributor would be off, but don't believe it would be 180°, you have a 6 cyl 4 cycle engine. My mind is tired and don't really want to figure all the variables. I find it easier to just ensure TDC compression. You can do this by pulling #1 plug, put something like a cotton ball in the hole and turn the crankshaft by hand while watching the ball. When it pops up, you know you are on the compression stroke. Then you can use a long screwdriver or other rod that is long enough to reach the piston top. Watching the rod, turn the crankshaft until the rod hits it's highest point. That will have you at TDC compression. Then you can install the distributor with the rotor arm pointing to #1 tower on the cap. 

I find it easier to mark the base of the distributor where #1 is so aligning that rotor is easier. Set the distributor into place and see how far the rotor turns. Then pull the distributor back out, turn the rotor the same distance the opposite side of the mark. Then when you put the distributor back in, the rotor should be lined up with your mark. 

That should get you pretty much at 0° TDC. You should be able to get the engine to start and finish setting the base timing. 

 

You’ve been super helpful!!!! Thanks so much. I did have it at TDC. But retraced everything today using your advice and even crafted a hose duct taped to dog squeaker toy to find compression. It worked great. 

 

Turns out I have been pointing the rotor at the #1 spark plug—but at closer inspection of the cap I realized the actual contact was not where the #1 spark was. It was closer to #2 the whole time.

 

so now I have it running and I’m trying to set the timing. I bought a cheap harbor freight timing gun but it flashes nowhere near the timing marks. I know on some engines you need remove a vacuum hose from the distributor. My Nissan doesn’t have on the distributor. Is there something else I need to do in order to get it to work? (I took one back thinking it was a bad gun, but the second did exactly the same thing).

 

thanks for all your help me reverse!

 

 

[Mr_Reverse]

Nope, nothing special other than having the engine warmed up and idle speed at spec. You do have to have the pickup on #1 cyl. Does your timing light have a 2cycle/DIS setting? Does it have advance?  If so on either of those, you need to have it set for standard 4 cycle and the advance set to either 0 if you want to use it in the traditional way or set to the spec if you want to do the easy adjust. 

 

If none of that works or you don't have adjustments on your light, it is possible the crankshaft pulley has been off and reinstalled clocked incorrectly. That puts the timing marks in the wrong place. 

[Slartibartfast]

Like Mr. Reverse said, it's possible to install the crank pulley in the wrong position on the balancer. The right way to deal with this would be to correct the orientation of the crank pulley (unbolt, re-clock, bolt it up again). That said, I'd try putting the timing light pickup on the plug wires for other cylinders until I found one that matched up with where your marks are now. The pulley goes on six different ways (six bolts), and there are six cylinders, so logically there should be one cylinder that the marks are true for.

 

[Henry]

16 hours ago, Mr_Reverse said:

Does your timing light have a 2cycle/DIS setting? Does it have advance?

 

No settings other than advance which I have adjusted. It gets closest at 0”.

[Henry]

6 hours ago, Slartibartfast said:

Like Mr. Reverse said, it's possible to install the crank pulley in the wrong position on the balancer. The right way to deal with this would be to correct the orientation of the crank pulley (unbolt, re-clock, bolt it up again). That said, I'd try putting the timing light pickup on the plug wires for other cylinders until I found one that matched up with where your marks are now. The pulley goes on six different ways (six bolts), and there are six cylinders, so logically there should be one cylinder that the marks are true for.

 

 

Well I tried this too. Nothing gets it spot on. It did get close enough on two of the spark plug wires to see the marks... but they are quite a bit off to the right (clockwise) of where they should be.

 

is it possible that I still have the distributor off one tooth? It’s at the end of adjustment where it will start and idle. If I rotate the distributor at all in the other direction it stalls the engine. 

 

Can I be that far off on timing and still have a running engine? 

[FirstGenFreak]

Sure is possible, Pull it out, move it one tooth and see how you go through the range of adjustment.

[Henry]

2 hours ago, FirstGenFreak said:

Sure is possible, Pull it out, move it one tooth and see how you go through the range of adjustment.

 

Well I did move it one tooth- and lots more room for adjustment. It’s running great, sounds great and handles great. I just have no idea where the timing is. 

 

I’ve tried the gun on each wire and nothing seems to be lined up. 

 

If it’s all seemingly working well should I still worry? Not sure what to do now other than take it to a shop with better tools?

 

one odd side note - when I did line everything up to TDC the mark on the pulley was pretty much at 0*. So I thought it was all good. 

 

[FirstGenFreak]

As long as it doesn't over heat, or ping under load, you're good. 

 

[Mr_Reverse]

Yep, if the engine is starting and running happy, not something to worry about. The ECU controls the timing anyway, so that is why it is only the base timing that can be set, and idle speed and all the other sensors have to be just right  to use the light. Just the observation angle will make it look off. My light died last year, and I still haven't replaced it because I really don't use it much anymore. Perhaps once every year or two. 

[Slartibartfast]

Weird. Yeah, if the marks lined up with #1 at TDC, that suggests the pulley's on the right way. I see why you suspected something wrong with the light. All I can think of is that something might've gone wrong with the key between the crank and the balancer, but if that was wrong, then the mark shouldn't have lined up with #1 at top dead. (How did you determine TDC?) I'd be surprised if it ran well if the timing was truly as far out as it sounds like your light says it is. That suggests that either the light is screwy, or the marks are in the wrong place, which is why I'm thinking about that key.

 

It is entirely possible to set timing by ear. That's how my dad and I set up the 302 in his hot rod, because the guy who put the engine together didn't bother to install a crank pointer, and we haven't bothered to fix that. It runs great. That said, given the weirdness with yours, I'd want to track this one down just to make sure something isn't damaged.

 

With how few vehicles on the road have mechanically adjustable timing anymore, I guess the timing light is going the way of the dwell meter. I still used it on mine after I had the dizzy out. I guessed and tried it until it started, set it with the light and the engine cold (just to get it somewhere close, and because I was curious how much it would actually move when it warmed up), let it warm up, then adjusted it back to 15° (spec for MPFI trucks). The service manual for the TBI trucks calls for 12° +/-2.

[Henry]

44 minutes ago, Slartibartfast said:

(How did you determine TDC?)

 

 

I used an old hose attached to an old dog squeaker toy on spark plug #1. Cranked the engine until I heard the squeak and then put a long rod in the cylinder until it rose to its highest point. 

 

The marks on the pulley were lined up at the first mark (0”) to the pointer.