How do I adjust my cam sprocket for chain stretch?

[Milenko2121]

10 degrees to 15 degrees at idle (850rpm) with no vac advance during the measurement is a good starting point.

I can't get it lower than 20deg idle

Do you have a vacuum leak somewhere.

I have not run a test yet, I don't have a gauge for it.

could it be my front cover or oil pan not being tight enough? I torqued the bolts down to 10-15lb's

anyway, I had everything set at TDC, got the oil pump installed at the 11:30 position(skinny side on bottom), the rotor points towards my left headlight(spark plug #5 is installed here).

I have to rotate all the way to the right to get it to run at all, anything else spits and spudders

if I don't have it all the way, when I turn the key it tries to turn over and then stops like it's stuck(doesn't do this with coil disconnected)

one time I even had some slight smoke come out of the intake(was only once)

the exhaust is really quiet, feels like I have no backpressure at all when I put my hand over the exhaust.(before I did the chain, it was loud where you could at least hear it easily and had pressure)

if I set the idle at 1k or higher it idles fine

my TPS is fine

all plugs/injectors are firing

it revs and drives/pulls good

it's just my idle just doesn't sound right, and it seems like I'm way too advanced(i can hear the injectors ticking too fast)

what could it possibly be?

Edited January 19, 2012 by Milenko2121

[Zed Head]

I can't get it lower than 20deg idle

anyway, I had everything set at TDC, got the oil pump installed at the 11:30 position(skinny side on bottom), the rotor points towards my left headlight.

I have to rotate all the way to the right to get it to run at all, anything else spits and spudders

if I don't have it all the way, when I turn the key it tries to turn over and then stops like it's stuck(doesn't do this with coil disconnected)

one time I even had some slight smoke come out of the intake(was only once)

it revs and drives/pulls good

it's just my idle just doesn't sound right, and it seems like I'm way too advanced(i can hear the injectors ticking too fast)

what could it possibly be?

"Stopping like it's stuck" is a sign of too much advance. Not sure what you mean by "all the way to the right" on your adjustment. Turning the distributor clockwise is advancing. You might have your oil pump off one tooth. Or your plug wires off one hole (that would be 120 degrees of crank rotation, I believe though, so unlikely). Or your wires off one hole and your pump off one tooth. Something's off.

You can either fiddle around with your plug wires and the other adjustment on the distributor or adjust the oil pump. But I would start over: set the pulley mark at zero (make sure you're on the compression stroke on cylinder #1), put the distributor at the center of adjustment (line up the two lines), pull the distributor cap and see where the forward edge of the rotor is pointing (the rotor turns counterclockwise), then put your #1 plug wire there, reset your firing order, and check your timing. It should be close to zero.

[Milenko2121]

so where the rotor points is where spark plug #1 should be? if that's the case, I need to move my plugs over one because I have #5 there.

also, my pulley at 0 isn't TDC for me

one other thing, the compression stroke, that has to deal with the cam correct? because when I set everything, it was all at 12oclock for the marks, and the sprocket lines up perfect with the cam mark, and there's 20 links in between the cam and crank marks.

Edited January 19, 2012 by Milenko2121

[olzed]

You have the plug wires wrong. # five would be firing on it's exhaust stroke. Would'nt run at all well.

When piston #1 is at TDC, the rotor should point towards your left headlight , and that is where #1 plug wire should be. Put that wire in the correct place, then redo the rest of the wires to the correct firing order. Repeating what zedhead said, "the rotor turns counterclockwise."

When both cam lobes on #1 are pointing up like ears, you are on compression stroke.

[Milenko2121]

Ok ill try that tomorrow, hopefully that fixes it. Im just trying to fix everything the previous owner changed.

[olzed]

As the rotor turns counterclockwise it delivers a spark to each wire in turn. So the dizzy wire to the left of #1 will go to plug #5, then #3, then #6, then #2, then #4. So the firing order is 153624

[madkaw]

I believe Olzed has it right, you have the timing too far off to adjust, and it is advanced.

It's usually best to just start over again and get the engine at TDC and look at everything. At TDC the rotor iniside the dizzy should point to the #1 plug. I've noticed most dizzy caps have some kind of notch or bump on the outide that lines up with where #1 plug should line up when the cap is secured in place. This needs to be very close or you will have the situation you have now.

Get the motor to TDC compression stroke #1. Try to make sure it's compression stroke by hearing or feeling the compression building at the #1 plug hole. You shouldn't need to pull your valve cover, just put your finger over the hole or loosen the spark plug enough to hear or feel the compreesion building.

Take the cap off and check rotor alignment. If off, then remove dizzy to check alignment of shaft to the oil pump. It should look just like the Haynes manual at the proper O'clock position.

Make sure whn you do check timing after getting the car running again that you disconnect the vacuum advance from the dizzy and plug the line.

[Milenko2121]

well, thanks for the heads up, too bad I didn't just have a photo of what I needed it to look like.

I did misalign the alignment shaft. I was assuming the "middle" was between the two lines, and I had to have it at 11:30 based on those, which was truly roughly 10oclock instead

well, at least I know now. I'll fix it first thing tomorrow, and fire her up.

thank all of you for the help, and hopefully this will fix it

[olzed]

Heres a good picture of the dizzy shaft at TDC

http://www.oocities.org/inlinestroker/oilpumpshaft2.jpg

[Milenko2121]

got everything lined up

car runs good now, but has a rough idle after it warms up(it idles perfect while cold)

I suspect a fauly water temp sensor, but could it be something else that i'm not accounting for?

going to do some research as to how to tell if the wts is bad or not and go from there.

[madkaw]

Good job!!!!!

[Jeff G 78]

...also, my pulley at 0 isn't TDC for me...

Do you have the wrong pulley/pointer, or is your damper torn and rotating? If the damper is ripped, you need to replace it right away. Not only can you not use a timing light, but you can break a crank. My race car damper ripped and was so bad that I could spin the fan with the engine off. Another member was kind enough to give me a good damper and I'm back in business.