Hey,  just bought a 1977 Z that im waking from a long +15 year comma.  Loloking for guidance as to what i should do and in what order. 

Compression check done.  All Cylinder are in the 180s except 1 which showed 145.  I changed all the plugs, oil and filters.  I also drained the old fuel and fuel filter.  Radiator was empty and thermostat had disentegrated cavities in the cooling systme had white powered residue.  Car will only turn over when i jump the starter leads with a screw driver and get nothing, no power when tunring the ignition key,  

So what do you all recommend I do next?  Will post pics of the car when i bought it.  Ive had it about 10 days.  

 

Gents,  I’m back in Memphis working on the Z.  Mission was to figure out the timing issue.  Still waiting on the fuel tank to be finished.  

So I pulled the valve cover and using the Atlanticz’s tech tips I think I have found TDC for cylinder one.  See attached pics.

I rotated the engine by hand with the spark plugs out until the mark on the crank pulley was on the zero tick mark on the indicator. I then checked the position of the cam pulley and flashed a light in cylinder 1 to see if it was all the to the top. All looked good until I pulled the distributor cap.  According to the tech tips my rotor is pointing 180 deg off where it should be.  Can you all look at the pics and validate my findings.  I don’t want to start screwing around until I’m confident my finding are accurate. 

 

Edited March 25, 20186 yr by Av8ferg

I'd try a couple more times. That's harder than it seems.

#2 lobe needs to come up and the straight line should at least be in the sprocket notch.

Oh and your rotor is at 5 and #1 will be 8 o'clock. 

You are really close. You may need to advance the sprocket to  a higher number?

There is not really a "180 off".  There is off though.  It could be any number of degrees.  But it doesn't matter much if you can get the plug wires in to holes that allow them to spark at the right time.  Which I think that you had, because you measured timing with a timing light.  On the other hand, there is rotor positioning.  If the rotor is on the right electrode but late or early you could get spark jumping to the wrong electrode.

But it does look your cam timing is pretty far advanced.  Somebody has moved the sprocket to the #2 or #3 hole.

If you don't want to set lash or measure it at least grab each rocker arm and see if it's loose.

 

I think that his is already on a higher number.  It's way beyond "after adjustment" and adjustment is to higher numbers.

Doesn't look you're getting much oil spray up there either.  Things look kind of dry.  I usually have enough oil on the edge that it starts leaking over the side.  Oil everywhere.

Okay, I’m totally confused.  What do I need to do now?  I guess I really don’t understand what you guys are talking about.  I’m confident the #1 piston is at TDC.  The lobes are up around 45 deg but the distributor rotor is not where the plug for cylinder one is on the cap.   Of note....when I initially questioned the spark plug order on the distributor cap they were in a totally different location .  Not sure why the previous owner had it wrong, but he told me he never had it running and lost interest.  

ZH, I agree it’s pretty dirty up there.  This engine hasn’t started in almost 18 years.  I don’t think oil is getting up there because there’s no oil pressure to the spray bars when you just crank the engine....or is there?  I considered cleaning but figured I just dislodge sludge and get it in the engine.  

What do you guys suggest I do next?

I’m trying to understand this. I’m at TDC and my rotor is pointing to 5 o’clock instead of 8.  This is probably why it’s not starting. Even if I adjusted the sprocket on the cam that won’t solve the rotor alignment problem?  By the way I don’t have a shinny chain link on my timing chain to see if it’s on 1,2 or 3 markings which I’ve read is used to adjust for chain stretch.  

So, the question I think is how do I get the rotor to point to 8 o’clock?  I’m considering removing the distributor and taking a closer look at it.  As far as I know if could be an the wrong one...broken or who knows what’s been done to this car over the past 41 years.  I feel like a detective solving one mystery after another.  Recap....bad ignition switch, bad fuel pump, wrong ECU,  blown fusible links,  battery fuse link on negative battery post vice positive, clogged fuel tank.  I couldn’t have solved any of this without your help here.  Thank!!! Beers on me if we ever meet at a Z car show.  

Another thing ive read of on here is to be sure the driver's side of the chain stays tight. Don't roll it back. If it gets slack it messes it all up.

I rolled mine 42 miles 4 feet at a time.

 

Sometimes the distributor gets off a tooth. I think it's from people putting them on wrong. It seems impossible to jump a tooth but I'm no mechanic. Try reading up on that, google "distributor shaft at tdc classiczcars.com".  I'm using my phone, it's no help.

I’ve been researching this issue.  I found a link on this forum that shows the proper position off here the distributor connects tone oil pump shaft.  See attached.  Mine is off for sure.  I don’t know if this means I need to pull the oil pump and adjust this or of that’s even possible.  Still looking into that.  See attached pics.  Clean photo is how it’s supposed to look and the dirty as hell one is mine looks.   You cannot mount the distributor wrong because the where the shaft connects has to half moon shapes (one smaller than the other) but the slot is offset allowing it to engage only one way.  

I found this on the Zcar forum.  Seems to pertain to my issue.  Sounds like I need to pull the oil pump and make some alignment adjustments.   Not sure how to do this but I’m looking now how in the FSM.  

http://www.zcar.com/forum/10-70-83-tech-discussion-forum/285669-distributor-rotation-timing.html