4g37 timing and distributor

[RockinRon]

Hey guys, hoping someone can point me in the right direction because I feel like I’m close but missing something.

Car is a 1991 Eclipse GS with the 1.8 (4G37).

I just finished doing a head gasket and replaced the oil pump while I was in there. Timing belt went back on and all the timing marks line up — cam gear is level with the head and crank sprocket mark lines up with the oil pump case.

Motor cranks strong but won’t start. It’ll backfire while cranking and earlier it popped once like it wanted to run but never stayed running.

I have spark and fuel. Compression feels normal while turning it over.

I did realize I may have messed up installing the distributor at first. I lined it up using a mark on the distributor shaft instead of the small punch mark on the gear. Before pulling it back out the rotor was sitting around the 3 o’clock position at TDC.

Right now I’m trying to make sure I’m actually at compression TDC on cylinder #1 and reinstall the distributor so the rotor points at the #1 wire.

Does this sound like I’m 180° out on the distributor? And roughly where should the rotor be pointing on these at compression TDC?

Just trying to make sure I’m not overlooking something common before I give up and send it to a shop. Appreciate any help.

 

[pauleyman]

The cam has more than line up with head parting line. There should be a mark to line up. Do this wrong and your distributor is likely not in time with the compression strokes because the cam wouldn't be on the compression stroke when you setup #1 at TDC.

See this thread.

93 1.8 help head gasket and stuff

I cant really find anything 1.8 on google or here, i am working on a 93 1.8 the guy had drove the car while it overheated until it stopped running well the rad had blew apart, so with no coolant in the system the car will run fine with a little missfire but when i put the new rad in and filled...

www.dsmtuners.com

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

1G - 4g37 Distributor Timing

Hey guys, I'm about to install the distributor assembly on my rebuilt 4g37 ('92 Eclipse) and I have a quick question. I see 2 dots on the gear and I'm not sure which one to use. Each dot is 180° from the other. The way it is pictured is how I assumed it should go with the engine at TDC. The red...

www.dsmtuners.com

 

[RockinRon]

The cam has more than line up with head parting line. There should be a mark to line up. Do this wrong and your distributor is likely not in time with the compression strokes because the cam wouldn't be on the compression stroke when you setup #1 at TDC.

See this thread.

93 1.8 help head gasket and stuff

I cant really find anything 1.8 on google or here, i am working on a 93 1.8 the guy had drove the car while it overheated until it stopped running well the rad had blew apart, so with no coolant in the system the car will run fine with a little missfire but when i put the new rad in and filled...

www.dsmtuners.com

Gotcha, that makes sense. I had the cam gear lined up with the head but I didn’t actually verify the cam lobes were on compression for #1.

I just pulled the valve cover back off and I’m going to rotate it again and watch the #1 intake open and close so I know I’m on the compression stroke before reinstalling the distributor.

So at true compression TDC both #1 cam lobes should be pointing up and neither valve being pressed, correct?

Appreciate the help — definitely learning as I go here.

 

[pauleyman]

Gotcha, that makes sense. I had the cam gear lined up with the head but I didn’t actually verify the cam lobes were on compression for #1.

I just pulled the valve cover back off and I’m going to rotate it again and watch the #1 intake open and close so I know I’m on the compression stroke before reinstalling the distributor.

So at true compression TDC both #1 cam lobes should be pointing up and neither valve being pressed, correct?

Appreciate the help — definitely learning as I go here.

You dont have to do that. Just line up the crank and cam as per the diagram. That should be the starting point for setting distributor also. Refer to the manual to confirm. Marks lined up should be #1 on compression.

 

[RockinRon]

You dont have to do that. Just line up the crank and cam as per the diagram. That should be the starting point for setting distributor also. Refer to the manual to confirm. Marks lined up should be #1 on compression.

Yeah timing is definitely correct — I’ve double checked the crank sprocket and cam gear marks against the Chilton manual and they line up exactly.

At this point I’m thinking the distributor indexing is where I went wrong since I originally lined it up using the wrong mark. I’m going to reinstall it with the engine sitting at the timing marks and make sure the rotor points directly at #1 and see what happens.

Thanks for the help.

 

[pauleyman]

Yeah timing is definitely correct — I’ve double checked the crank sprocket and cam gear marks against the Chilton manual and they line up exactly.

At this point I’m thinking the distributor indexing is where I went wrong since I originally lined it up using the wrong mark. I’m going to reinstall it with the engine sitting at the timing marks and make sure the rotor points directly at #1 and see what happens.

Thanks for the help.

The manual directions were posted. Post #3 in the link below.

1G - 4g37 Distributor Timing

Hey guys, I'm about to install the distributor assembly on my rebuilt 4g37 ('92 Eclipse) and I have a quick question. I see 2 dots on the gear and I'm not sure which one to use. Each dot is 180° from the other. The way it is pictured is how I assumed it should go with the engine at TDC. The red...

www.dsmtuners.com