hey fellas, im the proud owner of an 18,000 mile 1984 cutlass calais T-Top, it sat in a garage its whole life and i practically stole it, unfortunately i was young & dumb, i ran the **** out of it and blew the intake gasket, fixed that, and as soon as it fired up, bam, there goes a head gasket, so i got the new ones and put them all on, along with chrome valve covers...but heres the problem...i cant get it in time, i done TDC and put the distributor in..and my oldsmobile book said that the #1 should be in the top right...i done that...and still nothing, it backfired through the carb a few times but thats it..i really need some help here...shes my baby and shes been under for far toooo long, can someone please tell me how to correctly time it? its a 307 v8 with ac and smog delete, thanks guys...


josh

 

It's probably 180 degrees out. either pull the distributor and turn the rotor 180 degrees and reinstall the distributor move your #1 wire to #6 and rewire from there.

 

What kind of distributor do you have? I saw 'smog delete' and wonder...

 

stock hei distributor, so i should re-install the distributor again (the way i have been doing it) and just switch all the wires? or should i just drop it in exactly opposite?

 

What direction are you installing the wires...clockwise or counter?

 

To do the timing on a ECM controlled HEI you need to ground the ALDL connector under the dashboard. Use a paperclip and ground the A and B terminals while its running, time it up to the stock 20* or where ever your preference is and remove the paperclip. My moded, ECM controlled 307 ran great with 22* timing on 93 octane, even hot started fine.

 

If it is stock, then it is a computer controlled disty and timing is both mechanical and electronic (no vacuum).
If you disabled the computer then the timing will never work right. You will need a non computer disty.
Not sure how much of the smog stuff you deleted...
Knowing this we will be able to help more.

 

i cant even get it to start, i just took the smog pump off, it ran fine before. counter clockwise as an oldsmobile should be. i'm thinking as oldcutlass said its 180 out, can someone give me a step by step on how to time this thing? this is my first timing issue ever..

 

First off, when you align timing marks at TDC, what method are you using to determine whether it is TDC ready to fire #1, or TDC ready to fire #6? There are two crank turns per cycle...

 

remove all the plugs, hold your finger over #1 plug hole(drivers side front). turn the motor over, "feel the pressure of the compression stroke" the harmonic timing mark should line up with 0 on the timing tab. that should give you tdc for dist install. the #1 on the dist should be neer the fire wall, drivers side. stab the dist with the roter turned back so when it slides in the roter will turn and line up with #1 on the dist. you may have to turn the oil pump shaft before dist install to let the dist seat. 18436572. its different than chev!!! make sure your looking at olds install in the book. from front to back drivers side is 1 3 5 7... passanger side is 2 4 6 8

 

"remove ALL the plugs" ?!

 

spark-plugs... ya, its easier to turn the motor over.

 

well, i got home too late to do anything today, i was using an old dipstick in the sparkplug hole to feel the piston when it reaches the top, thats my method of TDC, tomorrow ill try re-routing the plug wires, or would it be easier to just make sure the rotor button is exactly opposite of where i have been putting it? does it matter where how the disy cap is turned? would vaccum lines have any effect? i know for sure its getting gas, the last time i messed with it, it wasnt even backfiring through the carb, just turning over. i really want my baby running again ): also, where is the counter thing? and whats the best angle to see it?

 

" i was using an old dipstick in the sparkplug hole to feel the piston when it reaches the top, thats my method of TDC,"
Fail... its not a grenade. TDC indicator is on the harmonic balancer on the front of the motor.


"easier to just make sure the rotor button is exactly opposite of where i have been putting it?"
it's just a rotor, and nobody said it was going to be easier and this job is not easy for a novice!!


"does it matter where how the disy cap is turned?"
Yes everything matters


"would vaccum lines have any effect?"
Yes.


" i really want my baby running again ):
step away from facetime and Nintendo and learn how to do it right


" where is the counter thing? and whats the best angle to see it?
Go into the bathroom lay in the tub on your left side, turn your head to the right and look up it should be on top of the vanity.


take your time and learn how to do it right or it will kick your ***

 

theres absolutely no need to be offensive, im not the average 18 yr old bro, i dont facetime i dont even own an iphone nor do i play video games, yes i am a novice, at timing. theres seriously no need to be an ***, i came here to learn how to do this, and all your doing is making me want to look elsewhere. is it that hard to bare with me and tell me step, by step how to do this? i know its not simple but i have the basic concept, i just dont know where the counter is. other then that i was doing it correctly to start with. instead of being an *** help me LEARN

 

Some here have a warped sense of humor sometimes. Go with it, and have fun. I'm assuming your looking for the timing tab? It's down by the harmonic balancer behind the big pulley just under the water pump on the front of the engine.

 

okay, im going out now to get started, ill let you know what happens fellas, thanks!

 

Hey guys weve been having bad weather recently, so i havent been able to do much. But i tried it and still nothing. Im gonna take another swing at it later, ill record a video of what im doing so you guys could see if im doing anything wrong

 

Does anyone have a vaccum diagram for the stock carb? Quadrajet 4bbl

 

I have not seen one complete one, as it is too complex for one page. You will need the GM manual for your year and look up each individual system. These cars have vacuum line nightmares...

 

How could i do away with them all? Im 99% sure thats why it wont start. Would a quad from a chevy 350 alright? It seems likenits not firing. But someone told me vaccum lines would make it do this, theres not a single vaccum line hooked up lol

 

Changing carbs ain't gonna help if your timing is not right.
Hook up what vacuum you can, plug what confuses you for now. Fix that later
Changing to a Brand C carb will not help except you keep you busy.

Maybe you could read up on the basics of the 4-stroke cycle engine
How 4 strokes = TWO complete turns of the crankshaft

Therefore even if you put the #1 piston at TDC with "a dipstick" instead of the timing marks- which can work, sure.... YOU DO NOT KNOW IF THAT IS AT THE TOP OF THE #1 cylinder COMPRESSION STROKE OR IF IT IS AT THE TOP OF THE #1 CYLINDER'S EXHAUST STROKE [and the #6 cylinder is ready to fire instead of #1]....

SO, to avoid all possible error:
put your thumb over the #1 plug hole. Have a helper [or yourself if you have a remote start switch hooked up] crank the engine _a teeny bit at a time_ until air pressure in the cylinder forces past your thumb. Now you KNOW it's the compression stroke.

Now STOP using your thumb in the #1 plug hole, STOP using the starter... and BY HAND turn the engine the last little bit [1-1/8" socket on the crank bolt works well] until the timing mark is at 0 or close to it [or back up a little if you overshot it]. Exactness is not necessary to just get her started, but it helps.

NOW you are at TDC compression ready to fire.

Install the dist'r if not already done.
If you care to, match the factory rotor location- its contact should point at the #1 cylinder for pre-HEI or point about at the brake booster for HEI. Really, it just does not matter much because now you will....

NOTE WHERE THE ROTOR IS POINTING.
I use a dot from a paint pen, placed on the engine, firewall, distributor housing, whatever. You can use chalk or tape or memory or whatever works for you. Make sure the mark will be visible after the dist'r cap is on. Put the dist'r cap on.

Put your #1 plug wire there where the rotor was pointing, now that the engine is ready to fire #1. And you KNOW this because you felt the compression stroke and then aligned the timing marks. No guesswork.

Put the rest of the plug wires on, CCW as viewed from above,
1-8-4-3
6-5-7-2

Note that each set of four above is one turn of the crank
note that 6 is under 1
Therefore, when 6 is ready to fire, 1 is exactly one turn away from firing position.
and vice-versa
and etc. for 8-5, 4-7, and 3-2 cylinders... but I digress.

Look at the intake, or the service manual, to find that the cylinders are numbered 1-3-5-7 down the LH [Driver] side front to back, and 2-4-6-8 front to back RH side. NOT like some Fords. This is the order the rods come on the crank.


PLEASE GODS OF CO MAKE A DAMN STICKY OUT OF THIS HOW TO TIME SHTUFF

 

Ive been doing the thumb compression thing then we (brother and i) put the timing tab on 0 then the plug wires counter clockwise (gonna go recheck all the wires tomorow) and putting the distributor in, it slides right in and turns to the top right, (right where it shows in the book) line the cap up tighten it, then get in pump it and crank, i know forsure its getting gas.