Talked to Malteserunner yesterday. He told me that I'd have to heat them up with a soldering gun to get them out. I would have never thought about that. After I got the old ones out, I did need a third hand to hold the pliers super carefully as I used both of my hands to solder the new springs in. Then I through everything together and got everything back into the truck and ready to start.

When I go to start it, it won't even start. I know I don't have the timing perfect, but it's close. And even at that, it should start, just not run smoothly.

Could the connection be loose inside the distributor cap from when I took it out and had it laying up-side down?

 

Are you getting fuel? Is it trying to start; kicking but just not starting? Is it backfiring? Or is it just rolling over on the starter and that's it?

 

Well I think I realized my problem: the the gear on the distributor turned while I had it out (and no, I didn't mark it).

So this is what my auto shop teacher told me to do:

Remove spark plug number 1 (although I think it will work on any plug to make it more convenient for me) and then place my finger over the hole. Spin the belts until I feel it compressing, and then set the distributor to face the #1 wire (or whatever # plug I used).

Sounds like it makes sense? Can anyone second this or any tips from experience? Thanks!

 

The timing marks on the front of the engine are in relation to #1 piston so you must use #1 to install your distributor and set your time. Bring #1 to top dead center on the compression stroke. Your timing marks should be on top dead center as well. Put your cap on the distributor and find #1 on the cap and make a corresponding mark on the side of the distributor. Put the rotor on the distributor shaft. The distributor gear is helical, so when you go to put the distributor in the engine you will have to turn it past your mark, as it engages with the drive gear the shaft will turn back towards your mark and once it is fully engaged the end of the rotor that fires to the cap electrodes should line up with your mark on the side of the distributor. If it doesn't pull the distributor out and keep trying until you get it lined up.

 

Needs to be #1 because of the pulley mark, see below.

Turn the crank (clockwise), not the belts. Once it starts compressing, then keep turning the crank until the mark on the crank pulley lines up with the 0 degree mark on the lower timing belt cover.

Yeah, that's the basic idea, with a few key details missing.

The idea behind the compression is to make sure you're at the end of the compression stroke. If you just line up the crank without knowing you're on the compression stroke, there's a 50% chance you'll have the dizzy 180 degrees off (and that probability increases if you take Murphy's law into account).

After that, jump terminals TE1 and E1 in the diagnostic connector using a paper clip. Then use your timing light to set the timing to 10 degrees BTDC.

FSM is here, read it:

http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-b...13distribu.pdf

http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-buchanan/93fsm/