What's up guys,
First time on the site. Hopefully, I'm posting this right.

I just bought an '87 4Runner that I'm doing a head gasket on and I first need to pull the distributor, but my shop manual says to make sure the engine is at top dead center. When I manually turn the flywheel and get the notch to line up at zero the rotor is not pointed at the number one terminal of the distributor cap like I'm told it should be. It's not even close, nor is it pointing at the number 4 terminal (I have a 22re) if it were on the exhaust stroke. My first guess is that the timing is off, but the truck wasn't running that bad before the head gasket went. I bought it in Chicago and drove it back here to Boston. I'm just trying to correct this before taking out the distributor. I'm assuming that would be bad if I didn't.

I guess if I had a question for you guys, it would be:
Should I try to correct the timing and get the notch on the flywheel to coincide with the rotor pointing to the #1 terminal of the number one plug or should I just mark everything the way it is and put it back the way it is?

Thanks very much,
Chris

 

Welcome to YotaTech.

First, it doesn't point exactly at the #1 terminal; the timing is advanced so it points a little (5°?) past. But if you're way off, and the truck runs well, all I can think of is you have a spun harmonic balancer. (There is an annular rubber ring between the part with the pulley sheaves and the part that connects to the crankshaft. If old enough, that ring can fail and the out ring can shift.) If your truck is still running, put a timing light on it. If not running, you'll need to check for real TDC. Just pull the #1 plug, rotate the crank until you're on the TDC mark, and use a chopstick or a plastic straw to feel for TDC as you rock the crank (don't use a screwdriver; one slip and you'll scar the piston, or worse.)

 

Cool, I'll just confirm TDC with a chopstick and make sure piston 1 is all the way up.
Thanks man. Appreciate it.

 

Truth is, it doesn't matter at all how the engine lays when you take it apart. Not one bit.

 

Hey Boston neighbor, As millball says it really doesn’t matter because you are going to go through the steps of aligning everything when you put it back together but scope makes a good point to confirm your balancer ring has not slipped so your marks will be accurate. This will be much easier to confirm once you pull the head(before you pull the timing cover) It will be obvious when you run the #1 piston up to TDC. Then your alignment notch on the balancer and 0 mark should agree. As to balancer rings slipping, this is an often mentioned problem in forums, but how commonly it actually occurs is tough to say. Anything’s possible after 30-50 years of running and heat cycling, and previous ownership, i suppose. I personally haven’t seen it yet in 35 years of messing with Yotas and Chevys.

Engines run like crap with 0* of ignition advance. If you do get it running there then you will have to dial in the factory 5* of advance pretty immediately anyhow. An easy way to counter this is to instead line up the timing mark at 5* before TDC(“advanced”). Then insert the distributor pointing straight at #1 plug wire on the cap. That’s my SOP. Chevys, Fords, Mopars, Yotas, etc.

post some pics of your 4runner.

 

I don't think that will work the way you stated it. The distributor is driven by a helical gear, so it has to be inserted about 45° off of where you want it to end up. Toyota gives that procedure here: http://web.archive.org/web/201101242.../5distribu.pdf

You probably meant something like "... insert the distributor so that it ends up pointing straight at #1 ..."

You still need a timing light to set the timing; trying to set 5° "by eye" won't get you very close.

 

Yes, that’s what i meant. I didn’t say don’t use a timing light. It’s not 5* “by eye” it’s 5* by your timing marks. You’ll have no more error by this method than you will setting it at TDC by your timing marks. Either way, 0 or 5, you confirm with the timing light. The point is, it’ll be much more likely to start easily at 5 than 0. TV car shows always mess this up for dramatic effect, flames though carburetors, why won’t it run? Drama.