Hey guys, just had my freshly rebuilt motor done, it ran fine but timing was way off and thought that the distributor was off a tooth or so. Set the timing using the breaker bar to TDC, I pulled the distributor off and repositioned it the right way and proceeded to start the truck but forgot that the breaker bar was still on the crank bolt! Well, it fell off after I fired it up and I went to fire it up again but now it runs and sounds like crap. My only diagnoses is that the timing skipped a tooth, is that possible with a timing chain? I know belts will do that but not sure about chains. Any help would be great. I'll pull off the valve cover to inspect it when I get off work.

 

I dont know if it would skip a tooth or not, but am intrested so what the timing is like when you get to it.

 

I know that chains can stretch over a period of time. I suppose that the breaker bar could replicate years and years of on off throttle torque fluctuation. I believe I would find TDC then take a gander at my bright links and the cam dowel. This is very dissapointing stuff to have happen. Best of luck, you are almost there!!!

 

I'm having a hard time understanding how a breaker bar attached to the crank bolt during engine start up could affect the chain. Unless something inside the engine locked the valve train the chain shouldn't get stressed.

Am I wrong?

 

You have no idea how a timing chain works, do you.

 

I would have to agree, I can't see how a breaker bar on the crankshaft could have much impact on the timing chain.

 

I may have missed this, but did you actually check the timing? (With a timing light, not by "eyeballing" the rotor position or other shade-tree method.) If the timing was "way off" in one direction and then you changed the distributor by one tooth, it's probably "way off" somewhere else. Which would make it run like crap.

And as others have said, jamming the crank (by cranking it into a breaker bar) should have no effect on the timing chain or cams. You could bend a rod, blow a hole in a piston, crack the crank, etc.

So if you haven't checked the timing, try that. Then check compression. These are easy.

 

it didnt damage anything wen the breaker bar flew off did it? that may be the noise you are hearing????

 

Heres where I'm at and it looks to be about right so far:
Timing sprocket:

Distributor gear:

No good start up still....but am I in the right specs so far with both timing and distributor gear?

 

Figured it out, distributor was off a tooth! The pic from above was incorrect. I pulled it out and repositioned it to the "12 o'clock" position, inserted the gear shaft and watch it turn to the left, bolted everything back up, fired it and "BAM!" Instant engine life! I'm glad it didn't do anything worse cause I spent way too much time and money for this to happen. Thx for all the insights as always.

 

Glad to see it worked for you. Got to thinking later on, probably wouldnt do to much since that is way to loosen a bolt.

 

make sure you didn't bust the crank pulley bolt loose on accident.

 

is it an illusion or is that distributor gear cracked ??

 

Checked it and all is still good.

Cracked?? No, its just lighting otherwise it would run horrible like it did before.

 

You have no idea how many engines I have built do you?

 

Going off your first post, my guess would be none.

 

I am not thread jacking this guy to battle a keyboard warrior.

 

Your comment about the breaker bar on the crank stretching the chain is in no way possible, leading me to believe you have no idea what you're talking about.

If you're an experienced engine builder, that's great, but there are plenty of people on here that spread bad info, so you have to be kind of harsh on them or they just keep doing it. I apologize if I offended ya.