Hi all, I'm the new guy.

I had a problem recently with the car choking up whilst cranking, sometimes however, she'd start right up with a single click of the key and sometimes not.

This was definatly a timing issue.

Well I tried setting the timing myself,
1st piston to top, crank pulley to 0tdc, rotor facing +-7o' clock by removing oil pump, etc.

She used to start up before, although with a hassle, but now,
she cranks much more freely, but just wouldnt start and b\fire at a\box.

What am I doing wrong.

Please help.

 

The timing on my car is off also. How would you adjust the timing if it is futher off from being able to adjust it on the distributor? Thanks

 

Ill have to get back to you guys when I get home today, I don't want to tell you somthing wrong off the top of my head. I have rebuilt lots of engines but always have a book open in front of me If its wrong I blame the book

 

well since you took the oil pump off ... your timing is all wrong now.. your gonna have to put the engine on TOC and reallign the distributer so it points to #1 plug.. you might have to take off the valve cover to locate the lil timing mark on the cam sprocket.. well good luck man... by the way i dont think you needed to take the oil pump off to adjust your timing.. theres a screw that holds down your distributer and you just need to rotate the distributer to adjust your timing..

 

what happens when you cant turn the distributer any further and the timing is still off?

 

This was exactly the case, thats why I had to remove the entire oil pump and drive.

 

VIEW THIS THREAD,

http://www.zcar.com/forums/read.php?f=1&i=491905&t=491334#reply_491905

DOES THIS HELP?

 

OK heres a better site, this is bloody good.

http://www.atlanticz.ca/zclub/techti...ing/index.html

 

Thanks a lot!

 

That is a LOT of reading, but good info.

If your timing chain was originally installed correctly and has not jumped a tooth then you don't need to remove the front engine cover.

You just need to rotate your engine to TDC on the piston #1 (cylinder at the front of the engine) compression stroke. Remove the valve cover to see that both cam lobes over the first piston are pointed in an upward direction. That means the valves themselves are closed therefore: compression.

Anyway, remove the oil pump and distributor. EZ, they bunbolt and slide out. (is the swaybar in the way of the oil pump?)
Line up the oil pump spindle with the marks as outlined in a 280ZX manual or online article. You probably need pictures to see what the markes you are looking for.
Hold the oil pump below the front cover input and slide it in, careful not to turn the oil pump at all so that the gears line up perfectly. You can't be off by even on tooth or the distributor timing adjustment will not be able to compensate.
Once the oil pump is in corectly and bolted in, stick the distributor in. It can only snap in at one location so there's really no trick to that part. If you center the distributor adjustment, and the oil pump is in correctly you should be at or very near the proper ignition timing.

If you get the ignition timing all set and the engine still backfires and chokes a lot, then maybe you have something wrong with your cam timing. (timing chain) But that is most likely not the case. (hopefully, for your sake)

 

"You probably need pictures to see what the markes you are looking for.".

Yeh, do anyone have pics as to what type of marks I must be looking for.