Help Me Diagnose My Miss
So I figured this out, kinda. I think a similar thing happened as described above. Turns out the ignition timing was advanced a LOT. I could barely see my 40* mark from the balancer on the timing cover, so there was probably around 50* advance at idle, causing it to run like ****. My only guess is that the reluctor phasing was off so much that the spark was jumping to the previous plug terminal, like what AJ was saying. How does this happen suddenly? And how do I ensure that doesn't happen again? Maybe the reluctor wheel slipped.
Well the reluctor is pinned to the shaft, so that's doubtful.
Give the rotor a little twist and let it snap back on it's own. It does snap back right?All the way to it's parked position,right? Every time right? If not,find out why and fix it.
If it behaves properly, prove the TDC mark is in fact TDC using the piston stop method. Then
put the crank at TDC#1, on the compression stroke. Then back it up to 20degrees advanced. Next pop the cap. And the rotor. Then check the reluctor vanes. One of them should be more or less directly lined up with the metal spike on the pick up (called the pole-piece).If it isn't, make it so, by loosening the D and rotating it. But first, make sure the Vcan rod is properly installed, not jammed and that the Vcan is properly working; use a vacuum pump.Next,sight a line down from the firing tip of the rotor to the aluminum housing, and with a Sharpie mark that position on the housing where you will be able to see it with the cap back on. Put the cap/rotor back on.Make sure the rotor is properly located and holds it's position. Now; That Sharpie mark better be right under whatever tower sends spark to #1 cylinder.
But if it's not, Then the reluctor may be improperly installed. Pop the cap and rotor again. Look at the top of the reluctor. You should see two slots down by the driveshaft; one with the roll-pin stuck in it. Pop that reluctor up off there, and put it back on using the other groove. I use a couple of screwdrivers to do this, whatever works, they're rarely very tight. Ok now align a reluctor vane (Any one) again with the pole-piece on the pick-up, by rotating the D. Erase the old Sharpie mark, and make a new one. Replace the rotor and cap.Again, that sharpie mark should be right under a tower. If it is, make sure the #1 wire goes to that tower and relocate the rest accordingly. Fire it up and set the base timing. Lock the D down and prove it's locked down by attempting to rotate the housing, by pulling on the Vcan.
So if it didn't move, then the base timing should theoretically never move again, except the tiny bit it does when the timing chain stretches.
If it starts running funny again, the first thing you can do is check the rotor alignment to the Sharpie mark you made. If it goes off by itself, that is not normal and should never happen. The possibilities are; jumped timing chain, a slipping intermediate driveshaft, faulty mechanical advance system, faulty reluctor plate location,slipping rotor. Of these, the first two usually spell disaster for the engine. The last three are the most likely. The very last one is the easiest to check.
BTW, the rotor does not have to be exactly in the center of the tower. But it has to be less than 1/2 the distance to the next nearest CCW tower. And since the advance mechanism rotates the rotor clockwise, the rotor can only be slightly CW of the tower. Else the advance mechanism will drive the rotor to the next tower. If it gets to the halfway mark, and the coil has enough power, it will rather spark there. So you do have a fairly wide target window, maxed out at about 15/16 degrees; Maybe 10CCW and 5 or 6 CW.
Ok so have at her,lol.
