We had a timing chain and gear put into my 1992 Ford Bronco (302 motor) NOW it only starts if you set the timing. If you set the timing and get it to run, it'll run all day if the motor is warm. If, however, you leave it set all night, it refuses to start without re-setting the time the next morning. Can you give me anything to go on? It makes no sense to my usual mechanic; my dad--who isn't, by the way, the one who put the timing chain in. We had an actual "mechanic" -and I use the term loosely-put it in. It hasn't run right since. Can ANYONE point me in some kind of direction?

 

What do you mean by "set the timing"? Are you pulling the SPOUT and using a timing light to set the timing to 10* BTDC? And then that changes by the next morning?

 

He isn't disconnecting the SPOUT, and maybe he isn't setting it to 12°BTDC like he should, just my guesses.

 

Actually *SHE* has pulled the SPOUT and I should've clarified, that we have to turn the distributor each time in order to get it to start. The time was originally set with the timing light when we got it back from said "mechanic". (On a personal aside: I came to THIS forum because in looking over the posts, and comparing to another Bronco forum I stumbled across, everyone was much nicer...Please don't judge because I am a SHE. I'm asking for help because I don't know where else to turn.) And, probably a stupid question: One of you says 10* BTDC and the other says 12*BTDC...could you clarify?

 

Nobody will care about your gender here, sorry, it's just the usual that guys are the ones to log in, welcome to FTE!.

 

Don't take this question the wrong way, but it has to be asked. Are you tightening down the distributer hold down clamp after you set the timing? I know there are more people who have forgot to do this than would like to admit it.

 

I don't know much about timing besides how to use a light to do it but i know when i replace my dizzy a while back i had to have my neighbor come and pull the sucker back out and turn it 180 then put it in and it still didn't work, but that was cause the coil wires were foobared. i figure this won't help at all cause your saying you can get it to run but maybe the timing gears are off a little. That would be my only real guess... Oh ya welcome to FTE

 

Thanks, guys for not proving me wrong. I do understand why the assumption was made. I'm not doing the work by myself...that's why my daddy's for. But I do know enough to be able to talk to you & explain the gremlins & how none of it's making any sense to try to help said dad try to fix my truck (whom I LOVE) Now...onto the conversation: Yes, Daveyj, everything is tightened down. Not taken the wrong way at all. Appreciate the help. We've done everything we can "basically". Now, it's more banging our heads to figure something out. The only thing *I* can come up with is the <insert expletive unbecoming of a lady> that "fixed" my truck has put something back together wrong. I tell my dad everyday that it runs worse "fixed" than broken. <sigh>

Thanks for the welcomes!

 

So are you rotating the distributor until the engine is able to start, then setting the timing back to 10-12* BTDC with the SPOUT removed? At which point, if you shut the engine off, it won't restart without rotating the distributor again? Have you verified that the balancer shows TDC when cylinder #1 is indeed at TDC? Have you pulled the cap on the distributor to verify that the rotor is pointing at the #1 plug wire when cylinder #1 is at TDC?

If the rubber in the balancer has failed, the outer ring will move in relation to the rest of the balancer, thereby showing incorrect timing. Other possibilities include a short in the wiring leading up to the TFI, or a bad TFI.

 

WHITE MAX: All that is correct...except once it's running, it'll start all day unless I leave it sit until the motor cools down (say 4-5 hours to overnight). THEN it won't restart without moving the distributor, etc. again...

 

Check the balancer and rotor position and let us know what you find.

 

You know what weird, with my 78 when we replaced the dizzy, the rotor was actually pointing at i think the 7th cylinder, even with no.1 at TDC... My neighbor who put it in has a 302 in his drag race stang and has to rebuild it a lot so i trusted his work and so far it's working... Now i am not trying to say that emmakk should pull her dizzy and start effing with it but it was definitely weird

 

Did you disconnect the SPOUT while the engine was off before starting the truck to set the timing? this is important.

 

Ok so i feel kind of stupid for asking but you guys are mentioning the SPOUT, what is this? Is it the vacuum module in the bottom of the dizzy?

 

The SPOUT {Spark Output Connector} is a little grey thing sticking out of some kinda wire (real technical, huh?) on the driver's side of *my* truck. Don't know what your "dizzy" is, so...maybe? I'm sure someone can give you a better answer!!


*Here's a pic of what mine looks like (not my actual SPOUT, as it's 4am, and too frickin' cold to go out & take a pic...) http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/6...96-5.8-002.jpg