Ok let's see : 1990 f250 4x4 5.8 , set # 1 piston at TDC on compression stroke then set timing pointer to 0 , then installed dist. Rotor pointing at 1 on dist cap. Hooked up plug wires and it will start and run BUT it has no good throttle response AND I can't set timing with the timing light because 10 BTC is on the very top and if I turn dist to get 0 down to pointer the RPM's will be at 2500 rpm. Next step please ?

 

Are you sure you have the timing light hooked on the number 1 spark plug wire and have the mark on the front pulley marked in the correct place?

 

Have you pulled the spout connector?

BTW #1 is front cyl on passenger side..

 

Yes I have it marked right and the spout pulled. And on #1 wire. I feel like I'm a tooth off but don't know enough about it to know for sure. That's why I'm on here with the experts !

 

As long as you can turn the distributor enough to get the timing where you want it, being a tooth off shouldn't matter. That doesn't sound like the problem here.

 

Ok my friend. I'm up for suggestions. Let me tell u this. I moved the plug wires one spot clockwise all the way around and it cranked very well but it had high idle.

 

By moving the wires one spot, I think you would effectively advance the timing 22.5 degrees. You would think 45 degrees, but the crankshaft makes 2 revolutions for every revolution of the camshaft which drives the distributor. Kind of a moot point.

The only thing I can think of as to your actual problem is that whoever assembled the engine got the timing chain(camshaft and crankshaft marks) off a notch or two. Unfortunately that is not as easily corrected. Of course this is just a guess.

 

How would I know for sure.

 

I'd also look for a slipped balancer. Not unheard of for it to happen, and it'll make things miserable.

 

How would I know for sure.

 

The slipped balancer would be the easiest to check. Take the number one spark plug out and stick something SOFT like a straw in the hole and determine when the piston is at it's highest point. The blancer should then show top dead center. Don't put anything in the spark plug hole that could fall in and cause harm.

 

Okay thanks

 

To check what I said under No.7. Line it up like you did originally, pointing the rotor as close as possible to the number 1 distributor cap terminal with the balancer marks set at top dead center or 10 degrees ahead. Then start the engine check with the timing light and spout connector out. This would never read exact but should be somewhere close.

 

Actually, after I thought about it, that wouldn't check the camshaft- crankshaft timing. But the engine should start and run decent at that setting of the distributor if the camshaft- crankshaft timing was correct.

 

It does start and run decent at this point and I can set it at 650 rpm and it idles fine. But the timing is off according to the marks with or without spout. And the throttle is not responsive.