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87 2.9L Timing

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Old Dec 8, 2007 | 12:32 AM
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From: Pine Knot, KY
Exclamation 87 2.9L Timing

If someone could tell me the firing order and how to set the timing on the dist. I would apprecieate it very much. I have drove myself crazy trying to figure this out.

Thanks.
 
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Old Dec 8, 2007 | 01:36 PM
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From: SoCal
3 6
2 5
1 4
Radiator

Warm it up shut it off & open up the spout connector which is on top of the passenger side valve cover.

Connect your timing light to number one plug wire. Start it up.

If you cant see the 10 BTDC mark on the crank pulley, highlight it with a chalk mark.

Thats about it.
 

Last edited by 87 XLT; Dec 8, 2007 at 01:39 PM.
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Old Dec 10, 2007 | 06:22 PM
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From: Pine Knot, KY
Thanks for the info. Now I need to know where the rotor button should be pointing and how the wiring goes on the distributor.
 
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Old Dec 10, 2007 | 07:01 PM
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The firing order on my 87 2.9 is 1-4-2-5-3-6, with the pistsons being arranged like 87 XLT said

Rear of Engine
3 6
2 5
1 4
Radiator

To set timing, I believe the distrubutor has 2 or so bolts holding it in place, and you losen them, and you can rotate the distributor back and forth
 
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Old Dec 10, 2007 | 07:28 PM
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Does your truck run at the moment? If not try this. Pull the #1 plug and rotate the engine by hand with a rachet or breaker bar. Hold your finger over the plug hole while doing so. When you feel air, slide a screw driver and feel the piston come up until it hits TDC, you can verify this at the timing pointer. Put a mark in the 10 degrees advanced while you are under there. Most distributor caps will have a #1 marked on the cap. Mark the distributor body aligning with that terminal. There will be a 13mm bolt holding the distributor clamp to the engine, loosen that bolt and turn the dist. body until the rotor aligns with the mark you made. Install the cap and replace the wires in the correct firing order as listed earlier. Start the engine, pull the spout, set the rpm and time the engine with the light by turning the distributor. Tighten the hold down bolt, replace the spout and you're done.

Matt
 
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Old Dec 10, 2007 | 08:27 PM
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Just what did you go and do?
 
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Old Dec 11, 2007 | 04:57 PM
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Thanks for all the info. No the truck is not running at the time. My uncle put head gaskets on it and then I bought it from him. I drove it home and it had no power at at all. Max speed down hill was like 30 mph. So one of my buddies told me it was out of time. He told me how to put it in time but it was nothing like what was mentioned earlier. So now it cranks really slow gets PLENTY of gas but it will not hit and fire. So I am going to take the info from above and do it that way. I'm thinking that the spout connector is the wiring plug? Not sure on that. But thanks alot for all the tips and explaning it very well and understandable. Which way does the wiring go on the distributor? Clockwise or Counter-clockwise?
 

Last edited by 8788RANGER; Dec 11, 2007 at 05:26 PM. Reason: forgot somthing
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Old Dec 11, 2007 | 07:28 PM
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The rotor spins clock wise. Did your uncle use new head bolts? I would hope so the bolts are good for one use only. Yes the spout is the plastic plug deal in the wiring. Setting the timing the above way will make it run if the timing is indeed the problem. If you still can't get it to run you may have problems elsewhere.


Matt
 
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Old Dec 11, 2007 | 08:54 PM
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From: Pine Knot, KY
Thanks for the help Matt, but I have a few other questions. (Mark the distributor body aligning with that terminal.) I dont really understand this part. (loosen that bolt and turn the dist. body until the rotor aligns with the mark you made.) Is this talking about the rotor and if so then will I have to pull the dist. out to make this alignment? Thank you guys so much for the help. James
 
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