I paid a local supposed mechanic to fix my truck I knew the timing was out however i was told the timing chain wasnt out of it. Well i get a call to come get my truck that its fixed he charged me $55 Dollars just to set the time on it. Well it idled really high when i got it but he told me that was normal and because i was late for work i just took his word for it. For two days it started and ran fine on the third day my wife drove it almost two miles then it backfired like a machine gun and it shut off. so she called me at work crying thinking i would get mad. I asked her if she was alright then i told her to have her dad come get her and i would get it when i got off work. Anyways to make a long story short it wouldnt start and hasn't started in over two and a half weeks the mechanic when i called him back said the timing chain must need replaced he said he would charge me $200 dollars if i provided the chain and the gears. Well today i go out and i loosen the distributor turn it a turn to the left and it fired right up. so now i am at wits end. I still dont know is the timing chain out or is this guy full of DONKEY SHAT?

 

Go to another shop, one that you feel comfortable with and tell them what the situation is. I know some people will help you out if you have a question. If youre doing it to find out if the other guy is just scamming you they may check it out just because it doesnt take much time. Some mechanics give a bad reputation to the whole industry. When you get a positive answer you may have just found a new place to go to for your work. Good luck with it.

By the way, a real shop will get you parts, not expect you to bring them. A lot of shops actually dont warranty customer supplied parts. Something isnt right.....

 

Take the distributor cap off and turn the motor clockwise until the rotor moves, now rotate the motor counterclockwise until the rotor moves. How far did you rotate the motor before it made the rotor in the distributor move?

Use the timing marks on the balance wheel as a reference to gauge how much slop there is in the chain.
If it has 30, or upwards of 40deg of slop in the chain it is in need of replacement.

You can get by with less slop for a while but when nearing 35 or 40deg of slop you're in real danger of it jumping a tooth or several, or just plain totally failing.

Back firing is a sign it jumped, back firing depending on where it occurs can and will cause it to jump time if the chain is that loose.

 

one word = spout

 

Okay. How do you test the spout connector? I know right where it is because i just replaced my ignition control module

 

Good advice here, but the limit is a max of 4 or 5 degrees of slop.

The SPOUT connector is nothing but a jumper bar that connects the two wires together. You can test the SPOUT connector by measuring resistance across the two contacts - it should be zero ohms. Checking the circuit would be similar, but I don't remember off the top of my head where each of the wires go.

 

remove it, check timing, replace it.

 

My wife's Uncle who is a retired Mechanic said when he replaced the water pump the chain looked like a brand new one he said it was a double roller timing chain. he swears it aint the timing chain but like i said i cant figure anything else that could be wrong with it. I dont think you can go by looks but he says you can

 

Was the distributor left loose by the shop? You should be able to determine the condition of the timing chain by checking the slop the way that dan suggested earlier.

 

Good advice here, but the limit is a max of 4 or 5 degrees of slop.

Yea but they will run with much more then that, I've found em with as much as 40deg of slack and where still running like that and yet didn't skip a tooth. Removed cover to find chain barely hanging on (no surprise there), had deep marks on the cover where it was riding on it.

 

I will definatly be checking tomorrow. I want my truck back to running. It's so embarssing to drive a purple car with tinkerbell seat covers and steering wheel cover that says "fearless Flirt" Untill the trucks back to running the wife's car is my transportation.

 

Not saying yours has that much slack but gives you an idea what to look for.

As stated the hold down bolt left loose could be the problem but may also have a badly worn distributor shaft bushings. Allows the timing to vary quite a bit if bad enough.

Watching the timing mark with a light will show the effects if that is a issue, the "mark" will not hold steady, will vary up and down the scale differing amounts and at a varying rate. The mark should hold dead steady if the distributor is in good shape.

 

add the *****.

 

I thought you might say that. when i worked on the truck today and took the front bumper off i added the *****.

 

That's freakin' funny!!!

30 to 40 degrees sounds INSANE!!! True, it might still work at that range, but if it is anywhere near that, it is WAY past replacement time.

If I did that test and had anything more than 10 degrees, I'd do a replacement.