2000 Blazer Distributor Replacement... and issues
#1
2000 Blazer Distributor Replacement... and issues
I am in the process of changing out the Distributor drive gear and I came across a little snag.
I have a Haynes repair manual I've been following but some of the instructions are either vague, or over my head; I'm still learning engines/my car.
I followed the directions of removing the Distributor: Remove the cap, mark the Rotor, remove the Rotor, unbolt the Distributor bolt and then remove the Distributor for the engine.
Now, my issue is this. I replaced the drive gear and placed it back into the engine but in the guide, it says the Rotor should align (within a few degrees) to the number "6" on the Distributor body. It is WAY off. It later states that if the Rotor is not aligned with the number "6", to "rotate the oil pump driveshaft by inserting a long screwdriver into the shaft and rotating the necessary amount to allow the distributor to fit flush with the intank manifold"
Where is the Oil Pump Driveshaft? -- is the the shaft the Distributor sits in?
I didn't start the car while the Distributor was removed so the timing is the same and I noticed that there is only two possible ways for the Distributor to sit flush with the manifold; Shouldn't the "right" one be either of those?
Also, since the re-installation, the engine will not turn over. It tries, but wont.
Thanks in advance. -- and this is a EDI system distributor.
I have a Haynes repair manual I've been following but some of the instructions are either vague, or over my head; I'm still learning engines/my car.
I followed the directions of removing the Distributor: Remove the cap, mark the Rotor, remove the Rotor, unbolt the Distributor bolt and then remove the Distributor for the engine.
Now, my issue is this. I replaced the drive gear and placed it back into the engine but in the guide, it says the Rotor should align (within a few degrees) to the number "6" on the Distributor body. It is WAY off. It later states that if the Rotor is not aligned with the number "6", to "rotate the oil pump driveshaft by inserting a long screwdriver into the shaft and rotating the necessary amount to allow the distributor to fit flush with the intank manifold"
Where is the Oil Pump Driveshaft? -- is the the shaft the Distributor sits in?
I didn't start the car while the Distributor was removed so the timing is the same and I noticed that there is only two possible ways for the Distributor to sit flush with the manifold; Shouldn't the "right" one be either of those?
Also, since the re-installation, the engine will not turn over. It tries, but wont.
Thanks in advance. -- and this is a EDI system distributor.
Last edited by Vawx; 03-19-2011 at 08:56 PM.
#2
If you marked the rotor position before removing the distributor, then you need to put it back at that location. The rotor pointing at the '6' in the distributor base can only be used if you have aligned the timing marks (yes plural, there are two) on the balancer with the #1 cylinder near TDC on the compression stroke.
The oil pump drive shaft fits into the bottom of the distributor below the gear.
If you have lost your rotor position reference, then you will need to start from scratch following the directions in the link below:
EDI Engine Timing
The oil pump drive shaft fits into the bottom of the distributor below the gear.
If you have lost your rotor position reference, then you will need to start from scratch following the directions in the link below:
EDI Engine Timing
#3
Thank you swartlkk for the quick response.
I'll have to see if I screwed something up and probably go through the "start from scratch" guide.
Any chance you can go over the "Top Dead Center" (TDC) for the number one cylinder ? - I do not know where the front cover alignment tabs or the crankshaft balancer is or how to use the marks on them.
Will this work for TDC?
"I always take the spark plug out in cylinder number 1 and push a ball of paper towel big enough to fit kinda snug just in the spark plug hole and slowly turn the engine over by hand, and when the number 1 cylinder reaches top dead center compression stroke it will literally pop and shoot the paper towel ball right out!! then you know you are really close to top dead center and you can continue through the correct procedure using the line up marks on the dampener and on the distributor, and also MAKE SURE YOU DON'T HAVE WIRES FOR CYLINDER NUMBER 1 AND CYLINDER NUMBER 3 BACKWARDS AT THE DISTIBUTOR, causing the rough running problem also cause alot of people make this mistake."
And, how do I turn the engine over by hand?
Thanks
I'll have to see if I screwed something up and probably go through the "start from scratch" guide.
Any chance you can go over the "Top Dead Center" (TDC) for the number one cylinder ? - I do not know where the front cover alignment tabs or the crankshaft balancer is or how to use the marks on them.
Will this work for TDC?
"I always take the spark plug out in cylinder number 1 and push a ball of paper towel big enough to fit kinda snug just in the spark plug hole and slowly turn the engine over by hand, and when the number 1 cylinder reaches top dead center compression stroke it will literally pop and shoot the paper towel ball right out!! then you know you are really close to top dead center and you can continue through the correct procedure using the line up marks on the dampener and on the distributor, and also MAKE SURE YOU DON'T HAVE WIRES FOR CYLINDER NUMBER 1 AND CYLINDER NUMBER 3 BACKWARDS AT THE DISTIBUTOR, causing the rough running problem also cause alot of people make this mistake."
And, how do I turn the engine over by hand?
Thanks
Last edited by rriddle3; 03-19-2011 at 10:11 PM. Reason: COMBINING CONSECUTIVE POSTS
#4
You have to find the associated references on the balancer and the front of the engine. As the EDI Engine Timing thread states, the actual position when both sets of references are lined up is past TDC #1. That method for finding the compression stroke for #1 cylinder will work.
You turn the engine over by hand using the appropriately sized socket on harmonic balancer retaining bolt in the center of the crank on the front of the engine.
You turn the engine over by hand using the appropriately sized socket on harmonic balancer retaining bolt in the center of the crank on the front of the engine.
#5
You have to find the associated references on the balancer and the front of the engine. As the EDI Engine Timing thread states, the actual position when both sets of references are lined up is past TDC #1. That method for finding the compression stroke for #1 cylinder will work.
You turn the engine over by hand using the appropriately sized socket on harmonic balancer retaining bolt in the center of the crank on the front of the engine.
You turn the engine over by hand using the appropriately sized socket on harmonic balancer retaining bolt in the center of the crank on the front of the engine.
#6
Glad to hear you got it all back together and working!
#7
I too am replacing the distr but on my 2005. The engine has not been turned.
So if I removed the distributor, switched the sensor to the new distributor and align the rotor as it was on the old Distr, I should be able to pop the new distr in place.
I would not need to crank the engine to TDC. Is this correct??
Thanks
PS - sorry to hijack the thread
So if I removed the distributor, switched the sensor to the new distributor and align the rotor as it was on the old Distr, I should be able to pop the new distr in place.
I would not need to crank the engine to TDC. Is this correct??
Thanks
PS - sorry to hijack the thread
#8
From what I understand, that is correct. As long as the rotor is in the same spot as when you took it out, it should have the same timing, meaning you don't have to do TDC on piston #1.
#9
I am currently helping a friend with his Blazer (similar issue as me, when I started this thread) and I am curious as to what to do if the Balancer slipped, causing the marks on it to be off.
I ask because we can get the car to start but it is constantly sending the P1345 code. Since it's not an issue to align the Distributor rotor with the number 6 on the Distributor, I'm thinking it must be that we are missing TDC enough to send the code.
Any suggestions?
Thanks
-- the mountain of reading that comes from searching "p1345" gave me this:
I think this might be a good solution but if anyone has any experience, I'd appreciate the help.
I ask because we can get the car to start but it is constantly sending the P1345 code. Since it's not an issue to align the Distributor rotor with the number 6 on the Distributor, I'm thinking it must be that we are missing TDC enough to send the code.
Any suggestions?
Thanks
-- the mountain of reading that comes from searching "p1345" gave me this:
Well, I'm still not convinced that my harmonic balancer didn't shear the key, or that perhaps the new distributor gear I installed is indexed slightly different from the original (thus throwing off the distributor alignment). Or perhaps even that the machinist might have exchanged my crank without me knowing it, for a different one when I had mine in getting ground, and maybe had a different keyway position?
At any rate, what I wound up doing way back then was to ignore the marks on balancer, and I made a special bolt that would screw into the #1 spark plug (PLEASE DISABLE THE STARTER MOTOR BEFORE DOING THIS), and I manually with a wrench on the balancer, ran the piston up til it touched the bolt screwed into #1, then made mark on the balancer. Then you reverse, and turn the motor manually with a wrench backwards all the way around, until it again touches the bolt you have in #1 spark plug hole, and make another mark. Then make a 3rd mark exactly in between the other 2 marks, and that is calculated TDC. This spot should be fairly exact. Now, remove the bolt from #1 spark plug hole and put the spark plug back in.
Then line up the new TDC position you just calculated and then modify the distributor so it has more adjustment. I just drilled out the hole on the hold down bracket to a larger size and used a large flat-washer on the dist bolt so I could turn the distributor a bit. Then drop the distributor in and line up the arrows and lock down the bolt. If the distributor doesn't drop down all the way, it is because the oil pump drive shaft is not positioned in the correct spot to line up to the slotted fitting on the bottom of the distributor. You can either pull out the distributor and turn the oil pump shaft with a long flat-head screwdriver (trial and error, til it lines up and dist drops down), or you can bump the starter with a remote start switch until it drops in all the way, and then bump it back to TDC compression stroke and line the marks up again to verify that that your arrows indeed still line up in the distributor, and then lock it down.
It should start, run and be ok, but if it throws a code P1345 then simply adjust the distributor bits at a time, until it doesn't throw the code anymore and that should be within the tolerated spec. As far as I can tell, they designed it so that as long as it runs and does not throw the code 1345, then it is close enough for the computer to be able to adapt it in to run optimally.
I still never got around to manually checking the exact Cam Retard Offset spec, but since mine doesn't ever set the code 1345, and has adapted and seems to run fine, then I just kind of call it 'good' in my mind.
Edit: You probably don't even need to find TDC nearly this exact as I outlined above, as you could probably just have a friend poke the straw into the #1 spark plug hole and you can be underneath, turning the crank little bits, back and forth with a breaker bar on the crank nut until you find a rough TDC location (on compression stroke of course), and drop the dist in, enough to get it running, and then just adjust it so you don't get any codes.
.
.
At any rate, what I wound up doing way back then was to ignore the marks on balancer, and I made a special bolt that would screw into the #1 spark plug (PLEASE DISABLE THE STARTER MOTOR BEFORE DOING THIS), and I manually with a wrench on the balancer, ran the piston up til it touched the bolt screwed into #1, then made mark on the balancer. Then you reverse, and turn the motor manually with a wrench backwards all the way around, until it again touches the bolt you have in #1 spark plug hole, and make another mark. Then make a 3rd mark exactly in between the other 2 marks, and that is calculated TDC. This spot should be fairly exact. Now, remove the bolt from #1 spark plug hole and put the spark plug back in.
Then line up the new TDC position you just calculated and then modify the distributor so it has more adjustment. I just drilled out the hole on the hold down bracket to a larger size and used a large flat-washer on the dist bolt so I could turn the distributor a bit. Then drop the distributor in and line up the arrows and lock down the bolt. If the distributor doesn't drop down all the way, it is because the oil pump drive shaft is not positioned in the correct spot to line up to the slotted fitting on the bottom of the distributor. You can either pull out the distributor and turn the oil pump shaft with a long flat-head screwdriver (trial and error, til it lines up and dist drops down), or you can bump the starter with a remote start switch until it drops in all the way, and then bump it back to TDC compression stroke and line the marks up again to verify that that your arrows indeed still line up in the distributor, and then lock it down.
It should start, run and be ok, but if it throws a code P1345 then simply adjust the distributor bits at a time, until it doesn't throw the code anymore and that should be within the tolerated spec. As far as I can tell, they designed it so that as long as it runs and does not throw the code 1345, then it is close enough for the computer to be able to adapt it in to run optimally.
I still never got around to manually checking the exact Cam Retard Offset spec, but since mine doesn't ever set the code 1345, and has adapted and seems to run fine, then I just kind of call it 'good' in my mind.
Edit: You probably don't even need to find TDC nearly this exact as I outlined above, as you could probably just have a friend poke the straw into the #1 spark plug hole and you can be underneath, turning the crank little bits, back and forth with a breaker bar on the crank nut until you find a rough TDC location (on compression stroke of course), and drop the dist in, enough to get it running, and then just adjust it so you don't get any codes.
.
.
Last edited by Vawx; 04-17-2011 at 10:19 PM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
jking
2nd Generation S-series (1995-2005) Tech
11
12-28-2017 04:48 PM
2000, 96, arching, blazer, caps, chevy, distrbutor, distributor, driveshaft, issue, issues, oil, pump, replacement, rotate, setting