i have a 98 blazer that i just installed a new timing chain in. cylinder 1 at tdc (both valves are closed) camshaft balance gears are lined up dot to dot. i can not get the dist. to drop in on the 6 indicator im either a little before or after the #6. i have two distributors and both will land in exact same place. ive moved the oil pump shaft a million times. am i missing something? i have been going at this thing for 2 days now with no luck. everytime i try i line up the gear dimples to the white paint mark on shaft. what am i doing wrong??

 

Does the engine start & run? If it runs, is the check engine light on with DTC P1345 in memory?

If it doesn't start, the distributor could be 180 degrees out of phase. Both valves are closed at TDC of the compression stroke and the exhaust stroke. Manually rotate the crankshaft clockwise with a socket & ratchet until the rotor lines up with the "6" and the index marks are lined up like in the image below. Pull the distributor out, manually rotate the crankshaft one revolution clockwise until the index marks are lined up again:



Reinstall the distributor so the rotor lines up with the "6" on the distributor housing when the distributor is fully seated against the intake manifold, and try it again. The rotor may not line up perfectly with the "6", but it should be within a couple of degrees. When you're all done, you need to do the crankshaft position sensor relearn and adjust camshaft retard. Both are mandatory and both require a high end scan tool.

 

its still apart. i was trying to get the dist. in before i put the timing cover on. i will try that tomm. morning, hopefully that works.

 

Well, that answers that. It won't run with the timing cover off.

The rotor might not necessarily line up perfectly with the "6", they rarely do. Usually a few degrees either way of it. Might do youself a favor and modify the hold down bracket so the distributor can be adjusted during the camshaft retard adjustment. Or, Mr. Gasket makes a SBC, (small block Chevy) hold down bracket for under $5. It makes the distributor fully adjustable. Keep in mind, rotating the distributor does NOT adjust or affect ignition timing.

 

thanks a million times man!!!!! worked like a charm.

 

No problem, glad you got her going. Did you adjust camshaft retard and do the relearn for the crank sensor? It will run, but it won't run properly until you do.