Basic question about dist. cap and rotor - Zilvia.net Forums | Nissan 240SX (Silvia) and Z (Fairlady) Car Forum

surreybc · 08-01-2008, 01:43 PM

re. 1992 240sx

1. Timing question: I had my distributor out today as I was removing timing chain guides. I have the crankshaft postioned so timing pin points at the tdc mark on pulley. My distributor rotor is pointed at the no. 4 cylinder. I assume this is ok? Just 360 degrees off?
2. The picture below shows my dist. cap. It seems to be missing the center piece? The would start but ran extremely weak and smooth. I put another dist. cap on but car would not start at all. I assume my battery is weak.

3. this is my rotor. never seen one with a hole in it but it has worked.

surreybc · 08-02-2008, 01:29 AM

changed rotor, jump started and reset computer but car does not start. only turns over.

Bomber 570 · 08-02-2008, 01:40 AM

Chances are your not getting spark, check your connections and make sure everything is grounded properly.

ka-turbo · 08-02-2008, 02:41 AM

My distributor rotor is pointed at the no. 4 cylinder. I assume this is ok?

i believe your tdc when you did it you should of went anothe 360 on crank pulley soo that it is on compreesion stroke and your distributor woul be poitning at cylinder 1

surreybc · 08-02-2008, 03:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ka-turbo

My distributor rotor is pointed at the no. 4 cylinder. I assume this is ok?

i believe your tdc when you did it you should of went anothe 360 on crank pulley soo that it is on compreesion stroke and your distributor woul be poitning at cylinder 1

I think so.

surreybc · 08-02-2008, 03:09 AM

The center terminal on my old dist. cap seems to have fallen off while I had it off. I think that is why my car ran so weakly when I first tried to start car.
I tried a new dist. cap but car does not start (only cranks). I'm thinking I ruined the distributor somehow.

Not sure why there is a hole in my dist. rotor. I know that was there when I took distributor out of car so my car runs with that hole existing in rotor.( i have tried a new rotor to no avail)

surreybc · 08-02-2008, 07:08 AM

hmmmm I wonder if my car could be flooded. would it remain flooded the next day?

Silverstreek · 08-02-2008, 12:39 PM

maybe this will help?
Technical Articles: 240sx Distributor Timing

surreybc · 08-02-2008, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silverstreek

maybe this will help?
Technical Articles: 240sx Distributor Timing

That is the article I followed originally. thanks. My timing is fine. the center terminal of my dist. cap fell out while I had the cap off. The car ran a bit with this faulty dist. cap.., but I think I damaged something or flooded car as I can't start with new distributor cap.

surreybc · 08-03-2008, 04:42 AM

delete delete. delete

surreybc · 08-04-2008, 11:07 PM

Must have been flooded because it now works perfectly where it didnt work at all before. exact same setting with nothing touched. worked fine on at least half the tooth. i guess just running it with bad timing can flood it.
if i had just pulled dist. out and not moved anything i think i would be fine. all my marks were exactly the same the first time i tried with broken dist. cap. the dist. gear rotates coming out but rotates the same amount in opposite direction going in.

never flooded car before this.

Dream240 · 08-05-2008, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by surreybc

Must have been flooded because it now works perfectly where it didnt work at all before. exact same setting with nothing touched. worked fine on at least half the tooth. i guess just running it with bad timing can flood it.
if i had just pulled dist. out and not moved anything i think i would be fine. all my marks were exactly the same the first time i tried with broken dist. cap. the dist. gear rotates coming out but rotates the same amount in opposite direction going in.

never flooded car before this.

A piece of advice. Whenever you are pulling the dist out of the head, DON'T ROTATE THE SHAFT!!! Unless you're doing a timing chain job, you shouldn't ever need to reset your timing.

Also, I'm pretty sure that your main problem was the dist cap. Once you pulled it out and the center tip broke off, rotted off, etc. you needed a new one. But then you started messing with the timing and kept trying to start the car with the timing off, hence the flooding. You just kept dumping fuel into the cylinders with no spark. You should only ever cank your motor about 3 times max. If it doesn't start after that, stop cranking!

Usually when you replace the dist. cap, you should replace the rotor too. The best OE replacements out there, IMO, are Borg/Warner, and Nippon/Denso.

08-01-2008, 01:43 PM	#1
surreybc Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: surrey Posts: 359 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	Basic question about dist. cap and rotor re. 1992 240sx 1. Timing question: I had my distributor out today as I was removing timing chain guides. I have the crankshaft postioned so timing pin points at the tdc mark on pulley. My distributor rotor is pointed at the no. 4 cylinder. I assume this is ok? Just 360 degrees off? 2. The picture below shows my dist. cap. It seems to be missing the center piece? The would start but ran extremely weak and smooth. I put another dist. cap on but car would not start at all. I assume my battery is weak. 3. this is my rotor. never seen one with a hole in it but it has worked. Last edited by surreybc; 08-11-2008 at 03:06 AM..

08-02-2008, 02:41 AM	#4
ka-turbo Zilvia Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: ANTELOPE VALLEY Age: 36 Posts: 297 Trader Rating: (3) Feedback Score: 3 reviews	My distributor rotor is pointed at the no. 4 cylinder. I assume this is ok? i believe your tdc when you did it you should of went anothe 360 on crank pulley soo that it is on compreesion stroke and your distributor woul be poitning at cylinder 1 __________________

08-02-2008, 12:39 PM	#8
Silverstreek Zilvia Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Kadena AB, Okinawa Japan Age: 42 Posts: 163 Trader Rating: (4) Rides Gallery: Silverstreek Feedback Score: 4 reviews	maybe this will help? Technical Articles: 240sx Distributor Timing __________________ 1993 Nissan Skyline GT-R, 326 Crystal White 2003 Nissan Presage

08-03-2008, 04:42 AM	#10
surreybc Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: surrey Posts: 359 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	delete delete. delete Last edited by surreybc; 08-04-2008 at 11:09 PM..

08-02-2008, 01:29 AM	#2
surreybc Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: surrey Posts: 359 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	changed rotor, jump started and reset computer but car does not start. only turns over.

08-02-2008, 03:09 AM	#6
surreybc Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: surrey Posts: 359 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	The center terminal on my old dist. cap seems to have fallen off while I had it off. I think that is why my car ran so weakly when I first tried to start car. I tried a new dist. cap but car does not start (only cranks). I'm thinking I ruined the distributor somehow. Not sure why there is a hole in my dist. rotor. I know that was there when I took distributor out of car so my car runs with that hole existing in rotor.( i have tried a new rotor to no avail)

08-02-2008, 07:08 AM	#7
surreybc Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: surrey Posts: 359 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	hmmmm I wonder if my car could be flooded. would it remain flooded the next day?

08-04-2008, 11:07 PM	#11
surreybc Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: surrey Posts: 359 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	Must have been flooded because it now works perfectly where it didnt work at all before. exact same setting with nothing touched. worked fine on at least half the tooth. i guess just running it with bad timing can flood it. if i had just pulled dist. out and not moved anything i think i would be fine. all my marks were exactly the same the first time i tried with broken dist. cap. the dist. gear rotates coming out but rotates the same amount in opposite direction going in. never flooded car before this.