I think I messed up! If your camshaft and your crankshaft and the intermediate shaft are all on their timing marks, is that going to put the number 1 piston at TDC at compression stroke? Or can the #1 piston be at TDC and be on exhaust stroke?

I replace the timing belt, keeping everything lined up perfectly. The reason I replaced the timing belt was because the car shut down while driving home. I got it home. It had spark, it had fuel, it wanted to start (it was trying hard to fire), so I figured the timing belt had slipped. When I took the timing covers off, I found that the belt had not slipped but was so old that I replaced it anyway. Once I got everything put back together, it still wouldn't start, so I pulled the distributor and sure enough, the distributor had quite a bit of oil contamination. I cleaned up the distributor and changed the seals, but now when I put the distributor back in the engine, it will only go in with the rotor pointing toward the #4 spark plug contact in the cap. When I turn the crank by hand to get the timing marks lined up to put on the new timing belt, I just got the marks on the shaft pulleys in the right position with the timing marks on the covers. I didn't try to get TDC compression stroke. So is it possible that I'm really not out at all? I haven't tried to start it yet until I hear from someone who can tell me I'm ok or not.

Thanks.

 

I would bet money that you hall effect sensor went out. Oil in the distributor is regularly a sure fire sign. There are several threads on this subject including first thread a few years back. Since your timing was not broken and in proper it's proper place, that wasn't it, and oil won't stop your spark from arcing across the gaps under the cap until it floods it, so cleaning it would really fix it, unless that was the case. So it sounds like a hall effect sensor went bad.

You can assemble the distributor 180 degrees off. The piece that locks into the camshaft can be put in wrong. Here's a thread where that ended up being a problem:https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-...t-start-51745/
You could have put it back together wrong and have a bad hall sensor. I'm pretty sure that TDC on the crank should be #1 between compression and expansion strokes.

Here's my original no start thread:https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-...o-start-31332/

I ended up just replacing the sensor that I found cheap (look at the last post I made in my thread, that's where I got it), but for those who don't feel like messing with it you can get a whole new distributor.

Anyway, if you have questions on what you read in those threads or more of hat I did with mine just ask. And of course, tell me if I'm completely wrong. Also, one last thing, this link is in those threads, be here is a great guide for troubleshooting your car too: Home

Good luck!

 

It should.

#4 being up high, closest to the right-side fender?

From your other thread.....

Actually, the hall sensor is by #4, the hall sensor *plug* is by #1,



So the marks are like this?
(pics borrowed from · Volvo B230 Timing Marks ·)




I guess it all depends on whether you got the drive in the right position on the shaft.

 

Hey, Titan Joe and Master Blaster, and all you other guys who have given me help on this 87 740GLE project: Thanks so much for all the help, diagrams, and pictures. That's the kind of stuff people who aren't sure really need and it's extremely helpful! It turns out as many of you suggested, that I did have those drive dogs on the distributor 180 out. At first I couldn't make any sense out of the previous post that I was reading and my eye didn't catch that those ears were off-centered. Of course, I see it now and I get it. So thanks for those great diagrams, guys.

So here's where I am: Everything is back together, cap, rotor, new plugs, etc. But the car will not stay running. The car is trying really hard to start. As long as you furiously pump the gas peddle, you can keep it running for 30 seconds or so; then it just chokes out. I've tapped the distributor this way and that way, trying to get close to the right timing. Incidentally, should a timing light operate if you've got it hooked up properly and just turning the key over, or does the engine have to be running and idleing for the timing light to strobe? Something else to note, as I am pumping the peddle fast to keep the engine running for that 30 seconds I mentioned, it's putting out a dark gray exhaust. You know, the kind that kind of settles between your yard and the neighbors! So just to let you know, one more time, all that I've done: changed rotor, cap, & plugs, and installed new timing belt. Also, rebuilt the distributor (new O rings and a good thorough cleaning). I'd love to get this thing running, but maybe it's just 2 steps beyond what I can do!
Thanks guys for any help.

 

Another question came to me. If I put the timing belt on at TDC exhaust stroke, would that cause the engine to act like it is (trying really hard to fire and putting out the gray exhaust)? Or would it not even try to fire at all? It seems like that could be a possibility if it could fire at exhaust stroke, then it would be shooting all the ignited fuel out of the exhaust pipe.
What do you think?

 

It sounds like you just have two of the wires in the wrong order. Check #1 and #2 to see if they are double crossed, instead of crossed just once. Just double check. I had a friend's Volvo where it was acting the same, and two wires were flipped. It took a while to realize.