So I think I bit off more that I can chew. I rebuilt the starter, and put it back together. I thought I was careful with the wires, but now I'm not sure that I installed them in the right order. Also I'm not sure that I installed the distributor correctly..


1987 740 b230ft engine..

Blaine

 

OK you can do this. Using a socket wrench on the crankshaft bolt turn the motor over until you are on TDC (top dead center) . The crank pulley mark will line up with the mark on the cam cover. Open the oil cap and look at #1 cams and make sure they are up and not pushing the valves open. This would be the compression stroke. Take off the distributor cap and see where the rotor is . It should be lined up with #1 spark plug wire. I believe the cap should be marked with each cylinder. Firing order is 1,3,4,2 . Pull distributor and align rotor to #1 and install dizzy. Lock it down and put the cap on and start it. The timing is 12* BTDC and it is not adjustable. What work did you do to the distributor? Did it run OK before you removed the dizzy?

 

It seemed to be the case that oil was leaking into the distributor, so I replaced the three seals on it, except the one on the dust cover. I spent a great deal of time being sure that I didn't install the bottom piece upside down, since I know that is with that installed correctly, there is only one way to install the distributor. I will work on your list of tasks, and see what happens.

 

Is your dizzy driven off the camshaft in the rear of the engine. If so you are correct it will only go in one way. Check and make sure that your spark plug wires are in the right order. The plug numbers should be on the cap.

 

Right my engine has the distributor connected to the shaft right by the firewall. I am double checking the plugs, but I think the real answer is going to by turning the engine to dead center, and being sure that the everyting is lined up.. It raining, so I won't be doing that today, but I will keep you posted.

 

Just FYI, on an 87 timing is adjustable. On 88 cars with Rex and EZK116 started showing up, and they had non-adjustable timing. By 1990, I thing all cars had the non adjustable type. The turbo model held onto to adjustable type for 88 and 89. Before 85 I can't say what the had.

Here's what I would do:

Check plugs. There are 5 high voltage connectors. Four on top to the cylinders and one on the bottom to the coil. There is another connector on the bottom for the hall effect sensor. That's the one I would check to make sure is plugged in.

If that is good I would then check for spark. Pull a plug and lay it on the block so it grounds. When you crank it, you'll see a good bright spark. If you see a spark, then you know that the timing is wrong. The engine I think would sputter if the timing was set very wrong, but you can adjust it by loosening the dizzy body and twisting it a bit.

Since I don't that that is the case, try this next: You have spark but not at the right time. The wires are 4,3,1,2 from left to right looking at the distributor from the front of the car. If they are correct switch 4 with 1 and 3 with 2. If it starts, then you have the locking ring installed 180 degrees off. Remember it uses a pin to hold it in. The tabs on that ring are offset. It should be installed so that they are offset toward the same side that the cut out for the rotor in on. See the attached picture.

One last thing. If you don't have spark at all, your hall sensor may have gone bad. Oil in the distributor often coincides with a failing hall sensor. You also won't have running fuel pumps. I doubt this scenario for your car.

Also, when you get it running, check the timing with a timing light to make sure everything is good.

 

So I had a little time today, I turned the engine to TDC (although the marks are confusing, it had some numbers and marks on the cove to the timing belt, but the numbers are between the marks, so I don't know which to point to) took the distributor off, and the rotor is pointing straight up. about the same place as one of the screw holes that holes the cap on. It doesn't seem to point to any of the contacts on the inside of the cap.

I am certain the hall sensor is attached right, along with the one going to the coil. I have verified that the plugs are in the right order. Now I need to make sure that "dizzy" faces the right way. Also, I looked inside the oil cap, and I can't tell what position the cam is in.

 

Looking at the crank's position won't help you in this case since the camshaft goes half the speed of the crank. You would need to look in the oil filler car with a light and see if both cams on the front cylinder are facing away from the tappets in opposite directions. But really, I would not bother with that.

Two things that I listed but you haven't reported about.


#1
Do you have a good spark?
If you don't have that, then the next part does not apply. I would suspect the hall sensor.

#2
The tabbed piece that locks into the camshaft can be put in 180 degrees off. Look at that the pic for proper alignment. The cut out (it's dark in the pic, but it's facing up and the left arrow is pointing to it) on the end of the shaft for the rotor needs to be on the same side the direction of the offset on the tabs. This would put the distributor 180 degrees out of sync. I've never tried this, but I think I would work. Just change the wires so the right cylinder gets the spark. If it run's then you can pull out the distributor and check it. Switch wires 1 with 4 and 2 with 3 on the distributor. From the front of the car it will be from left to right 1,2,4,3.

 

The hall sensor worked before I took it off, also, I believe I am getting spark, because when the plugs were in the incorrect order, the engine would barely crank over, leading me to believe that it was igniting on the way up. The piece you pictured I know is a problem spot. I removed it, and compared it to another distributor which I had not taken apart. I believe that it is correct. I could of course turn it over, and reinstall it.

 

That sounds a lot like I don't know. Just pull a plug and find out. If you don't have a plug wrench, it will be money well spent.

If you get a really one wimpy spark or none at all it could mean you hall sensor is dead. Oil in the distributor regularly means that. It seems in about 20 years or around 200k the seem to die. They can die intermittently then stop, or all at once.

No spark can also mean a bad ignition amplifier or coil. Both of those seem to rarely fail.

I've seen a car with plugs in the wrong order crank normally, but when one fires backwards, the engine spins backwards. I would assume slow cranking is due to a low battery.

If you have spark, then it is a simple matter of timing it correctly. An engine with the timing off by 10 to 20 degrees will at least sputter when trying to start. It would have to be off pretty far, like the wires were wrong.

Knowing defiantly if you have spark or not makes a big difference. It should be good and bright. It will be easy to see even in a well lit garage. Just make sure that the plug is touching the block when you test it. I would also suggest an assistant to help.

Also, if you have another working distributor, you can stick it in there.

So please test for a good spark.

 

Here's the update, I pulled one of the plugs, and it is getting spark, so the hall sensor is good. The next step is to pull the distributor off, and re-check that I assembled it the right way.

 

Great! Tell us what you find.

 

So I checked I am getting spark, I may swap the distributors as you suggested. Is it possible that the distributor cap I pulled off a carr in the junk yard is significantly different Than my old one? They look identical, and but is it possible the firing order is different?

 

I don't think so.

The only difference that I am aware of is the hall effect sensor on later models disappeared.

Have you taken out the distributor yet? If not I'd be interested if you can just switch up the wires and get it to fire. With this four (and most in general) 1 and 4 go up and down with each other and alternate firing. 2 and 3 do the same thing, but opposite to 1 and 4. So switching the wires on 1 and 4 would switch those and then switching 2 and 3 would switch those too. Also, the cylinders for each wire is written on the top of the black cap thing that goes around the actual cap. If no one before you has thrown it away, you can clean it off and see them.

If you have taken it apart, what do you see?

 

I would go back to square 1. Put engine on TDC on compression stroke. Verify that rotor is aligned to #1 spark plug. Re check plug firing order . I would also check each spark plug and see if they are fuel wet. Blow them dry and reset gap. Reinstall and start the car. Remember most of the CPU is there for pollution devices/sensors with the exception of timing. I would replace the fuel pump relay and the radio resistor (FI) relay with new parts. I would also replace the crank sensor. If it doesn't start then I would throw gas on the motor and light it up. This has to be a simple problem that we are all overlooking. Go back to basics.

 

So I finally made some progress! I took the distributor back off, and turned the eccesntric lug around. As careful as I was when I assembled it, I still failed to do it right! Now it runs!

I took it to my mechanic to get it timed, and he told me that the center pulley is slipping, and needs to be replaced. There is no way I can afford his labor rates on this car. How touch is this job, and what's the procedure?

 

Yay!

Now center pulley, does he mean the crank dampener pulley at the front of the engine? If that's it, it not a very technical job, just getting the bolt loose is tough, but very doable. You'll need to at least invest in a big breaker bar and probably the right size socket.

 

Yup the one at the front on the bottom, I think you call it the harmonic balance too. As I look at threads talking about it, it seems that tightening it well is the tough part, any suggestions or hints.

 

For tightening the crank bolt, google "rope trick volvo". Easy to do, worked like a charm and cheap too. To break it loose, I just leaned a breaker bar against the LEFT hand chassis (or ground if that's accessible somehow) and tap the starter (just a split second does the job!). Make sure the engine doesn't start!

 

Putting a rag under the bar end may help protect the paint.