Any one have experience with 2.5L’s?

So after a nightmare-ish job of sorting through the ghosts in the ignition system the car started running, but the base timing would jump around 2-5 degrees at an idle. Which I read can be caused by a worn gear, so I figured, "Screw it, I'll get just a whole new distributor."

Well today I pulled out the old dist, marking things and making sure everything lined up, etc etc.

Now the stupid thing won't even start.

I figured perhaps I meshed the wrong gear placement, so I'll just start from scratch.

This is what my book told me to do...

1. Remove the number one spark plug (**which is the one closest to driver side**)
2. Place finger over spark plug hole while turning the crankshaft with a wrench on the pulley bolt at the front of the engine.
3. When you feel compression, continue turning the crankshaft slowly until the timing mark on the crankshaft pulley is aligned with the 0 on the engine timing indicator.
4. Position the rotor to point between the number one and number three distributor terminals **which I believe is 12 o'clock**
5. Insert the distributor into the engine, making sure the gears mesh, etc, etc.
6. Install the hold-down clamp and tighten the bolt to the specified torque.
7. Install distributor cap and coil wire
8. Start car!

Well I did all this and the car is firing, and back-firing, but not running. I'm wondering if anyone has any other instructions or advice to help get my Fiero on the road for the summer!

You've also got to determine whether or not the outer ring of your harmonic damper has spun on the inner hub. If it has (it happened to my GT's 2.8), then the timing marks mean nothing!

 

Matt

i always thought the front of the engine was the number one cylinder

on an inline motor and your drawing also indicates this.

if you pull the spark plug from the driverside of the car, you pulled number four , not nbr one.

try the compression finger test  again on the front cylinder (passenger side)

Maybe this will help.

 

Matt wrote: Hanes says that the no.1 cylinder is the one closest to the transaxel... aka the driver side.

So, was the manual wrong?

 

Matt wrote: According to Capt'ns diagram in the bottom left corner. Hanes was right. *Assuming that seemingly cylindrical object on the right of the engine is the crank pulley.

Okay, now I'm confused. Doesn't that diagram show #1 cylinder to be closest to the water pump end (passenger side) of the engine? How is that closest to the transaxel (driver's side)?

Matt wrote: Hanes says that the no.1 cylinder is the one closest to the transaxel... aka the driver side.

 

Matt wrote: LOL you're right! Yeah I'm confused as hell.

Fixed that for you.