Cam timing help.

[Tbird232ci]

This is an odd situation. I bought this car, thinking that all it needed was the cam timing fixed and the brakes bled. Ive got a few hundred in, and the cam timing still isn't correct.

Anyways, here is the low down. I set the cam timing well enough to drive the car home. #3 wasn't firing due to a bad injector, ignition timing was way off, but I got it home. I fixed the injector, set the ignition timing, yadda yadda yadda, and then finally decided to correct the cam timing.

So I pull the pulleys off, timing cover, etc, figure out the tensioner, and go to line everything up TDC. Turns out, the previous owner put a fidanza cam pulley on the car, and a new timing belt, and set the cam, intermediate shaft, and distributor 180* out. Amazingly, the car ran half decent.

So I embark on the task of setting the crank to TDC according to the timing mark on the bellhousing/flywheel, aligning the intermediate shaft with the dot on the crank, and lining up the cam according to the book, then according to the FAQ on one of the other sites. Now the car barely will turn over, backfires out of the throttle body, and doesn't come close to starting.

Am I missing anything, anything to check or redo? Could the cam pulley be installed 180 out? Anything is appreciated, had the car for 3 weeks, have over 2000 invested, and barely drove it home.

[puppet]

Always check for fault codes first.

The following is what I'd check if no other fault code issues are present.

Move the crank to TDC again and remove the distributor cap. Is the rotor pointing at #1 plug wire? If not, remove the distributor and rotate the shaft (180*) so the rotor is pointing at #1 plug wire. If it isn't aligned right and you can't move it to point at #1 plug wire, move on to the next step.

Look down into the block at the distributor fork receiver and make sure that is parallel to the block (in line with the crankshaft).
If it isn't you can either remove the timing belt (or slacken it up enough) to turn the AUX shaft enough to line the fork up, disregarding the timing mark on the pulley (simple) ... or, redo the oil pump install making sure to index the helical gear to the AUX shaft gear so that the timing mark agrees with the forks correct position (This way means you drain the oil ... drop the oil pan, etc. IE, not so simple).
Finally, replace the distributor making sure the rotor is pointed at #1 plug wire.

The cam can be 180* out too. Simple check is to make sure the camshaft keyway is on top when the engine is at TDC.

[Tbird232ci]

I actually solved the issue today. I had to take the timing pulley off, rotate the intermediate shaft until the rotor pointed to #1, and it fired up after toying with the distributor timing. Put a timing light on it, and it runs pretty decent.

Still need to get new cap, wires, rotor and plugs since the previous owner wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. He spend 55 bucks on iridium plugs, and 12 dollars on plug wires...

[TopDollar69]

I've had the same problem in the past, but the thing that threw me off was the fact that there are two marks on the flywheel, one is TDC, and the other is BDC. Always make sure to use the mark on the flywheel that has a small countersunk hole in the middle of it, or check to make sure the number one pistion is at the top of the clyinder by taking the spark plug out.

[IROCNOROLL]

Also, Quick tell, with the plugs out, as you rotate the crank towards #1, the compression will blow out of the #1 hole. If the pressure blows out of #4, then rotate the crank another 360 deg for #1.

You didn't mention if you know about pulling the temp sensor harness on the side of the thermostat housing before setting the base ignition timing with a t/light?

Don't over tighten the timing belt tension. This will cause other grief.

[TopDollar69]

Yes, like broken cam shafts.

[Tbird232ci]

Yes, I know about pulling the temp sensor plug.

I know most of the basics when it comes to these cars, I've just never had to chase my tail with the previous owner being a knucklehead like this.