I finally got around to confirming that the distributor alingment hole need to line up with the cam sensor. If you have an aftermarket cam you will either need to flip the distributor around or grind off the tang so the distributor can be mounted (it won't line up with the mounting hole in the block.)

 

Hello you guys, I bought a CRT performance dizzy, and long story short I cannot get the timing right for the life of me. I threw 2 codes 1391, and p0320.

Replaced crankshaft postition sensor, and re indexed dizzy using TDC methos about 15 times now, with same symptoms. I recently started a thread called "distributor malfunction". I would like to hear what you guys think.

I feel that I am just overlooking one simple detail but cannot figure it out.

The distributor I got when I seat it down into the block still allows the ear to be rotated to the hold down bolt position. I believe this is a design for ease of installation? not sure. The distributor also came with a plastic pin in a whole at the bottom which did not allow it to rotate. I called the salesman and he said it was just for shipping purposes.

After reading this thread I'm thinking that pin was in there for a reason maybe.

Either way I have been fighting with this for weeks now and would really appreciate yalls advice/experience. I know you don't know me but If you don't mind email, or I would be willing to call at this point, I am desperate. Take care and Maerry Christmas all

 

 

I am having the EXACT same problem..... Has anyone come up with a solution?

 

I know nobody responded to me and that's ok. I know I'm new here and this was an old *** thread. I figured out my issue and thought I would go ahead and post my solution just in case someone else happens along this thread with the same issue. I rebuild the engine in my 98 XJ. It was running fine before, just had a lot of miles and made some noise. I pulled my distributor out of the running engine and didn't do anything with it until I put it back in the freshly build motor with new Howards cam. Upon assembly I set my timing marks up on the cam and crank sprockets so that they were pointed at each other. I then installed the distributor ( which turned out to be a mistake). When you align the timing marks the engine is at TDC on the exhaust stoke. My distributor went in perfect when I was on the exhaust stroke (which is the wrong stroke). When i went to start my engine for the first time it would not start. I pulled the #1 spark plug and found TDC on the compression stoke then pulled my distributor cap to find my rotor pointing at #6 which was wrong. I then pulled my distributor and spun the rotor 180 degrees and tried to install it in the correct position with the 3/16" punch installed. I fought and fought, one tooth this way and one tooth the other way, no matter what I did the distributor would not go in with the punch in it and land in the right position to bolt down. Mine was looking just like the pictures above. I thought I was off a tooth on my timing chain so I pulled the cover back off to inspect. Thats when i discovered that when the engine is at TDC on the compression stroke that the timing marks do not line up, the cam dot is 180 degrees off. In the end my fix was to pull the gear off of the bottom of the distributor and spin it 180 degrees and reinstall it. That worked perfectly. Mind you, this distributor came out of a running engine, not sure why it needed to be switched around but it did.

Sorry for the long thread but maybe someone in the future will find it helpful.

Hayden

 

Hi Hayden4x4, I'm also doing a rebuild on my 91 XJ. It's an inframe but I've left the distributor in the block.
Now that I've replaced the timing set, with the dots lined up properly, I also noted that my rotor points to number 6! I still have my oil pan off so I'll look and see where the cam is positioned on what part of the stroke, and decide whether I'll rotate the distributor 180 degrees or not.
This engine ran good before I took it apart (had a knocking noise when warm and under pressure - most of the rod bearings had material missing but none turned), so I know that I need to find out what is so different about the timing before I button up the bottom end!

 

I think everything is right for you. When you line the timing marks up you on on the exhaust stroke for cylinder #1 which is also the compression stroke for cylinder #6. That’s why your rotor is at #6.

 

I had this issue when attempting to install a cheap new distributor (old one was very hard to rotate). I could never align the new one, despite multiple attempts. It would always land with one tang on the hole, just like in post #5. The old one dropped right into place every time, so I knew it wasn't my technique.

I compared the two distributors closely and found that the drive gear on the new one was 180* out of phase. The gear has an odd number of teeth, so it will never line up properly if the gear is on wrong. I drove out the roll pin, spun the gear 180*, and drove the pin back in. The new distributor lined up perfectly after that.



The arrow points to the roll pin in question. Just ignore the sheared off teeth.

 

I have to get the photos of my old rebuild but I vaguely remember #1 tdc and the dot on the crank gear lines up with the dot on the cam gear didnt have to count chain links or anything like that and then there is a sequence to install distributor with a pin in a hole in dist with engine at #1 tdc

 

When you spun your distributor gear 180 did the roll pin line up with the same holes? I could only get the roll pin through three holes. The back of gear wouldn’t allow pin to go through because it was not aligned.