Need help getting my car fixed!!!!!

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jeremy moody

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Hello im trying to find someone in my area to help me get my car running again. Im in the longview, wa area. I have a 1963 plymouth valiant with a 225 slant 6. My ignition timing is all out of whack. My problem is i had my dad replace the points and condenser and he accidently dropped a screw from one of them into the distributor he didnt know it went into it , it was dark out anyways i turned the car over and it sheared off the plastic gear on the distributor and the cam still moved and now its out of time and wont run. I bought a new distributor and we tried to get it back into time but no luck. Now it backfires through the carb. If somebody knows someone in my area please let me know ive tried to hire 5 people now and they all have flaked on me seems like i cant find a reliable person. Thanks for your help in advance.
 
I'll give it go....1st, find "Top Dead Center"...that's where #1 piston is at the top of its stroke, and both valves are closed....this should also line up the damper mark with "0" on the scale. Now move the dizzy's rotor to be firing the #1 spark plug....insert the dizzy into the engine, pop on the cap, and crank...should be close now and should start. If not twist the dizzy 'til it starts and runs smooth. Adjust timing with a timing light, if you have one.
 
65Val said:
I'll give it go....1st, find "Top Dead Center"...that's where #1 piston is at the top of its stroke, and both valves are closed....this should also line up the damper mark with "0" on the scale. Now move the dizzy's rotor to be firing the #1 spark plug....insert the dizzy into the engine, pop on the cap, and crank...should be close now and should start. If not twist the dizzy 'til it starts and runs smooth. Adjust timing with a timing light, if you have one.
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I have done all that to a t and it still backfires through the carb
 
So i will start off saying im not a mechanic but i need someone to help me get my car running. Im done messing with it i have done everying people have told me to do but it will not run. I have a 63 plymouth valiant it was running when i first got the car. I had my dad replace the points and condenser it was dark outside anyways a screw from one of them fell into the distributor and i turned the car over and well it sheared part of the plastic gear on the distributor off. The cam still moved and now its all out of whack. I bought a new distributor and have done what everyone has told me to do but it will not run. Its backfiring through the carb. I need someone in person to please help me im tired of messing with this thing.thanks
 
jeremy moody said:
Ok i gotta find where that is located im not a mechanic im trying to find out how to do things
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The timing chain is located behind the stamped steel cover in the front of the engine behind the vibration balancer, fan, and water pump...

Find a service manual close to the year of yours and download it for reference here, and maybe a few more for extra references on how to fix these:

MyMopar - Mopar Forums & Information - Service Manuals
 
If it's backfiring thru the carb I would say the distributor is 180 degrees off, turn the rotor button 180.
 
You should be able to find the timing marks easily without a manual. Look on the pulley on the crank shaft (the big bottom pulley) and slowly rotate it around by bumping the starter.... OR by pushing down hard on the belt between the alternator and water pump pulleys (at the top) and then turning the fan to use the fan and belt to turn the crank shaft. (Yes, this works.) Pulling the spark plugs out helps to turn the engine by hand.

On the large bottom pulley, on the crankshaft, you will eventually spot a small notch on the back edge of that pulley (timing mark). You might have to clean that up to see it well. And there should be only one of these notches. Turn the crank pulley until the notch lines up with marks on a metal tab down on the lower driver's side of the front of the engine. Line the notch it up with the 0 mark on the tab.

Then, pull off the distributor cap and see if the rotor is pointed to the cap's tower for either the #1 or #6 spark plug wire. If not pointed to either, then pull the distributor and move the rotor and shaft until it points to one or the other (1 or 6). If it runs, then good. If not, then pull the distributor and turn it to the other plug (1 or 6). One of those 2 distributor positions should run fine.

And there is a way to tell if #1 or #6 is the right position but that requires looking at the valves with the valve cover off. If you want to do that, pull off the valve cover and watch the valves opening and closing as you move the timing mark on the pulley past the 0 mark on the cover. If the #1 intake is opening and the #1 exhaust is closing as the timing mark on the pulley passes the 0 mark on the tab, then #6 is ready to fire. And vice versa.....
 
nm9stheham said:
You should be able to find the timing marks easily without a manual. Look on the pulley on the crank shaft (the big bottom pulley) and slowly rotate it around by bumping the starter.... OR by pushing down hard on the belt between the alternator and water pump pulleys (at the top) and then turning the fan to use the fan and belt to turn the crank shaft. (Yes, this works.) Pulling the spark plugs out helps to turn the engine by hand.

On the large bottom pulley, on the crankshaft, you will eventually spot a small notch on the back edge of that pulley (timing mark). You might have to clean that up to see it well. And there should be only one of these notches. Turn the crank pulley until the notch lines up with marks on a metal tab down on the lower driver's side of the front of the engine. Line the notch it up with the 0 mark on the tab.

Then, pull off the distributor cap and see if the rotor is pointed to the cap's tower for either the #1 or #6 spark plug wire. If not pointed to either, then pull the distributor and move the rotor and shaft until it points to one or the other (1 or 6). If it runs, then good. If not, then pull the distributor and turn it to the other plug (1 or 6). One of those 2 distributor positions should run fine.

And there is a way to tell if #1 or #6 is the right position but that requires looking at the valves with the valve cover off. If you want to do that, pull off the valve cover and watch the valves opening and closing as you move the timing mark on the pulley past the 0 mark on the cover. If the #1 intake is opening and the #1 exhaust is closing as the timing mark on the pulley passes the 0 mark on the tab, then #6 is ready to fire. And vice versa.....
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Ok sounds good ive done all that before but it still wouldnt run but i will try again tomorrow.
 
My main concerns would be
1 did we finish replacing and setting the points and condenser?
2 are we certain, for sure, without a doubt, that the new distributor is for the points system ignition?

As vincinni should say, whenever a job goed back, go back to the bezinning
 
First, don't try pulling the timing cover, as suggested. That is not a job for a newbie. You would have to use a puller to remove the crankshaft damper, which means removing the radiator, yada. All that to check something you can check as-is. Same deal in my 69 Dart 225 when I was a newbie w/ cars and a senior in college. I was even a mechanical engineering student, but they don't teach practical things like fixing cars. My younger brother adjusted my points as a Xmas present. He was also an engineering student and took an auto repair class at a community college so was an "expert". He didn't mention that he dropped a nut down the distributor. Later, it jammed, which broke the nylon drive gear. Good it wasn't a small-block (metal gear). Our dad removed the distributor, shook out the nut and looked at my brother.

I got a new nylon gear, but didn't understand how it mounted. I recall there was no shaft hole, so I ASSumed the roll-pin on the distributor shaft was supposed to sit in the radial slot in the gear. Actually, that slot is supposed to face down, and you are supposed to know to drill a hole. It worked, but the distributor shaft popped out of the slot a week later. I was then in your position, in a parking lot 100 mi from home. I removed #1 spark plug, cranked the engine until I felt compression pressure then turned slowly by hand until the crank mark was at 5 deg BTDC. BTW, you can turn a slant over by hand by pulling & pushing on the fan belt. Installed the distributor so the rotor pointed at #1 post. Note, that the rotor turns as you lower it (slanted gear teeth), so use windage for that. Engine fired right up and I adjusted distributor for fastest idle. Same thing happened 1000 mi later. I was so frustrated, I bought a new distributor, which came w/ a nylon gear, and then I saw how it was supposed attach. Hope that long story helps you.

If the distributor has a single wire, it is points distributor. The only "system" w/ points is the coil. An e-distributor has a 2-wire pickup w/ connector and the system has an ECU module in addition to the coil. With points, you must adjust the gap (sets dwell), which means you must know what the points look like (google images).
 
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BillGrissom said:
First, don't try pulling the timing cover, as suggested. That is not a job for a newbie. You would have to use a puller to remove the crankshaft damper, which means removing the radiator, yada. All that to check something you can check as-is. Same deal in my 69 Dart 225 when I was a newbie w/ cars and a senior in college. I was even a mechanical engineering student, but they don't teach practical things like fixing cars. My younger brother adjusted my points as a Xmas present. He was also an engineering student and took an auto repair class at a community college so was an "expert". He didn't mention that he dropped a nut down the distributor. Later, it jammed, which broke the nylon drive gear. Good it wasn't a small-block (metal gear). Our dad removed the distributor, shook out the nut and looked at my brother.

I got a new nylon gear, but didn't understand how it mounted. I recall there was no shaft hole, so I ASSumed the roll-pin on the distributor shaft was supposed to sit in the radial slot in the gear. Actually, that slot is supposed to face down, and you are supposed to know to drill a hole. It worked, but the distributor shaft popped out of the slot a week later. I was then in your position, in a parking lot 100 mi from home. I removed #1 spark plug, cranked the engine until I felt compression pressure then turned slowly by hand until the crank mark was at 5 deg BTDC. BTW, you can turn a slant over by hand by pulling & pushing on the fan belt. Installed the distributor so the rotor pointed at #1 post. Note, that the rotor turns as you lower it (slanted gear teeth), so use windage for that. Engine fired right up and I adjusted distributor for fastest idle. Same thing happened 1000 mi later. I was so frustrated, I bought a new distributor, which came w/ a nylon gear, and then I saw how it was supposed attach. Hope that long story helps you.

If the distributor has a single wire, it is points distributor. The only "system" w/ points is the coil. An e-distributor has a 2-wire pickup w/ connector and the system has an ECU module in addition to the coil. With points, you must adjust the gap (sets dwell), which means you must know what the points look like (google images).
Click to expand...
I got my car running today the distributor was 180 degrees off
 
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