Starting my car

[emery1990]

When cylinder one is fully compressed, should the rotor connector bit be facing ht lead1. I am guessing so. Just checked a guide and it is indeed 180 out somehow., how do I spin it back around.

Also my engine is hard to turn by hand for quite a lot of it, but theres a point where it's easy then turns stiff again. It turns over though so not fully seized, just thinking maybe a bit of rust ?

[mk2bal]

Its compression and friction fighting against you. Yes when no.1 is at tdc your rotor arm should point at the notch, which is at the 11 o'clock (ish) position on the dizzy. If it is out majorly your timing is way out. Set your timing up properly, and it should be almost bang on the mark. then little dizzy adjustments will fine tune it. You cant be 180degs out though, else the engine wouldn't turn. Have you touched or altered the engine/timing belt/ dizzy/ inter-cam timing? It sounds like your breaking your car as your trying to fix it!!

[emery1990]

cheers mate, seriously it is lol Thats with cylinder one at tdc!! 180 out, my engine doesnt start, but turns. Nope havnt touched anything on the engine lol Thats why I'm confused, ms doesnt require any engine mods, so it should all be like it was before I sorned my car! How do I change the timing, someone said to loosen dizzy bolts and turn the dizzy, but I'm pretty sure when I took of my rocker cover that the cam markings wouldnt of lined up. Only the mechanic has touched timing. he said it was pinking so must of retarded it.

[mk2bal]

Well if your right bout it being 180 degs out someones messed up the timing big time. Without meaning to plug another forum, go on cgti, and set up your timing as per the 'static timing' setup guide..that involves removing rocker cover for intercam timing etc.once that's done the rotor arm will be on the mark somewhere, and looseing dizzy bolts and turning fine tunes spark timing. but no you can't just loosen dizzy and turn it if the cams aren't in the right position..back to basics it sounds like for you I'm afraid!!

[emery1990]

I've looked at that thread a few times and looks simple, but it doesnt tell you how to change it if it's wrong lol, just shows what it should be like. Would I just loosen off the cambelt so it allows me turn everything around to were it should be.

The rotor arm is facing totally opposite to where it should be so thats why I'm thinking its 180 out. It always ran before I stripped out the k-jet ( not touching the engine!) Nevermind, it's a learning curve

[mk2bal]

Yeah, you just remove cambelt and turn cams, then put belt bk on and tension. Spin over a few times by hand and check its all in time still..that's if the cams are in time with each other, but out of synch with the bottom end.. If, say when you turn the cams round, and 1 inner dot is in the right position, and the other isn't, you'll have to loosen off the cam caps, remove cams, move whichever 1 needs to be, then keeping chain tension lower them bk in and tighten..you have to torque the cam caps with a torque wrench, and pay attention to the way round the caps are etc etc. Basically check everything a million times over before you seal the rocker cover and replace manifold etc, be systematic/ methodical... If you can't, get someone round who knows what they're doing!!

[emery1990]

Cheers mate, sounds easy enough tbh, just have to check it over and over as you say to double check I won't blow my engine to bits when starting!

I've also been told to switch my ht leads around untill 1 is where the rotor arm and see if it sparks like that, but tbh my last time I looked my cam markings looked off, so I'd rather get them lined up first.

[mk2bal]

Not too sure about putting lead 1 where it is and going from there, it sounds like ur bottom end is a turn out from top. It does 2 turns to the tops 1 remember.. Get the rocker cover off, and have a look from there. I always go clockwise on the cam and crank bolt when turning, to make sure your tightening it and don't risk cracking the bolt off going backwards,and get a haynes if you haven't already, it reminds you about cam cap orientation etc etc. And remember turn over by hand a few times once tensioned and check all is still in the right place.. Though if you haven't touched the engine its v weird if it is that messed up. Someones done it somewhere along the line..

[emery1990]

Cheers mate, rocker cover off, everythings done a 180! cam markings are in line but facing away from eachother, the cam pulleys facing down and the dizzy. Christ knows how this has happened.

Got a haynes manual, so everything in there to tell me how to get it back right.

[mk2bal]

It sounds like the cams are ok, and don't need to be removed and repositioned. It seems They're just out with the bottom end. Start by turning the engine to tdc on flywheel notch(through gearbox green bung) you can put a long shaft screwdriver down cyl 1 to confirm its tdc.Loosen tensioner and remove cambelt from top pulley. Turn cams clockwise until the marks come round to touch at the inner quarter to three position as per haynes..then refit the belt,(just check gearbox mark hasn't moved) and tension it.if your happy with all the marks lining up as they should, turn the bottom pulley over twice to check its still right. Do this before replacing rocker cover to confirm cam dots are in position, offer the rockercover on and it should line up the cambelt pulley mark with the rockercover mark as well.