Hey yall,
I need some help really really badly. I have done everything that I know how to do and I just don't seem to be getting anywhere.
Last year, I bought a 1993 Honda Del-Sol S Model. It has a non-V-Tech 1.5L (D-series) motor. It is a 5-speed manual. The odometer quit reading just under 200,000 miles and it is believed to have somewhere around 250,000 miles to date. I have serviced quite a bit of the motor, as well as replacing gaskets and cleaning my throttle body. Most importantly (as I see this most relevant) a new distributor, cap, and rotor. Sadly, I did not know that before you pull the old distributor, you should mark the exact position of it so you know exactly where to put the new one. Not only do I not have the old mark, but my timing light cord was damaged so I am without that as well. O'Reilly Auto Parts wants a $150 deposit to lend one out. Needless to say, I cannot afford that right now.
So, I have been forced to try and do things the old fashion way-setting ignition timing by hand and this is where I get lost.
I believe that I found the top dead center correctly, as my cam markings are lined perfectly with the head of the motor. I also, in the beginning, had my marks on the bottom lined up as well. However, when I had tried to start it, all it did was turn-it would never fire up. I have since tried to bump start it with the key to try and get my bottom marks lined up at the same time as the top (when I tried starting it, they never lined up again). This has been very frustrating and a lot of turning the motor by hand. I am completely at a loss at this point. I know it will run fine after it starts, but it has to start first!
Also, I have tried "troubleshooting" my issue thinking maybe it was something that I have done wrong initially. Or, thinking somehow I received a bad distributor to begin with. I recently realized that a distributor only goes in one way, I have taken everything back off and tried putting it back together again, I have checked my firing order, changed the plugs. I have also even wondered if the fact of it having 9 month old gas in it has anything to do with my problem, despite a good fuel pump and 3/4 tank of gas. My battery is new and charged. Throttle position sensor, idle-air control valve have both been changed as well.
I am trying to be as informative as I can hoping somebody can help me figure something out! I live in Dayton, OH if anyone knows of a mechanic or shop that can actually time my vehicle for a reasonable cost.
Hey penguin, good taste on the del sol, those are unique cars. I've been able to set the timing on older honda cars with a 40usd timing gun from harbor freight but with enough exp you may not need it. Your car's ECU will compensate for stretch on the timing belt by advancing or retarding timing and save that degree offset in the ECU. There is a service mode that you can enable by shorting a dongle somewhere around the passenger footside. This will override the ECU and keeping the timing from self adjusting. You should enable this service mode then play with the distributor until you can get the engine to turn over and idle reliably then rev up smoothly. Ideally you would have a timing light pointed at the harmonic balancer while you do this but with some exp you can play it by ear to at least get the car running ok.
Well put the engine on top dead center with the crankshaft on a zero position then take the distributor cap off and the distributor rotor should point right at the number one cylinder that is a basic way to stab it in then you would turn the distributor to finally adjust it without a timing light just make it so it runs best if it accelerates in pings then retarded a little bit in the opposite direction until it stops pain
