Intake manifold gasket R&R - Dist. Problems

[captmello]

Some of you may have seen my thread earlier about replacing the intake manifold gaskets on my buddies '99 350 Chevy motor.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=369143

Well the job went very smooth thanks to the help of you fellow Iboaters but we have run into troubles now with the timing.

When we removed the distributer, i marked the rotor, distributer, and base to be sure we got it back together as close as we could. I'm really sure I got it back together the same way. When the job was done the truck started right up ran rough and the service engine soon light came on.

Okay, no problem, we'll bring it in to get it set up properly.

My buddy brought it in to someone I'm not familiar with for the service.

He got the truck back yesterday without being able to talk to the mechanic. The mechanic left a note saying the distributer was off a tooth and now he can't get the service engine light to go off. The truck still isn't running right. The note also said it "may" be a bad crank sensor.

Now I'm pissed. I do not believe I was off by a tooth, nor do I believe the crank sensor would have gone bad suddenly as the truck ran great up to doing the intake repair.

I'm I wrong to think this guy was the wrong person to bring the truck to???

Somethings fishy on the western border of WI and its not the frozen lakes.

Any words of wisdom or advise is appreciated.

 

[rbh]

Re: Intake manifold gasket R&R - Dist. Problems

Its not that hard to be a tooth out when dropping dist back in, "bin there dun that many times"
pull the positive cable, it may reset the brain box????
as well, you may have a manifold leak, check those little hoses and the carb/what have you?? base gasket.

 

[captmello]

Re: Intake manifold gasket R&R - Dist. Problems

Its not that hard to be a tooth out when dropping dist back in, "bin there dun that many times"
pull the positive cable, it may reset the brain box????
as well, you may have a manifold leak, check those little hoses and the carb/what have you?? base gasket.

Thanks for the response, but if I had been off a tooth, my marks wouldn't have all lined up like they did. It just really upsets me that this guy somehow determined it was off by a tooth, changes it around and blames a bad crank sensor!! What's even more odd is that this guy had installed the distributor for my buddy a year or so back when he was having other issues.
All this is doing is cost him more money to try to get this issue resolved.

Can the crank sensor be tested?? Whats the most economical next step. Should I be over there cranking the motor around to TDC and seeing where the rotor is pointing?? I'm sure it will have to be back to a mechanic for the final timing setup anyway. I just don't want to waste my time.

My buddy hasn't paid the guy yet and I'd really like to know whats wrong first.

Maybe I'm totally in the wrong but...

 

[dolluper]

Re: Intake manifold gasket R&R - Dist. Problems

Sounds like the cam retard offset is retarted to much ....it has to be done with a scan tool at opp temp and at 1100 rpm ....you can check your timming without the scan tool by disconnecting the single wire connector by the dist {black/tan oryellow} and set timming at 0 degress also at opp temp...then reconnect

 

[captmello]

Re: Intake manifold gasket R&R - Dist. Problems

Sounds like the cam retard offset is retarted to much ....it has to be done with a scan tool at opp temp and at 1100 rpm ....you can check your timming without the scan tool by disconnecting the single wire connector by the dist {black/tan oryellow} and set timming at 0 degress also at opp temp...then reconnect

Hummm...So I would pull the wire you mention, and using my timing light, set the timing to 0 deg., reconnect the wire, and then what? Bring it to a shop to finish with a scan tool???

 

[Jhoppy]

Re: Intake manifold gasket R&R - Dist. Problems

Its hard to guess why the check engine light is on without knowing what code it is on for. It could be as simple as a wire left unhooked. Or it could be the cam crank sync or cam retard offset as it is called on this truck. Yes it is easy to get the distributor off a tooth when reinstalling and I have to wonder why the mechanic did not fix that if it was the problem. It is very unlikely the problem has to do with the crank sensor because it worked fine before and you did not disturbed it with the intake gasket replacement. You do need a scan tool with the ability to read cam retard offset to set timing on this truck , It has to be set with the engine running at operating temp above 1100 rpm speck it +/- 2 degrees. I have never heard of a connector by the distributor on this new of a truck but ive ben wrong before.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Intake manifold gasket R&R - Dist. Problems

I would go back over every connection and vacuum hoses to start.
Then a trip to Autozone for a free code read...
Find out what code is causing the check engine light.
When i replaced my intake i just marked the dist. and rotor,dropped it back in the same spot and it ran perfect.

I think that mechanic is full of horse poo....

 

[captmello]

Re: Intake manifold gasket R&R - Dist. Problems

Its hard to guess why the check engine light is on without knowing what code it is on for. It could be as simple as a wire left unhooked. Or it could be the cam crank sync or cam retard offset as it is called on this truck. Yes it is easy to get the distributor off a tooth when reinstalling and I have to wonder why the mechanic did not fix that if it was the problem. It is very unlikely the problem has to do with the crank sensor because it worked fine before and you did not disturbed it with the intake gasket replacement. You do need a scan tool with the ability to read cam retard offset to set timing on this truck , It has to be set with the engine running at operating temp above 1100 rpm speck it +/- 2 degrees. I have never heard of a connector by the distributor on this new of a truck but ive ben wrong before.

I talked to my buddy again this morning about the truck. He says he thinks they did move the dist. a tooth but can't get the light to go out. In addition the truck isn't running correctly. When it is first started it idles rough and act like it wants to die. The truck then apparently is able to correct the issue and runs fairly well.

I don't know what else to do at this point but bring it back to the mechanic and have him troubleshoot it. He has a good relationship with them, I guess the job was going too smooth.

He's going to go talk with the mechanic this afternoon. I'll have him mention the cam retard offset and see what they say.

thanks again for the help.

 

[captmello]

Re: Intake manifold gasket R&R - Dist. Problems

I would go back over every connection and vacuum hoses to start.
Then a trip to Autozone for a free code read...
Find out what code is causing the check engine light.
When i replaced my intake i just marked the dist. and rotor,dropped it back in the same spot and it ran perfect.

I think that mechanic is full of horse poo....

Man Gary, I swear I got it back where it was. Wish us luck.

 

[dolluper]

Re: Intake manifold gasket R&R - Dist. Problems

If the cam retard offset is retarted by 2 degress it will set a code and the code will stay untill adjusted to O degrees or +2 degress that is the window....depending on motor condition ...if the single black/tan wire connector has been disconnected to set the timmming and not reconnected it will set and keep the light on until reconnected ...after reconnection you have to clear the codes.....if you don't disconnect the single wire connector you will never get the timming on peroid

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: Intake manifold gasket R&R - Dist. Problems

The cam position sensor going bad will not cause the engine to run rough once the CEL comes on because the main computer is programed to run the engine in a default mood without needing that sensor to operate. Like gary said first determine which code/codes they are and go from there. I think there may be a mechanics error.

 

[captmello]

Re: Intake manifold gasket R&R - Dist. Problems

I saw someone complaining about not following up on threads.

Well, my buddy brought it back to the mechanic, All I know is the mechanic told my buddy the timing was off was 34 Deg. This was after he had previously worked on it, and given it back saying the cam sensor might be bad.

He had also moved the distributer a tooth after my reassembly. I don't know if he switched it back...

He ended up replacing a sensor in the air intake and setting the timing for $90.

All I can say, is even though I can do 90% of my own mechanical work, It's good to have a reliable mechanic.

Thanks to everyone for their input.

 

[DECK SWABBER 58]

Re: Intake manifold gasket R&R - Dist. Problems

SO................

I guess this fixed the problem??!!

You never did say. So much for following up on the post.

 

[captmello]

Re: Intake manifold gasket R&R - Dist. Problems

SO................

I guess this fixed the problem??!!

You never did say. So much for following up on the post.

Ha, sorry, ya it's fixed.

Thread complete.