I just replaced timing belt/water pump & head gasket on my 96 hx. Got it all back together and it's not starting. It is just turning over kinda rough and I can hear it trying to sputter.
I retarded the distributor just to see if it would try to start any better but it does the same thing...

When I advanced it though it was turning over smoothly but no sputtering at all.

Question,
If my timing belt is off a tooth, how can I tell which way I need to adjust it back to where it should be?

thanks!

 

my bad, I got it backwards above,

when I retarded it, it was turning over more smoothly.

 

the crank pully is lined up at the pointer at the white mark (tdc) and the marks on the cam gear are also parallel to the head. could it being a tiny bit off (barely noticable) make it not start at all?
firing order is alright, checked all sensors, vaccum lines.

Off one tooth was my first guess but what else could it be?

Im gonna go check all the vaccum lines/sensors again right now

 

ok ... I have the same problem right now... Only mine starts and runs...
My guess is that you are either off by more than 1 tooth or the crankshaft fluctuation senser that points at the teeth (where the timing belt wraps around) on the crank shaft sprocket isnt installed correctly. Im just guessing. I replaced my timing belt and water pump and now it runs but not that well... from 1000 to 2000 rpm its kinds OK but anything above that or if I slam the gas it just falls on its face...
You getting gas & spark?

Good luck man

 

I remember putting that little gear back on that the CFS reads. after searching I see that a bad CFS will give an error code for people, but at least their car will start & run.
I took the fuel rail off when I pulled the head & intake manifold. a small amount of gas leaked out- is it possible that there is air trapped in the line now? I have never had that happen before when I took off a fuel rail.
pulled the plug wires out and seems to be getting spark, as it does not even sputter w/o the wires in. checked the plugs for oil on them and they are clean.
all sensors & vacuum lines are good, checked them 3 times now lol.

any thoughts?

 

re check your timing...

 

4321

.......3
...............4
1
.......2

Check your firing order.

 

firing order is ok. and the marks are all lined up on the timing. Even if it was off one tooth should it be able to start and then run crappy?

it does seem like timing though- it wants to start! even though the TDC marks match on the crank pulley & the cam gear, could it be possible that the timing is still somehow off?