ok, i have a 95 accord, with an h22a1 motor swap in it.

distributer and coil wire fixed the problem, fired right up! so now im faced with a cracked radiator, not my week to own a car! anyone know if i need one for prelude motor , or the accord ?

 

that's not really the best way to do it...

when you don't have a timing light handy it's best to install the distributor with the bolts set as centered as you can in the adjustment slots. this is generally good enough to get it going assuming all else is fine (cam timing, ignition and fuel system component condition...) but you'll need to set it right with a timing light.

 

so if i get car running , i should probably take it to a mechanic to get the timing staight. there wasnt a problem with timing before, but i took distributer off not knowing i would possibly mess up the timing, i know which way the distributer was when i took it off, meaning which cylinder it was on, since i took pictures of everything and the way the old one was. car wouldnt start and found faulty ignition coil wire and distributer was in rough shape, so hopefully it gets it running!

 

you would be fine just installing it and trying to get all the bolt holes in the center... if you want, you can get it timed later.

 

sounds good to me, lets hope when parts come in, it runs !! hehe , car ran like a champ the first day i got it, and hasnt run since! so im taking all the info i can to make sure i dont screw up!!! thanks guys

 

just FYI- you can't really "screw up" the ignition timing by taking the distributor off... and it doesn't matter which cylinder is at TDC when it comes off. it can only go back on one way (the coupler that mates to the end of the cam) within the 10-15° of adjustment allowed by the slots.

you may be thinking of getting the cam timing right when you're replacing timing belt-area items.

 

actually....

I've read about people online putting it on rotated 180 degrees off but never could understand how. Then one day a friend calls and said his Accord wont start. So my girls brother and I go over there to find they removed the distributor to get better access to a coolant hose that needed replacing. When they put it back together however they put the distributor back in wrong. Yes, they did force it back in which should have tipped them off but regardless it went back together and the car wouldn't start. After removing the distributor and flipping the key around to mate back up to the cam correctly the car started up just fine. So yes, it can be put on wrong.

and there isn't 10-15 degrees of play in key/slot, it's tighter than that.

 

but i should be fine seeing as i know how the distributer was before i took it all the way out, meaning i know what way it was in there, so since ive done this before, and i do remember putting it in wrong first time, but didnt go in right, so i turned it around and it went in fine and started up, i didnt have any timing issues ever with that car, i think im just getting to much info because im starting to worry, im on unemployment and cant afford screw ups! if it runs after new distributer , i will surely take it to a mechanic to check all that has been done.

 

wow... wow.

yeah, i was just estimating on the 10-15.

 

yep, thats correct. if you put it in wrong it will not go in easily. so you did the right thing by noticing that and flipping the shaft around and reinstalling it.

 

yep, never thought it was possible or could understand how people did it until my friend called me over and I got to see it first hand

 

i did this once, tried starting the car it sputtered for a second then died took the dizzy back out and it had actually broken one of the off feet of the key. had to first retreive the broken key by pulling the valve cover then perform some surgery to swap keys off my old dizzy.

live and learn

 

so i installed distributer and ignition coil wire, and it started right up, however the damn radiator was cracked as well, go figure one problem after another. so now i need a radiator, anyone know for a 95 accord with h22a1 prelude motor , do i need one for an accord or prelude? thank you everyone for your help!

 

you would want to get one that fits the chassis since there are mounts for the radiator that need to match up. good site for radiators is www.radiatorbarn.com if you can wait for shipping.

also you should still use a timing light to set the correct timing once everything is fixed

 

yeah im prolly going to take it to a shop still after i put in a radiator

 

why do you need to take it to a shop? get a timing light and DIY, thats the point of this website. learn more about your car so you dont have to pay other people for simple things. if you dont own a timing light you can always rent one from your local auto parts store.

 

yeah i just dont want to mess anything up, but since i have time till radiator gets here, i will go ahead and look into doing it myself. im accident prone, i can repair/replace certain parts, but some things are better left to professionals.

 

I'm having a hard time finding which way the "key" locks into the cam. Either way seems like it fits the same, and it rather difficult to push in all the way. I lightly tried because I didn't want to break anything. Any advice?

 

actually.....
if you've ever taken a distributor apart to let's say swap housings... you can put the coupler onto the distributor's shaft wrong, and then put it onto the motor correctly causing the distributor to be 180* off...

experience is a cruel teacher.

i know this doesn't apply but, it does explain how someone can screw it up.

 

yea people who know enouph to get in trouble, should be careful what they say to those who dont know much!! lol long story short here, my car is running!! radiator is on its way!!

 

pmed cx hatch,