Hello, I'm using a 93' civic LX to learn the ins and outs of vehicles. So needless to say everything I'm doing is a first.

The vehicle was purchased two weeks ago and needed everything done. The only thing it had going for it was that it started and drove enough to bring it home which was all I needed (upon start up it would misfire for like 3 minutes and then smooth out idle). The valve cover was obviously leaking so the first order of business under the hood was replacing that, cap and rotor, plugs and plug wires. Unfortunately I knew how nothing worked before starting the work on this.

I changed all of the above, and had issues getting the already stripped rotor screw out of the distributor so I replaced the distributor as well. I think this is where I messed up.

Now the car will crank but won't start. I'm pretty much certain it has to do with ignition timing because before I changed the distributor I didn't know its placing on the engine had anything to do with timing. So now I'm needing to know a little bit about ignition timing. I've looked stuff up on this and am still searching around, but my question is if I know the timing is off (because it started before I changed it, but won't now) would moving the distributor (advancing/retarding) around eventually put it back in time, or do I have the car more than likely 180 off and thats why it won't start anymore? I was hoping to deal with the timing belt and adjusting the pulley a little later down the line on this project but it seems I might be in the mist to start early.

Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

 

Review these pictures....
https://i639.photobucket.com/albums/...cture_3503.jpg
https://i639.photobucket.com/albums/...cture_3679.jpg

There's a wealth of knowledge here....
https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-...tions-1998336/

 

thank you for the reply.

I've seen these images, but as mentioned the car won’t start so I can’t use the ignition timing light.

I’m still wondering if since it ran before swapping the distributor if I move the distributor forward or backward will it eventually get in time enough to start, or by trying to crank it up did I throw it too far out of time (is this possible?) and now need to take off the valve cover, get #1 at Tdc and review the #1 plug and go about it that way?

thanks!

 

You can still use the timing light as you're cranking the engine to see if it's close. Honestly, if you jump the cable like in the image and put the distro on straight it should start and run rough if anything. If you're positive it's not on 180 out (which I honestly don't think is possible even though people claim they do it) you should be good. Try having someone start the car with you looking at the timing light. It'll still work because it'll be sending pulses to the plugs to start. You'll see if you're close to the timing marks. Other than that, you have 3 other places to look, compression, fuel and air. I also don't think you can really damage much but having it out of ignition timing, mechanical timing yes but ignition timing is just when then plugs fire. Are you sure you have the wires on correctly from the cylinders to the distro with the firing order? On my 98 it was 1-3-4-2 so if you put them on like 1-2-3-4 it won't turn over.

 

did you put the new distributor and rotor in correctly, The distributor gear SHOULD only go in the slots one way, BUUUTTTTT crazier things have happened. Take the distributor off and turn the gear 180 degrees and see if it goes in the corresponding slot in the cam. if it does, complete the install of the distributor and see if the car starts

 

I have never had a distributor's ignition timing (not timing belt timing) cause a car not to start. If the "key" on the distributor (bottom piece) is pretty worn then it is possible for the distributor to fit either way and be 180 out like you said and of course no start. Another possibillity is that the distributor you using is a dud even new parts can be bad. Do you have spark?
Can you drill the stripped bolt out of the original distributor and tap and put a new bolt in there or use a self tapping screw or I would even use locktite on the stripped bolt and see if the car starts.

 

So I wasn’t sure what could be going on, since I couldn’t start the car to try the ignition timing with timing light.

I went ahead today and made sure the belt was Tdc which I believe is the far right tick in the belt indicating 16 degrees for the d15b7 if I’m not mistaken. The camshaft lines also aligned with the head when doing so. Although everyone says the distributor rotor should point at num 1 and firewall, the way I have my plugs it’s pointed at Num 3 and firewall. I have images I’m going to upload and if someone could verify my plug wire rotation sequences I’d appreciate that as well.

I’ll wait to hear back from images before trying to start it again in case of any mistakes.





edit: after reviewing it, I believe my spark plugs are 1 spot off. If I rotate them all one spot clockwise will that be correct or is it correct currently?

 

It isn't proper by the manual, but it is a logical test step to see if your janky aftermarket distributor has a shaft that is mis-drilled. Move your spark plug leads one spot clockwise and attempt to start the car. If it runs fine... you know the problem... not that it changes anything about the operation of the engine other than your firing order is out of order from a "normal" factory plug wire lead placement. If the firing order is wrong when you do this, the engine will likely backfire... and if so, do NOT continue to try and start it. You can potentially cause engine damage.

 

Tried both spark plug patterns, the way pictured and then each plug moved once clockwise. Nothing seems to work.

it primes with fuel, starts to crank but won’t turn over. After cranking for about 3-4 seconds the CEL comes on until I stop cranking and then it goes away.

got a new distributor because I couldn’t get the old rotor screw out of the old one, and messed up the screw pretty bad in the process. But since it’s just sitting out now, and I know it works, I’m going to finish taking the screw out with a drill and dremel, clean it up and swap them out and see how that works out for me.

any advice you see I’m missing please mention it, thanks!

edit: I will also be purchasing a spark tester today to confirm whether or not there is spark being sent.

 

replacing the entire dist is missing the point.
learn to diagnose the coil and icm otherwise you are placing great factory parts in the trash can (unless theyve already been trashed). get a factory original from a boneyard and refurb it.

https://www.team-integra.net/threads...ost-2030080573

 

post a picture of the old and new plugs.. Do you have spark to the plug?

 

Wait, wtf. Do you still have the old distributor? Put that back on and try to fire it up again, it was running before with it like you said. Let's pinpoint that it definitely is something within the new one.

 

As mentioned by @09chaplak I did state I still had the old distributor.

Me, being new to working on cars in general, but especially with these hondas I didn’t realize how important brand mattered.

I eventually got the rotor screw dremeled/drilled out of the old distributor and replaced it in place of the new one. Car started right up with an even better idle than it did before all of this. I now would like to adjust my ignition timing but don’t happen to have a metal clip/wire to jump the wire socket underneath the passenger dash so that’ll wait until I run to the store later. Fortunately this is the project currently, so I don’t need it running immediately. I’m hoping to daily it by the end of this so my Srt8 superbee can be the weekend warrior eventually.

so, for now, this issue seems to be fixed. Word to the wise (which I already found when I looked in a sticky thread of “brands to trust” with these cars) do not buy Remans or whatever distributors. They don’t work. Will be changing brake setups all around, all fluids and then she’ll be ready to go.

 

@Jeremyw33 Nice! Use a paperclip to jump the connector, that's what I used to use and it worked perfectly!