no timing marks?

[davey g]

I just got done doing the intake gaskets on my buddy's 99 Tahoe and when I put the distributor back in I was off a tooth. I got it back in and running but when I went to set the timing I couldn't because there was no timing plate with the marks on it that attaches to the timing cover? I don't know if it rotted and fell off or what the hell happened? The check engine light is on now because the timing is off and I need to get this thing fixed so I can get it back to him tomorrow. Thanks in advance guys!

 

[95TwinTT]

I thought the timing cover had a notch, molded into the cover itself. Try wiping the cover off in the upper drivers side area, behind the harmonic balancer. It should be there.

 

[grnrpr68]

x2

 

[davey g]

I never even saw it under there? If you cant see it from up top how the hell do you get a timing light in there to adjust the timing? Does the timing need to be set at 0? Thanks for the replies guys

 

[95TwinTT]

96 and later are listed as "non adjustable", as far as timing goes. I would hope that they still have the marks.

I would think that with a cam sensor and a crank sensor, it would find itself.

I wonder what happens if the cam itself is physically off a tooth or two, from where it was? I don't use OBD2, so we need someone else to chime in here.

How to identify if the distributor gears are in the right configuration.

 

[nimrodcs]

Did you mark the position of the rotor in relation to the bottom of the distributor? If you didn't and the rotor got turned while it was out, that would be hard to find the right position. There should be a timing mark on the cover, but you would probably have to remove a lot of crap to find it.

 

[retorq]

If you know you dropped it in 'off a tooth' stop posting on the internet and get out there and fix it. I'm pretty sure it has to be dropped n at 0, the computer handles all the advance and retard.

---------- Post added at 08:22 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:21 AM ----------

Did you mark the position of the rotor in relation to the bottom of the distributor? If you didn't and the rotor got turned while it was out, that would be hard to find the right position. There should be a timing mark on the cover, but you would probably have to remove a lot of crap to find it.

I think you mean the distributor housing. The bottom of the distributor is the gear and that's fixed to the top that houses the rotor.

 

[haks310]

You will need a scanner that reads cam retard to adjust the timing....can't use a timing light on Vortec engines, hence why there is no timing plate.

Edit: Where are you located?