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Cranks but wont start rotor not moving

Tiny
RICHARD D CRAPO SR
  • MEMBER
  • 1988 FORD F-250
  • 890,762 MILES
Tried to start truck noticed the rotor in distributor was not moving! Is the distributor bad? I even tried to put at top dean center of plug one tried it on both intake and output (fuel in and exhaust out) engine cranks but does not fire.
Wednesday, September 18th, 2013 AT 7:47 PM

9 Replies

Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
Ether the cam isn't spinning or the distributor shaft is broken.
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Wednesday, September 18th, 2013 AT 8:16 PM
Tiny
RICHARD D CRAPO SR
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
OK how does one go about getting cam to spin to turn distributor so timing can be set and truck will start?
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Wednesday, September 18th, 2013 AT 11:59 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
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First we have to see if it is the cam not turning. Remove the oil fill cap use a flashlight see if you can see the can. If you can then have have someone crank the engine over while you watch for the can turning. Let me know what you find.
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Thursday, September 19th, 2013 AT 8:33 AM
Tiny
RICHARD D CRAPO SR
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
I took out distributor and no one around so I turned motor over by hand using socket on bottom bell housing and watched down distributor hole bottom cam turns but gear for distributor does not move.
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Thursday, September 19th, 2013 AT 7:45 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
So you have a broken distributor shaft?
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Thursday, September 19th, 2013 AT 8:17 PM
Tiny
RICHARD D CRAPO SR
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
Is there a way to check it to be sure?
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Thursday, September 19th, 2013 AT 8:59 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Hold the rotor with one hand from spinning then use your other hand to turn the gear the cam turns. See if the gear that rides on the cam turns without the rotor spining?
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Thursday, September 19th, 2013 AT 10:22 PM
Tiny
RICHARD D CRAPO SR
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
No the gear on the bottom if it turns the rotor turns if held the bottom gear wont turn. When put into intake manifold distributor hole it will not go down unless rotor spins when holding rotor it goes to the part that would turn it and that part does not spin freely and it like its stiff and wont turn but the lower cam turns when turning lower belt pulleys center bolt it turned by wrench.
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Thursday, September 19th, 2013 AT 11:20 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
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What size engine do you have?The shaft on the distrubtor should move pretty free while trying to spin it.
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Friday, September 20th, 2013 AT 8:30 AM

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