Help - Sapphire won't Fire

[BJ]

Yesterday we did a general service on the Sapph including changing the phase sensor and distributor cap. When we were finished the car wouldn't fire. It initially cranks and sounds normal then the cranking stops in what sounds like a compression lock.

We went back and re-checked the timing setup: when the crank was aligned with the left margin of the TDC notch, and V was visible to the right, each of the cam pulleys and the auxiliary pulley were also correctly aligned. However when I removed the distributor cap, the rotor was not aligned with the etch mark on the distributor body.

I removed and replaced the distributor so that the rotor and etch are properly aligned along with all of the other timing marks.

The car still will not start. It follows the same pattern; initially cranks and sounds normal then the cranking stops in what sounds like a compression lock, I rechecked the timing setup twice more; and I am now as confident as I can be that its is correct.

Assuming the timing setup is correct, the fault must lie elsewhere. Working backwards; the only ignition elements that were changed are the phase sensor and the distributor cap. The cap is unlikely to be faulty however the phase sensor may be faulty.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[Damion Parkin]

Hi,

When you say that the V in the crank pulley is visible to the right of the TDC notch what do you mean exactly ? The notch should be anti-clockwise from the first timing /no.1 TDC lug.

I would be rechecking your dizzy timing as it sounds like you have something out there. Check the crank angle sensor as well.

I am not sure how important it is to have the auxilary pulley pointer lined up, as long as you have the mark lined up on the body of the dizzy to the mark in the centre of the rotor button you should be sweet.

Do you have information on what the gaps should be set at ?

Good luck.