Hello, I have a 1990 Taurus 3.0L and I just finished resurfacing the heads and replacing the head gaskets. When everything was done, After cranking over, it doesn't even attempt to start.

My initial thought was timing, and since I'm not really familiar with how to do this, and none of the manuals seem to give a good idea, can someone help me to understand this a little better?

I had removed the distributor pointing towards 1, but then revolved the crank one full revolution to install the pushrods. Then I figured to fix it I would just swap the wires to the opposite side of the distributor, to no avail. The engine does have spark and the fuel rail is pressurized, so I'd imagine it has to be timing?

Thanks in advance for the advice.

 

You need to find TDC top-dead center of the #1 piston compression stroke.

To do this disable the ignition system, pull the coil wire from the cap, and ground.

Then remove #1 cylinder sparkplug, and place your finger over the hole, and crank the engine until you feel air pushed out, and stop cranking. This will put you in the ball park of TDC of compression stroke. Then rotate the crank by hand until the timing mark on the pully is pointing to zero on the timing scale. You shouldn't have to move the crank very far.

Now install the dist. with the rotor pointed to #1 sparkplug wire. Keep the dist. hold-down bolt/clamp snug, but not so tight you can't turn the dist.. You many need to advance and retard some to get it to run.

At this point enable the ignition, double check your firing order, and attempt start up.

 

Alright I'll give it a try, I could not find a timing mark on the pulley.

Side note, The engine will still run alright if just one cylinder has leaky valves, correct?

 

if the timing is all messed up you need to get number 1 piston all the way up, turn the crank by hand until it shows (0 ) on the timing scale and then drop the distributor down in with the rotor pointing to number 1 plug wire on the cap ! if the distributor don,t want to drop all the way in you can take a long screwdriver and reach down in and turn the oil pump ! the timing scale should be on the timing cover and a long mark on the damper ! line up the 0 on the timing scale with the line on the damper, that,s when the piston is all the way up !

 

It take two (2) complete revolutions (720 degrees) of the crankshaft for a four stroke engine to cycle through all four strokes.

Here is a diagram:

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...tAKTM5joOdDg&t

Suck-Squeeze-Pop-Blow. Each stroke the crank turns 180 degrees. 180*4=720

The timing mark on a harmonic balancer/pully will point to zero on the timing scale at TDC of #1 piston compression stroke, and then again at TDC of the exhaust stroke.

If you just rotate the crank so the timing mark points to zero on the scale it could be either one.

Piston #1 must be at TDC of the compression stroke to install the dist. correctly.

This is why I posted the method of placing a finger over the sparkplug hole, and stop cranking the engine right as compression forces air out the hole.

 

Double check for a timing mark on the pully and/or harmonic balancer. Do you see a timing scale?

A leakdown test with gauge will determine how bad the valve(s) are leaking, and hence, how well the engine will run. If a valve leaks too much it wont produce any compression, and the engine will run bad. By right, the valve should not leak at all.

(I grind valves with the seat at 45 degrees, and the valve face at 44 degrees for a slight interference fit for good seating. Three angle valve job the seat at 45, 30 and 15 degrees with the valve face again at 44.)

Let me know about finding a timing mark. If there isn't one I can discribe another way to find TDC of compression stroke of #1 piston.

 

insert a a screwdriver in the spark plug hole and watch for it to stop being pushed out and back down again that way you can find tdc on the comp. stroke

 

Nope, no timing mark on this engine. It's hard to reach over there, so i was thinking of putting a spark plug only in cylinder one, and cranking until it becomes difficult, and try the screwdriver trick. That could probably work.

 

Did you read my above post?

How do you know that's TDC of the compression stroke, and not TDC of the exhaust stroke? This method might work it you removed the valve cover, and made sure the intake valve stayed closed as the piston moves down. The LSA of the cam might through you for a loop tho'.

Again, if you simply rotate the crank and bring #1 piston to the top of the cylinder, and point the dist. rotor to #1 sparkplug wire you're either spot on, or a 180 degrees out.

If there is no mark on the pully, use the finger over the plug hole trick, and then find zero degrees TDC using grindman's screwdriver method.

Hope everything works out well. Those 3.0 Fords are darn good engines. I'd be happy to answer anymore questions.

 

yea, I liked your idea with the finger on the hole, its just hard to reach and crank at the same time, and as I likely won't have any help, I felt this also would work, because it would not be hard to crank on the exhaust stroke as the valve is open and it would be easy to turn over. I would only stop with it became difficult, then insert the screwdriver to determine when i've reached the top.

great ideas. but what if this doesn't fix it... am I screwed here?