I wanted to know if there were any 3VZE experts out there who could help me diagnose and fix a timing issue with my 89 4runner. I just wrapped up a rebuild of the top end since what started out to be a somewhat simple timing belt job turned into tearing down the intake all the way down to the knock sensor, rewrapping the engine harness, and replacing most of my vacuum lines among other things. This truck is somewhat new to me and this is the first time Ive really done work on the thing so I am discovering new things pretty much every time I open the hood. That being said, this issue I'm trying to tackle may be a continuation of one from before the teardown, and may be compounded by my own potential mistakes in dealing with the timing belt.
Before this I had a pretty frequent issue where after a 20 minute drive, or once warm, turning the car off would result in the complete loss of spark after trying to start again. After about an hour of cooling down. It would start again and I could drive another good 20 minute trip with no hiccups. Originally thought this may be AFM, I tore into that and checked with multimeter at operating temps and all resistances check out.
My new problem is that I cant set the timing at all. The most I have been able to squeeze out is about 200rpm while feathering the gas and any other adjustments result in pops and wheezes from the exhaust and some banging up front. Im assuming minor backfiring but I can be convinced otherwise. Even more confusing is that after the rebuild, but before I had taken my distributor completely off (to adjust alternator belt tension) it ran. Not very well, but it did run. Once I took my distributor off and attempted to reset it based on TDC and aligning marks on the distributor itself It gave me the pops wheezes and bangs I described before or wont give me much of any exhaust or combustion noises of any kind.
I am due for a replacement distributor due to the pic I will share here but could replacing this be the answer to my problems I'm describing? I know for a fact it is either way past its replacement date or entirely aftermarket meaning I have no reason to think it works well other than the fact that it totally worked before and after the rebuild in its current state.
Not really sure where to go from here but I would love any and all input including being told I am the problem which is what I'm pretty convinced of at this point. I'm willing to get the work done but the cheaper the better aside from shilling out for a proper working distributor which I know will be around 200 at least.
Before this I had a pretty frequent issue where after a 20 minute drive, or once warm, turning the car off would result in the complete loss of spark after trying to start again. After about an hour of cooling down. It would start again and I could drive another good 20 minute trip with no hiccups. Originally thought this may be AFM, I tore into that and checked with multimeter at operating temps and all resistances check out.
My new problem is that I cant set the timing at all. The most I have been able to squeeze out is about 200rpm while feathering the gas and any other adjustments result in pops and wheezes from the exhaust and some banging up front. Im assuming minor backfiring but I can be convinced otherwise. Even more confusing is that after the rebuild, but before I had taken my distributor completely off (to adjust alternator belt tension) it ran. Not very well, but it did run. Once I took my distributor off and attempted to reset it based on TDC and aligning marks on the distributor itself It gave me the pops wheezes and bangs I described before or wont give me much of any exhaust or combustion noises of any kind.
I am due for a replacement distributor due to the pic I will share here but could replacing this be the answer to my problems I'm describing? I know for a fact it is either way past its replacement date or entirely aftermarket meaning I have no reason to think it works well other than the fact that it totally worked before and after the rebuild in its current state.
Not really sure where to go from here but I would love any and all input including being told I am the problem which is what I'm pretty convinced of at this point. I'm willing to get the work done but the cheaper the better aside from shilling out for a proper working distributor which I know will be around 200 at least.
