Help - going on my 3rd Flywheel :(

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Kramer

I guess my first question before I get it apart is:

Should I try to turn the engine with a breaker bar (so I can get it pass the missing teeth)....and see if I can get it started to check timing BEFORE I take it apart?

Yeah, I would. Because, if for some reason, you have the wrong distributor configuration, or the wrong ECU configuration, or a combination of both, and you're starting up with tons of advance, then you're just going to eat another starter or flyweel. If for some reason there's too many missing teeth, or it just cranks for a second or two and then stops at the missing tooth spot, then you might, just might, be able to check your initial timing via the old static method that we used to do 40 years ago. But that might not work with the ECU, I don't know. But I'd at least try it once before I just put on new parts and crossed my fingers. If the static method showed you were getting a spark to the #1 plug with a hand turn at anything over, say, 25 degrees, then I would red flag that as a problem. But, again, I'm not sure the static system would work with the ECU. If you elect to try the static method, we can give you detailed instructions. The only danger is that you accidentally start the engine with a socket wrench on the balancer bolt and it hurts you or the bolt.