Very strange, guys. so, i just replaced my timing belt yesterday on my '79 B21 after it snapped on my way home the other night. this was my first foray into timing belt land. i had to re-set everything, which, though i was nervous, i am fairly to very confident i did correctly. It had some idle/smoothness issues before, and my theory was that the old belt, being so very old, had jumped a tooth perhaps on the cam gear, and maybe the distributor as well. i had actually bought a new belt and tensioner months ago, intending to do this. ah, well, guess that's what i get for my procrastination.

anyway, so i closed her up, started it up, and it just wont stay running. the smoothness is better, but it just wont even get above 800 rpm at full throttle. SO, i got out my timing light, and, peering into the darkness saw that the timing was at about 30-40° After TDC. hmm. so i turn the distributor, and the most advanced i can get it is at Zero. Help! now, i am fairly certain that i lined everything up correctly. the little stamped dot on the intermediate sprocket with the little groove in the housing, and the crank and cam, i am 99% certain i did correctly also. I checked and checked before i closed everything up. i rotated the engine fully around and back just to make sure everything stayed put. i tightened the tensioner (it was new also) and visually checked the cam and piston through the #1 hole. Is there a possibility that my distributor was installed sometime during the previous mess and is now way off>? will i have to go back in there and turn the intermediate shaft sprocket a few notches clockwise?? or is it best to reinstall the distributor? meanwhile, im going to check all my ignition components just to make sure im not crazy. help!!

thanks.

carissa

1979 245