Thanks to all of you who have been helping me with this project. I am a novice mechanic and this has been my biggest challenge yet. I tried to start the xjs today after clearing the valley and changing all of the plugs and overhauling the distributor. I tried to start the car with my vernier adjustment at 0. The car almost turned over but did not. When I turn the vernier adjustment all the way I could to the right, the car started but idled at a very low rpm and very roughly and I had to keep my foot on the gas pedal to keep it running. I noticed the oil pressure gauge was maxed out. When I was putting the tower back in the terminal on the the oil pressure gauge came loose. I pushed it in and glued it back into the hole. I now suspect that the oil pressure gauge is not working properly so I ordered a new one. [I had already replaced the oil pressure transmitter because the terminal broke off of it.] Could it be that the faulty oil pressure gauge is the cause of the car running roughly and it has nothing to do with the placement of the distributor? If so, I will wait for the gauge before I take out the distributor again and try to adjust its position. I was happy that the car turned over after taking apart all of those items and putting them all back together.
Thanks,
John
Submitted by SE98-32482CJ on Mon, 07/12/2010 - 15:17
John the Oil sender will not affect the running of the car--(unless you have no oil pressure). What I suspect you need to do is remove the distributor and get the engine to top dead center. Once you do that put the dist. back in so the rotor is at number 1 A. When you place the dist back you need to allow the gears to take up the dist so you start with the rotor a bit retarded to do this. Win the dist. seats it will be on number 1. As you sis place the vernier at Zero so you can adjust---set the timing with the vac advance disconnected at 3000 RPMs. I think that is 18 deg. Adv. Good luck.