help!.. cont...

[oredith]

ok.. i seemed to have gotten myself into a huge mess.. there's a list of problems which i can't even begin to tackle..
1. pertronix ignition won't work, i've used their "check" routine, measuring voltage through the coil.. and everything seems fine.. but still no fire..

2. without the engine being able to fire.. i don't think i can do the timing.. can i?..

3. without the engine running.. i can't check the voltage difference between idle and 2500 rpm to see if my alternator is bad..

there's just no words to describe my frustration level right now.. please help..

Jeff

[oredith]

follow up.. i've got problem 1 solved.. it was the ground wire inside the distributor.. it was loose... looked like it was connected.. but wasn't secured.. car starts again.. and no more bouncy tach!..

with the engine running.. i checked the voltage between idle and 3000 rpm at the battery posts, and no difference in the voltage readout, bad voltage regulator?.. alternator?.. belt?.. i can't get the sheetmetal off to look at any of the belts right now.. am i suppose to be able to inspect it from the bottom of the car?.. do i have to remove the intake manifold to get the sheet metal off?..

thanks.. meanwhile.. i'll work on my transmision fluid leak..

Jeff

[rich]

On the drivers side ( assuming your in america) sheet metel just in front of the alternator is a grommit in a slot.(not a wallace and grommit) Remove the grommit. Remove the allen bolt. They say to remove the heat exchanger to get the alternator outfrom under the car. I think I had mine out but I don't remember having to pull the exhaust. appearently theres a nut to remove from under the car and a through bolt involved. But like I said I don't really remember I havn't looked at it for a couple of years or so.
Maybe someone else can shed some light on this one.
Good Luck

[Conrad W Peden]

First!
Get a shop mirror or your girlfriends of wifes make-up mirror, take the sideveiw mirror off your car whatever you can find that reflects, and use it to look over the edge with a light and get a good look of whats going on there.

If you can see in there it makes more sense.

Second
Taking the alternator out should not involve any sheet metal removal from the top. Only the two or three screws that hold the alternator shrouding. After that its the six mm allen bolt at the tension adjusting area and the 13mm nut at the bottom, remove the bolt(its removed through fan shroud, if you undo the nut and push the bolt out you can see it with the mirror). The rest is just finding the right angle to wiggle the alternator out at. Of course the heating duscts and some cooling tin needs to be removed from the bottom of the car, buts thats rather simple, right.