My car cranks but does not start. Somewhere I read that the engine doesn't start and misfires when the distributor is 180 degrees off.

How exactly do I know that my distributor is 180 off? Am I supposed to move the rotor, or the gear shaft that connects to the oil pump?

 

I would follow the service manual to check if your marks all line up before doing anything such as removing or rotating it. Remember adjusting the distributor only changes the fuel advance which is truly controlled by the computer, so if it is off from square one it won't work properly from what I've read.
Is this a sudden issue or has it been running fine until recently? If it is off from the mark and you haven't messed with the distributor since it was running it could be a problem with the timing chain having jumped a tooth or two, which would throw everything off...
There are so many things that could be causing the problem from a sensor to a bad fuel pump.

 

@TragicTemper

Thanks for the reply. I overhauled my v6 engine quite a while ago to have it cleaned, since the previous owner never changed the oil and was full of gunk. I am putting everything back together now. I already checked that the rotor aligned with the #1 spark plug, while the engine is at TDC for piston #1 on the compression stroke. I checked almost anything and trying to avoid opening the timing cover to get to the timing chain since its such a pain. Could I have jumped a tooth??

 

I hate timing chains. ha ha ha.
When you were overhauling it, did you replace the timing chain and sprockets, also do you remember if your timing chain had a tensioner on it? Ive read that these engines don't come with one from the factory but can have one installed, and if you are lucky enough to have one it should theoretically keep the chain from jumping as it gets stretched out over time. If it didn't have one and you end up having to get into it that far again I'd just replace the chain and sprockets (if you haven't yet) and get that tensioner. If you did replace the chain and sprocket already a brand new chain should have no reason to jump it's timing even with out the tensioner.

Since you said it cranks but won't start, here's what I would check, if you haven't already...
1. FUEL:I'm not sure on these trucks but on my older D50 when I rebuilt the engine I had to prime the fuel pump because it wouldn't pull from the tank with just air in the lines. That set me back a few days before I figured that one out. Pull a plug out and crank it over a few times and see if you can smell any fuel. If you have fuel proceed to next step.
2. SPARKI'd pull each of the plugs out one at a time and check if any or all of them have spark. Since we already established you have fuel, don't set the spark plug near the open cylinder. I use a pair of vise grips to hold the plug close to the frame so I don't get shocked (again). Easiest way is with someone manning the key. If you don't have a helper, with the truck in park, and the emergency brake on, switch the key to the "on" position, run a wire from the battery to directly bump the starter (it's typically the post with a big plastic shield around it.) And keep clear of the fan. On second thought, get a helper to just turn the key ha ha.
3. If you have fuel and you have spark, something else is wrong. I wouldn't tear everything apart just yet. I'd check all my fuses, check my ground wires (if you don't have one hooked from the engine to the engine bay, you should) check that all the electrical plugs are connected and snug.

If you don't have fuel try to figure out if the pump is working, check that you have gas in the tank (it happens), it's possible the injectors aren't working from sitting and need to be cleaned. If you hear them clicking 9 times out of 10 they are working.
If you don't have spark, check that the coil is getting power and sending it down the line to the distributor.

That's all I can think of right now, hope it helps.

 

Really appreciate the help TragicTemper. Supposedly the previous owner changed the timing chain and gears. When I was installing the chain I noticed it had a lot of play, and it didn't have a tensioner. My suspicion is that the chain somehow stretched since its not tight at all.


I have a brand new fuel pump, and I am getting fuel to the rail line. Some injectors weren't working. I managed to get 2 to unstick and bought the other 2 that just wouldn't unstick. They are all working fine now. As for the spark, I also have spark and a brand new crankshaft sensor.


I know that the 3 main things you need in order to get the car to start is fuel, spark and timing. Besides the crankshaft sensor, is there any other that could cause a no start issue that I should check?

 

Excuse me if I'm off but are there any codes?
There is a TSB on the timing chain tensioner http://dodgeram.info/tsb/1997/09-07-97.htm
It is rather loose without it and the tensioner designed for the fix doesn't seem like much but it does make the chain tighter. Throw away the pointer that you remove to install the tensioner.
The only other thing I can think of is the switch plate or cam sensor. It is a plastic plate with contacts that sits inside the dizzy under the rotor. That wire lead going off from the dizzy toward the tranny is coming from it. It seemed to improve how my motor fired when I changed it out.

 

@onemore94dak


I did check to see if I had codes, but there weren't any. When I installed the timing chain it didn't have a tensioner; only the regular pointer. I tested the cam sensor on the distributor and was working fine. I have heard that the metal plate where the sensor rotates gets loose. But that's not the problem on mine since it sits tight.

 

Are you absolutely sure you set the engine to #1 TDC on the compression (and not the exhaust) stroke? It's a very common mistake. How did you determine that it was the compression stroke? I like to turn the engine until the #1 intake valve closes, then continue until the timing mark lines up. You can also stick your finger in the plug hole and feel for compression.

 

@Tom A,
Yeah I read about the compression stroke after installing the timing chain and everything. After reading that it needed to be in the compression stroke, I turned the engine manually until I felt the air blow my thumb out. I reinstalled the distributor and rotor, but it still didn't start.

One question: Did I had to put the engine on the compression stroke while I installed the timing chain? If so, maybe that's my problem. Maybe the timing chain is set in the exhaust and not the compression stroke?

 

It wouldn't make any difference. If you did set the cam at TDC on the exhaust stroke, it would be at TDC on the compression stroke after one engine revolution.

Your issue is a head-scratcher, for sure.