Okay so I know this probably has been beaten into the ground, but I was curious on how to do the full timing after a timing chain swap. Have the dots lined up on the sprockets and started the truck up and it fired but died. What all am I missing?

 

Nothing. PCM just needs to relearn idle. I assume you had the battery disconnected while doing the job? If so, just need to start it up, and keep it running for a bit, till the PCM figgers things out. Timing isn't adjustable on our trucks. Turn the distributor only changes injector timing, and you need a high dollar scanner to set that properly..... (and it NEEDS to be set properly.) If you haven't moved the dist, then it should be fairly easy.

Disconnect the battery again, turn the headlights on to discharge everything. Turn lights off, reconnect battery. Turn the ignition key to "on", count to ten. Don't touch anything else, then start the truck, and let it idle for a bit. Once idle has settled down, just drive it. PCM will figure out the rest.

Welcome to DF!

 

Like this?

 

No my set doesn't have a dot above the key way. It's pretty distinctive where the dots are.

 

The only thing I had to do was roll it back out of the garage while I waited for a new timing cover but the timing chain was on. Could that effect the timing?

 

Timing chain needs to be installed correctly, yes, but, once its on there, nothing is going to change while setting outside for a day or three. (unless you have evil minions in your neighborhood......)

What makes you think timing is off?

 

I fired it up after having together and it ran like crap and it couldn't stay running. I will admit I didn't disconnect the battery. But it didn't sound good. I'm going to re check myself today. Tore it almost all the way back apart. It was just to late to take the harmonic balancer back off with an impact so I called it quits there.