I did a tune-up on my 1999 Jeep Cherokee and discovered that the rotor points in a different direction from what the service manual tells you is correct (assuming the service manual is not wrong). Looks like my distributor is 180 degrees off and the plug wires were re-wired by the PO so the Jeep Cherokee would start. Any ideas why this would be done? The motor is a HO 4.0 L6 1999 Jeep Cherokee. The PO told me the motor was replaced under warranty.

 

if it runs keep it the way it was. the distributor can be installed in any position as long as the cam sensor was aligned properly and the firing order is correct

 

Thanks, I kinda thought that was the case. I also found that the rotor is gouging the posts in the old distributor and there is slight play back and forth with the distributor shaft. I guess this needs to be placed?

 

mine was all messed up but ran fine, i put it right when i did my last tune up, no change in the way it runs, and its not like you're changing your order... just the placement the rotor still goes in the same circle...

 

http://www.angelfire.com/my/fan/dist_index.html

 

yea, you don't want that thing ratteling around.

 

I recently replaced my dizzy because the dizzy cap bolts snapped off and was unable to drill them out properly. They new dizzy(not reman) had slight play in it so I would assume this is normal.

 

Hey thanks everyone for the help. I put a new distributor in and indexed it according to the service manual. The jeep now has a quick response on acceleration and it starts quickly every time now.

A hard start can be related to a improperly indexed distributor. If you are one gear tooth off it will have the symptoms of a hard start and act like the timing is off and this happens only during starting. This is because the injectors are spraying fuel at the wrong time.

PO had installed the distributor 180 degrees out and one tooth off which caused advanced timing, and once the xj started the computer would just the timing and it would run. I should of realized the timing was advanced by how it accelerated, but it been a long time since I have worked on engines and I have never worked on a computer controlled ODBII system.

I simply followed cruiser54's instructions and the service manual to get it to index properly. Thanks cruiser5! Also note that the side to side play in the distributor shaft was also a issue and another reason I replaced the whole distributor.

Thanks again everyone who helped and if any questions about a distributor and timing feel free to contact me anytime I have bit of experience now.

-Colten

 

dist is 180 so they moved the wires instead of dist

 

Probably some hick out of Florida owned it previously...........

 

Exactly! They re-wired instead of turning the crankshaft one more revolution to get #1 cylinder to TDC. Also install one gear tooth advance which caused the hard start.

-Colten

 

No, a hick from Alabama..................

 

hell ya...

 

nice motor mounts

 

Hey thanks and I was amazed at what a difference it made in how the vribrations of the jeep felt after they were installed. Kind of felt like I got a bit more power, but I think it was just because the engine didn't rotate to the left as far on the old mounts. Driver's side rubber in the mount 3/4 missing and I also had the imfamous cracked exhust header that I replaced. The nut was missing on the passenager mount bolt that goes through engine bracket and mount. Also replaced the trannay mount.

I went with Brown Dog because they were local and highly recommended by everyone on the fourm. Thanks again.