1995 blazer engine

please someone help me out here. i have a 95 s blazer with the 4.3 vortec. i just swapped in a new (used) engine since i blew the old one, and the engine i installed did not have a distributor in it. my stock distributor has the side mount plug wires on the cap. If the engine i installed originally had a top mount plug wire distributor would my side mount distributor still function? And is there any internal differences between the 2 engines with the different distributors. the engine has all of the same sensors and plugged right in but i cannot get it to fire but have fuel and spark, however the gas is over a year old and it keeps flooding the engine. PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME OUT WITH TIMING THE ENGINE AND MY DISTRIBUTOR QUESTION. Thanks much

What year is the replacement engine?

You probally put the wrong year engine in.The hollander says 1995 is by itself.Hook up a scan tool,go engine data and look for camsensor retard.It should be 0 degrees(the spec) and you set the distribitor with a scan tool,not a timing light.

If the gas hasnt been treated I would suggest draining it completely.
Gas tends to retain a lot of moisture when stored.

confirm the new engine has the crank position sensor?? Is the timing cover plastic or tin? Is the ECM on the fender or in the dash?? Did you install dist with #1 TDC on COMPRESSION stroke (not exhaust stroke)

yes the engine has the crank sensor, and a plastic timing chain cover. my question is how do i set the timing? i read my repair manual about EDI distributors and it tells me to pull up #1 cylinder which i did, then it tells me to line the rotor up with the #6 that is stamped inside the distributor under the cap, i did that also, i got the engine to start once but it starts out cranking like it should then it lugs like the timing is way too retarded or advanced????? my book also tells me that there is a #8 stamped inside the distributor but only tells me that the rotor lines up with that on certain engines. please tell me how to set the timing properly. i know that 95 is an engine alll on its own but i have no idea what distributor was in the engine i installed since it was missing. the engine does have all of the correct sensors so i believe it is a 95. please help me out

Please confirm that you understand that #1 piston comes to Top Dead Center in two instances. Once on compression stroke and once on exhaust stroke. You have got to confirm it is TDC on Compression stroke before installing DIStributor. You can do this by feeling for compression with finger in spark plug hole, or by watching the valves with valve cover removed. Sorry to be repeating this, but it looks to me like you have distributor 180 degrees out.

We need to know exactly what year of the used engine.

You can't go by just sensors.

the engine is from a 95 i got the serial number from it so now can you please help me to set my timing?????

ok i know what you are saying about the compression and exhaust stroke but how do i know which stroke is which just by placing my finger over the #1 plug hole. since there will be comporession on both strokes, couldnt i just turn the engine over until the timing mark on the balancer and the cover are lined up?also have you heard about the #6 and #8 stamped inside the distributor under the cap? i tried pointing the rotor at #1 cylinder when it was at TDC and the engine would not fire at all. please tell me exactly how to set my timing from dropping the distributor in to starting it up? now also this distributor cannot be turned once in place because it has a tab and roll pin that stop it from rotating. i am not stupid but just frustrated with this thing. thanks much anyone

ok i know what you are saying about the compression and exhaust stroke but how do i know which stroke is which just by placing my finger over the #1 plug hole. since there will be comporession on both strokes, . .
I don't think you understand - as there's only compression on the compression stroke, which you can feel with your finger, then bring up the timing markes on TDC, (only turn forward to get TDC - shouldn't have to go very far) then set the distributor so the rotor points in the direction to the #1 plug wire in cap (probably will point between #1 & #4) - Forget about the numbers 6 and 8 inside the cap.

If the distributor cannot be turned once in place because it has a tab that stops it from rotating - this means the timing is controlled by the camshaft sensor and the on-board computer on this particular engine.

As has been said, if the gas is a year old it probably has gone bad. Does it smell like turpentine? If so, disconnect the fuel filter line, connect a fused 12V wire to the fuel pump jumper wire and pump out the old gas and refill with at least 10 gallon of new gas.

If setting for a year you also need to replace the fuel filter.

The compression stroke will push your finger out of the hole, you will not be able to hold it. You could also tell by watching valves, but have to remove valve cover.

They must be using the same housing for 6 and 8 cylinder engines and when rotor is put on the 6 it should correspond to number 1 cylinder firing.

. . . my stock distributor has the side mount plug wires on the cap. If the engine i installed originally had a top mount plug wire distributor would my side mount distributor still function? . . .
The answer to this question is no, as they are two different animals. This may be your problem.

It would also help if you keep all your posts in one thread.

if you think you may be 180 degress off, or if anyone does work on their engine and think it may be 180 off, theres a simple way to correct this, and you don't have to crank over the engine. All you simple do is pull the distributor turn it pointing the opposite direction it was pointing, to confirm this the shaft will only go in all the way when the oil pump shaft engages the distributor. So when you turn the distributor 180 degrees(facing the opposite direction) it will engage the oil pump shaft and be at the correct point for TDC, once it spins around. This is only if its 180 off, no need to turn the engine over and find TDC.

I have a similar issue with a 99 Blazer 4.3L, but a slightly different problem. I found the compression stroke by bumping the starter and watching a compression gauge connected to the #1 plug hole. I can't find the alignment mark to line up the timing mark on the balancer. The haynes manual mentions a v shaped mark on the cover, the only one like that that I can even come close to seeing on the bottom of the cover (underneath the vehicle). Is this the right one? If not, can anyone point to where it is? Haynes also mentions being able to rotate the oil pump driveshaft so that the distributor can be set into place. The say to use a long screw driver to rotate it. Please don't laugh, but I tried and could not get a screw driver engaged with anything at inside where the distributor goes that would turn by hand. Any help would be appreciated.

I see this coming up repeatedly (no mark or which of two marks) someone needs to put an engine on TDC and make a mark, take a pic, ect. I've not had a reason to find tdc on mine, but it can be estimated by feeling when the compression stops , back up a few degrees. I'll do it if I ever have a reason or get energetic.

A long screwdriver should work just fine to rotate shaft, but many times the dist can be dropped into the correct spot and then the engine can be rotated with slight pressure down on the dist to drop it into the oil pump driveshaft.

Thanks! I'll give that a shot...rotating the motor slightly sounds a lot easier than trying to turn the op driveshaft with a screw driver when you can't see the slot to line up to. As long as the distributor is engaged with the cam, the timing should keep.

Well, I hate to say it, but I'm kinda back where I started. After successfully getting the motor ~180 degrees out, I got it back to almost right using the method described. During that time, I was paying particular attention looking for a timing mark on the block, I didn't find it, and the timing mark on the balancer, there are two, conveniently 180 degrees from each other. The only thing that I did find on the block which could be a timing mark is the crankshaft position sensor bracket. I'll pay closer attention to that today, and if that is it, I'll post a picture. If anyone else has other hints...please pass them on! I want to get my father-in-laws Blazer out of my garage!!!

Exact way is to stick a coat hanger in spark plug hole and put piston on top. Make your own mark if you have to , it is within 5 degrees. If a mark does happen to line up you can see it easily and let all the rest of us know.

You probally put the wrong year engine in.The hollander says 1995 is by itself.Hook up a scan tool,go engine data and look for camsensor retard.It should be 0 degrees(the spec) and you set the distribitor with a scan tool,not a timing light.

would this be the same for a 2000 s-10, im having a terrible timing problem everywhere i read says to turn the disributor to adjust the advance/retard but the hold down plate has no slide adjustment built in lol,