JMB

And one last question, this has to do with the add coolant light that won't turn off and the temp gauge on the dash not working. I'm wondering if these problems are related. I did crack the upper radiator hose while clamping it down so there is probably air getting sucked in as the engine cools even though it doesn't seem to be leaking coolant now that I snugged it up further. New hose is in the mail so that should solve that I hope. The temp gauge on the dash has me stumped though. I am not good at reading wiring diagrams. I do have a coupler coming off the engine harness that I cannot find a match too. It is close to the firewall on the drivers side and I think it was yellow/black if not just yellow. I searced that whole area of the engine bay and cannot figure out where it is supposed to go if anywhere. I really wish I could find another 79 in town here to look at. Unfortunately here in Bismarck, it is pretty rare to spot a 1st gen. If anyone has any ideas on the temp gauge, I am all ears.

Opeth1stgen

iTrader: (3)

The distributor must be aligned properly before being put into the front cover, Its possible to get the engine running with a misaligned dist but as you figured out the timing won't line up, included a pic showing how the dimple on the dist gear needs to be aligned with the raised tally mark on the shaft and then it is put in the front cover, The engine temp sensor has only 1 wire connected to it from the engine harness and I think its either yellow or yellow with white stripe. And the main pulley only has 1 single slot for the woodruf key.

JMB

Thanks for that info and the pic. I should be able to get it nailed down tonight.

JMB

I was able to get the timing set last night. A buddy of mine had a timing light so I now know that it is right on.

only concern is the cooling system. I went for a drive last night and it took a long time to cool down. Even 60 minutes after it was parked the alternator of all things, was too hot to hold your hand on. I filled the coolant to the top once before running it for the first time and the level has not dropped which concerns me. I would think that air would have to work it's way out, thus leaving the coolant level lower. (Although I suppose it could be sucking from the reservoir)
How can i test that the coolant is circulating? Could my thermostat be stuck? Remember, my temp gauge also never moves so I am not sure if that is electrical or if it somehow gets its reading from the position of the thermostat. As I said, electrical is not my cup of tea, so any help is appreciated.

Opeth1stgen

iTrader: (3)

The easiest way to check that the thermostat is working is to hold your hand on the upper rad hose as the engine warms up, once the temp gets hot enough the thermostat will open and thus heat the upper hose/thermostat cover fairly quick. the stock water temp gauge gets its reading from the sensor on the rear iron below the oil filter, I think the wire off the engine harness you were talking about earlier is the one that connects to it.

JMB

Thanks for that. I was able to get the temp gauge hooked up. If it was overheating before, it's not anymore. I put a new thermostat in when I replaced the upper radiator hose just because. The car runs now a hair cooler and i have put about 100 miles on since. It is running great and hopefully I will get to drive it quite a while before the snow starts to fly. It's been a fun project. Thanks everyone for the help.