# 1998 Honda Civic 1.6L Ignition Timing Not Aligning **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** civic, honda\ **Created:** [August 29, 2018, 4:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-honda-civic-1-6l-ignition-timing-not-aligning/123948 "2018-08-29T04:27:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Morris\_Castillo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Morris\_Castillo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Morris_Castillo)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 4:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-honda-civic-1-6l-ignition-timing-not-aligning/123948/42 "2018-08-30T04:36:49Z")
How do I move the cam without moving the crankshaft? ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 4:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-honda-civic-1-6l-ignition-timing-not-aligning/123948/43 "2018-08-30T04:38:27Z")
No slack on the left. All the slack on the right. Tester ---
**Author:** ![Morris\_Castillo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Morris\_Castillo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Morris_Castillo)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 4:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-honda-civic-1-6l-ignition-timing-not-aligning/123948/44 "2018-08-30T04:41:32Z")
How to do that tho ? ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 4:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-honda-civic-1-6l-ignition-timing-not-aligning/123948/45 "2018-08-30T04:43:23Z")
Take the car to a shop. You’re in over your head. Tester ---
**Author:** ![Morris\_Castillo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Morris\_Castillo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Morris_Castillo)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 4:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-honda-civic-1-6l-ignition-timing-not-aligning/123948/46 "2018-08-30T04:44:13Z")
I can remove the belt and install it back but how can I tighten the left and then right with out moving the crank shaft ---
**Author:** ![Morris\_Castillo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Morris\_Castillo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Morris_Castillo)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 4:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-honda-civic-1-6l-ignition-timing-not-aligning/123948/47 "2018-08-30T04:49:49Z")
I would take it to shop lol but I’m trying save money and also learn about my car so I can repair it on my own. ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 5:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-honda-civic-1-6l-ignition-timing-not-aligning/123948/48 "2018-08-30T05:01:47Z")
> [@Nevada\_545](#): > > > How do i know when I put the engine in top dead center that it’s on the compression stroke? > > Why would you need to know that? It’s a need to know issue because the pistons rise to their topmost position in their compression stroke and next time on their exhaust stroke. You want piston #1 at TDC on its compression stroke when you put the big pulley (harmonic balancer) on. The distributor’s rotor should be pointing close to the wire for spark plug #1. The camshaft pulley should have the Up label up and its 2 marks aligned with the top of the engine block. One way to find when a cylinder is in its compression stroke is to stick a snug plastic hose into its spark plug hole. Put a balloon over the end. When it’s inflating, its on the compression stroke. Or if you can get your finger to cover the open hole and have someone else hand crank the engine, you can feel the pressure build during the compression stroke. On your Honda Civic, the engine turns counterclockwise. Watch the big pulley, viewed from the left wheel well. Always turn the pulley/crankshaft counterclockwise… ---
**Author:** ![Morris\_Castillo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Morris\_Castillo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Morris_Castillo)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 5:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-honda-civic-1-6l-ignition-timing-not-aligning/123948/49 "2018-08-30T05:04:37Z")
Thank you so much for you’re help. Do that tomorrow and update you. I really appreciate you’re help and time shanonia. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 5:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-honda-civic-1-6l-ignition-timing-not-aligning/123948/50 "2018-08-30T05:08:34Z")
You just need to line up the marks on the crank and cam. When the crank mark is lined up, the piston for #1 cylinder is at the top of it’s stroke. When cam marks are lined up, both the intake and exhaust valves are closed for #1 cylinder. Tester ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 5:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-honda-civic-1-6l-ignition-timing-not-aligning/123948/51 "2018-08-30T05:37:05Z")
> [@shanonia](#): > > You want piston #1 at TDC on its compression stroke when you put the big pulley (harmonic balancer) on. The crankshaft pulley can be install when on the compression stroke, exhaust stroke or any other position, it makes no difference. The position of the camshaft determines whether the engine is on the compression stroke or exhaust stroke, the crankshaft has to accept what the camshaft is providing. ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 9:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-honda-civic-1-6l-ignition-timing-not-aligning/123948/52 "2018-08-30T09:57:17Z")
> [@Morris\_Castillo](#): > > …by rotating the engine to the right only ? Which is counterclockwise. Rotation to the right would be clockwise. Counterclockwise would be rotation to the left (looking at the rotation from the top). ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 5:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-honda-civic-1-6l-ignition-timing-not-aligning/123948/53 "2018-08-30T17:24:44Z")
You’re right. I was wrong. It’s when installing a distributor that you need to know when the piston in cylinder #1 is at TDC on its compression, not its exhaust, stroke. Morris\_C. has had troubles with the distributor, turning it to get the ignition timing right, but if he has not removed it and reinstalled it off kilter, his ignition timing problem stems from a misstep in the timing belt job. ---
**Author:** ![Morris\_Castillo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Morris\_Castillo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Morris_Castillo)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 5:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-honda-civic-1-6l-ignition-timing-not-aligning/123948/54 "2018-08-30T17:27:13Z")
I did remove it once, about a week ago. I took down the transmission to replace the rear main seal. I had to remove the distributor. ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 5:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-honda-civic-1-6l-ignition-timing-not-aligning/123948/55 "2018-08-30T17:51:41Z")
Did you get the distributor back in with its rotor pointing the same direction it had been? And most important, did you do his without any turning of the crankshaft? It’s possible the distributor was reinstalled a bit off kilter. If the TDC timing marks on the big pulley and the camshaft pulley are indeed right on, you may need only to try pulling the distributor while looking at the rotor, and rotate the rotor it a tad in the desired direction before pushing the dist back into place. Maybe some trial and error will get the distributor close enough that you can rotate the dist body one way or the other and touch up the ignition timing with your strobe gun. ---
**Author:** ![Morris\_Castillo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Morris\_Castillo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Morris_Castillo)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 5:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-honda-civic-1-6l-ignition-timing-not-aligning/123948/56 "2018-08-30T17:55:20Z")
I’m a bit lost But this is what I did. I removed the distributor then I turned the crankshaft. But because I needed to remove the bolts that hold the turbin between the engine and the transmission. After I was done I just put the distributor back. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 5:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-honda-civic-1-6l-ignition-timing-not-aligning/123948/57 "2018-08-30T17:57:02Z")
You can’t install the distributor wrong on this engine. The tabs on the distributor shaft that mate up to the camshaft are different sizes. ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/e/e44531948743a36cad3d1b14984ae46d606d3e1d.jpeg) Tester ---
**Author:** ![Morris\_Castillo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Morris\_Castillo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Morris_Castillo)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 6:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-honda-civic-1-6l-ignition-timing-not-aligning/123948/58 "2018-08-30T18:17:35Z")
Should I tighten my belt like this guy did ? Because I didn’t do it like that ? ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 7:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-honda-civic-1-6l-ignition-timing-not-aligning/123948/59 "2018-08-30T19:30:52Z")
Something just occurred to me: On any engine with the marks lined up, you can be at top dead center or bottom dead center. You have to visually inspect a cylinder (through a spark plug hole) to make sure the proper cylinder is at the top of its stroke rather than the bottom. It’s not too late to let a professional finish this job. Since you’ve started it, it might only cost $200-300 to finish it. ---
**Author:** ![Morris\_Castillo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Morris\_Castillo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Morris_Castillo)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 7:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-honda-civic-1-6l-ignition-timing-not-aligning/123948/60 "2018-08-30T19:32:07Z")
The car is put together tho, I want to do it my self and learn. ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2018, 9:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-honda-civic-1-6l-ignition-timing-not-aligning/123948/62 "2018-08-30T21:25:20Z")
No. The crankshaft should only be turned counterclockwise. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-honda-civic-1-6l-ignition-timing-not-aligning/123948.md?page=2) [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1998-honda-civic-1-6l-ignition-timing-not-aligning/123948.md?page=4)