# Help please 1990 van

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-1990-van/44921>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** van, chevrolet\
**Created:** [February 22, 2010, 6:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-1990-van/44921 "2010-02-22T06:34:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![crazycamaro70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@crazycamaro70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/crazycamaro70)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 6:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-1990-van/44921/1 "2010-02-22T06:34:42Z")

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when i turn my distributer cap clockwise, it idols and runs fine, but when i give it fuel it back fires and seems to be getting to much gas. now when i turn it counter clockwise, it seems good but it wont idol, it stalls, and anywhere in the middle it sounds like a deisel engine.( like crap) can someone give me any ideas please??

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**Author:** ![Cougar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cougar/32/21348_2.png) [@Cougar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cougar)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 7:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-1990-van/44921/2 "2010-02-22T07:16:27Z")

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I assume the firing order has been checked and it is ok. There may be a valve timing issue so check the compression and see what it is.

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**Author:** ![crazycamaro70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@crazycamaro70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/crazycamaro70)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 7:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-1990-van/44921/3 "2010-02-22T07:20:57Z")

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i will check thanks

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**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 3:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-1990-van/44921/4 "2010-02-22T15:26:28Z")

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This is running on two threads. Not a good practice.

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**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:** [February 22, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-1990-van/44921/5 "2010-02-22T17:09:26Z")

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A 1990 van could very well have a stretched timing chain causing the valve timing and ignition timing to be off. To confirm if this is what the problem is, with the distributor cap off, have someone turn the engine over by hand by the crankshaft bolt in one direction while observing the distributor rotor. Now have them turn the engine over in the opposite direction while observing the distributor rotor. If the engine can be turned more than 5? before the rotor begins move in the distributor, the timing chain is stretched to the point where the valve and igntion timing are so far off the engine won’t run right.

Tester

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**Author:** ![crazycamaro70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@crazycamaro70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/crazycamaro70)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 1:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-please-1990-van/44921/6 "2010-02-23T01:38:26Z")

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thank you …for your help all fix