Truck let me down update.

Larry from MD · Nov 15, 2009

Got it back to the barn and its sparking just at the wrong time. If you add a little gas and crank it explodes out the intake. The truck is a 2002 with a v6. The screws holding the cap on are stuck so no luck looking inside. Guess it has to somewhere to be fixed.

Bob · Nov 15, 2009

That thing must have the silly little 4.3 Vortec V-6?

It's VERY likely the distributor cap and/or rotor are bad.

Get that cap off and have a look. Even if it's rusted so bad you destroy the distributor it will be cheaper than a tow plus shop labor. (As low as about $78.00 w/cap at Rock Auto.) WARNING, check VIN before ordering, IIRC, the ones posted here are for VIN "W".

<img src = "http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/27Grainfield/43Dist.jpg">

If you DO pull the distributor, be aware the 'puter sets the timing, but there ARE marks on the distributor and rotor that have to line up when the damper is at #1 TDC to set the base timing.

Larry from MD · Nov 15, 2009

If i can get it on my trailer i can pull it with a tractor. I may have to invest in some better tools to get the cap off.The cap looks fine so it may be the puter.

Bob · Nov 15, 2009

"The cap looks fine"...

Inside or outside? If you haven't got the cap off HOW do you know it's "fine" and not wet/carbon-tracked on the inside?

Since this still has a distributor, the 'puter can only vary timing so much, and shouldn't be affecting base timing AT ALL during cranking.

A bad/wet cap WILL mess up when the cylinders fire, BIG TIME and cause the symptoms you describe.

Anonymous-0 · Nov 15, 2009

If it's the flat style cap,,it"s bad ,,,bet on it . Change the cap and rotor . You need a torx driver for the holddown screws .. These caps look fine,,but there is NO WAY you can visually check them . Replace tons of them in my shop .

mEl · Nov 15, 2009

Is it possible that the timing chain has gone since it is sparking ok but at the wrong time????????????? mEl

trucker40 · Nov 15, 2009

Since you cant get the cap off you could spray it with WD40.WD40 displaces water.See if that works before you do a lot of other stuff.

El Toro · Nov 16, 2009

If you had a code scanner you may find the code that's stored and tell you what's wrong. It may be the ECM. Hal

chevytaHOE5674 · Nov 16, 2009

The cap should be held on with some torx screws. IIRC they just thread into plastic on the lower dizzy. Then may turn hard, but they'll come out. And just because the dist cap "looks" good doesn't mean anything.

Larry from MD · Nov 16, 2009

It is the flat top cap, its too bad we could not get it off with the 1/4 drive torx stuff we had.I sprayed the screws. That airconditioner hose don't help any either. Tried to put on the trailer this morning and would not go. Thanks for all the help.

chevytaHOE5674 · Nov 16, 2009

Why cant you get the screws out? Stripping the heads out? Or just cant turn them. Put the torx bit on a ratchet then make the ratchet handle longer. I'm almost g100% sure that the cap and rotor need to be replaced (a 30 dollar job if you do it yourself, and 100+ at the shop).

Truck let me down update.

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