If you want more photos of A12/14 timing cover coming off I have some at the link below.

http://mildman.datsunprojects.org/a12_strip_4.htm

Good luck

Kinda thought that might be what was going on ,but it's good to have friends to ask .I was in a hurry when putting this one together. ..thanks!

Definitely this can happen. It'll start, but not run correctly no matter how you turn the distributor timing.

The solution is to take the timing cover off and double-check the two timing marks.


timing chain alignment

yep I was chatting with a mate 2 days ago about this and he says that he has encounted the very same problem in a holden 308 V8. He said to fix his dilema he advanced the cam timing by one tooth at a time so he could start the engine at the factory specified ignition timing then fine tune it from there with carb settings and dizzy dwell angle. the cam ended up being 3 teeth out but he had to remove the crank sprocket and place it on the next key way which was just slighty less advanced than the first key way he used

o.k. guys I just built an A14 . First time building one of these engines.Need to know , can you put the timming chain on 1 tooth off & still run. cause I don't have the punch that I used to have .I can up the ignition timming & it gets better but the timming light shows it way to high, but thats the only way it will run decent. the reason I ask this is cause I know u can do this on an ohc engine.