Timming after rebuild?

Ok guys needs some help. Kinda new at this so bare with me. Ive got an1992 b2600i. Bone stock except 2 inch drop and wheels and tires. My wife was driving about a month ago or so and she over heated it(radiator was cracked). It died on her and would start but had no power. I managed to limp home just a few miles. Had antifreeze in the exhaust so I think head gasket or cracked head. I pull head and inspect block best I can and its holding some antifreeze in 1st cylinder but thats it. So have head and valve work done it checks ok to. I replaced the head gasket (old one looked ok but who knows). After some ordeal with a broken timming chain guide that happened taken the head off. I removed oil pan and timming cover and everything else. Anyway finally got it all back together with alot of frustration and expense. Made sure the timming was right on the chain and both upper and lower sprockets. Distributor set with rotor at #1 tower on cap( didnt mark when pulled out) and reinstalled it. It started this morning with a little coaxing but had a lot of white smoke coming out exhaust, thought maybe some antifreeze in the exhaust still. It was idoling real ruff which im thinking timming. Idoled for a few minutes and the smoke cleared up. but still ran rough. Now it wont start at all. It would sputter before when you gave to gas and all but die but didnt. Ive went back through timming and everything is ok.Im thinking Ive fauled the plugs at this point so Im gonna pull and clean em but Im kinda stumped. Ive done alittle motor work with some older chevy 350 and some jeep motors but am no expert. If I left anything out or sounds like I did something wrong by all means lets here it. Im not the sensative type so ask whatever or tell me whatever you want. I need this truck back up. I drive 60 miles each way to work each day and am barrowing another truck from my mother that she needs back so anything at all will help. Thank in advanced for any help.

. . . scratching head. . .

maybe when the motor blew the gasket / radiator, water got up under the cap. . . .

I think you might need to pull the cap and reset your ignition timing anyway. . .I'm not really familiar with the 2.6, but if the inside of the distributor is anything like the other trucks, there is a four pronged thing on the shaft that two prongs should line up with two flat blades at the instant your timing marks are lined up on the cover.

That will give you basically BTDC timing.

The other thing you might check. . .and this is kind of a shot in the dark, but who knows. . .maybe when the truck got hot, it damaged the water thermal sensor. That sensor determines fuel delivery dependant on water temperature. If resistance is too high, it will cause flooding and failure to start. Too low when the engine is cold results in insufficient fuel delivery.

You would need to locate and test that with an ohmeter. . .and I don't know what specs are on it.

There needs to be enough coolant in the system to convey an accurate temperature to the sensor as well.

So maybe that is part of the problem. . . air in the water jacket.

Scratches my head and Tweakers--Lol_ another thought: If truck got real hot,could have cooked the o2 sensor which is downstream from the exh manifold.If so,computer may be reading a faulty sensor or inoperative sensor and shutting down the whole mojo. Check engine lite happen to be on when it was running? Cheap fix if that is it.bj

it may have gotten poisoned by the antifreeze. . . .

"had a lot of white smoke coming out exhaust, thought maybe some antifreeze in the exhaust still."

thanks guys i can deffinetly check that stuff. check engine light was on so Ill check o2 sensor 1st. Ill repost this weekend and let you know. how would you get air out of water jacket?

I did put all new cap and rotor and everything on on it, by the way. forgot to mention that.

If the thermo is installed correctly,there is a small air bleed hole at the 12 oclock position.with the truck cold,loosen(do not remove) the rad cap,start the truck,turn the heater on as far as it will go,and let the truck run until it reaches opn temp.air (if any) should escape thru bleed hole and out the loosened rad cap.If u keep the cap tight all the system does is pressurize the air and it wont escape.after truck has reached opn temp and run a minute or two,tighten rad cap (use a towel or gloves and dont burn urself).should be good to go.bj check rad fluid level when truck cools off.If there was air in there fluid level may be low.

bump.What happened? Did u get truck started and is all well or what? BJ

Hi BJ. . .

How's the wife and life?