96 K1500 starting issue

180 degrees out?

If you have timing marks on the crankshaft, line up the timing marks at 0° (TDC). Put the rotor in the position that it lines up with the number one spark plug wire tower on the distributor cap. Mark the position on the outside of the distributor housing first. You'll notice that when you drop the distributor in the rotor will move as the gears mesh. Move the distributor housing to line up with the rotor position. Put the distributor cap on and have a helper crank the engine. Slowly move the distributor one direction then the other, while cranking, until the engine starts. Make your final timing adjustment using a timing light. Hope that helps! Jim

From what I understand is the timing is linked and set to the cam by the ECM and needs to be hooked up to a certain " tool " to do it , .you can only get it close , .

The electronic advance plug needs to be disconnected while setting the ignition timing. I believe, but could be wrong, that a 96 model still has timing marks on the crankshaft and the a hole for a magnetic probe. So you can set the timing with either a timing light or computerized equipment. Of course if the engine has been replaced, who knows. My other concern here is that changing the ignition timing "fixed" the trouble code. That could indicate a worn timing chain which could have now jumped. A compression test will tell us. If all cylinders test very low or zero the timing chain has indeed jumped. Jim