Why Is Distributor Pointing Away From #1 On TDC?

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You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. Why is distributor pointing away from #1 on TDC?

Thread starter Thread starter LovetheA's
Start date Start date May 4, 2020

- L

LovetheA's

Well-Known Member

Joined Aug 26, 2010 Messages 827 Reaction score 120 Location Fairfield, CT So I’m attempting to put my engine back to gather after many upgrades to it. Aluminum heads roller rockers new timing chain and set. Doing all this myself by learning and this website. I’m a bit confused at this point? I use this website and the technical how to forums to do most of my work. They’re very helpful. I’m pretty sure I understand the workings of an engine when dropping in distributor so rotor lines up with #1 plug when harmonic balance set at 0 deg. Then engine should fire up and I can fine tune with rotating cap and timing light. Keep in mind that I marketed where the cap and distributer were in relation to engine when pulled and put back the same. The problem is that my rotor at TDC #1 points away from plug #1. My rotor lines up with plug #1 only when cylinder #6 is at TDC and dampener is at 0. I attached two pics so you could see what I mean. I know that I put the distributor and cap back just as they were pulled out when engine was shut off. It appears as if when the engine was killed the rotor stopped pointing 180 deg away from plug wire #1. I wasn’t sure what position the harmonic balance was at that point. Am I overthinking this? How do I get rotor to point to #1 wire at TDC of cylinder one before I start the engine for the first time if it only lines up when crank at zero and 6 cylinder TDC?

pishta

I know I'm right....

Joined Oct 13, 2004 Messages 23,840 Reaction score 13,693 Location Tustin, CA rotate engine once.....there you go. 396Cuda

396Cuda

Member

Joined Aug 10, 2014 Messages 10 Reaction score 34 Location Wash, DC Surefire method is to pull #1 spark plug. Bump engine until you hear/feel pressure and set to this TDC. If rotor is still pointing to #6 then you dropped in the distributor 180 degrees out. Just pull it up, rotate the shaft 180 degrees and drop again. L

LovetheA's

Well-Known Member

Joined Aug 26, 2010 Messages 827 Reaction score 120 Location Fairfield, CT I can’t bump the engine because I also pulled off the exhaust, starter, and upgraded the torsion bars and suspension. In order to do this I pulled everything underneath out to make it easier to remove exhaust suspension etc. Could it be that when I turned the engine off the rotor just happened to stop at that potion which also was TDC for position # 6? Now that I’m putting everything back together it doesn’t add up because I turned the dampener around countless times to adjust pre load on roller rockers. If I rotate the engine 1 revolution it will be at TDC on cylinder #1 but the rotor will be facing 180 deg out. What about pull distributor and drop it back in as close as possible to plug wire #1 when at TDC for # 1 cylinder? As long as it is close I can fine tune it when timing the car. I also replaced the timing gears and chain and put them back exactly lined up dot to dot as before. So I think I’m ok with that.

67Dart273

FABO Gold Member

FABO Gold Member Joined Oct 14, 2010 Messages 62,673 Reaction score 37,165 Location Idaho

396Cuda said: Surefire method is to pull #1 spark plug. Bump engine until you hear/feel pressure and set to this TDC. If rotor is still pointing to #6 then you dropped in the distributor 180 degrees out. Just pull it up, rotate the shaft 180 degrees and drop again. Click to expand...

^^THIS^^ or if you have the valve covers off bring the marks up to TDC and examine the no1 and no6 valves. Whichever pair is closed is ready to fire. To set timing accurately, do NOT stop at TDC. After you determine which cylinder is ready to fire (on compression) back up the engine and rotate CW until the marks are WHERE YOU WANT THE TIMING TO BE (fire.) Say, 15BTC. Now, set up the dist. so the rotor is coming TO the no1 tower. If you have breaker points, rotate the dist. CW (retard) and then advance it slowly ---with a continuity tester-- until the points just open. If you have breakerless, rotate the dist until the reluctor is in the middle of the pickup. You can check timing with a light "on the starter" but you should not need to. There is NEVER any reason to eff around with backfire and popping and failure to fire a new engine. Get it ready. And start it up L

LovetheA's

Well-Known Member

Joined Aug 26, 2010 Messages 827 Reaction score 120 Location Fairfield, CT Oh I also forgot to mention. I have been determining TDC on cylinder 1 when dampener at zero and I move crank back and forth a little rockers on cylinder 1 don’t move at all because I’m assuming that means I’m on compression stroke for cylinder 1 and both valves are closed. Instead cylinder 6 moves. If it was TDC on cylinder 6 the opposite would be true?

TrailBeast

AKA Mopars4us on Youtube

Joined Mar 11, 2011 Messages 22,948 Reaction score 13,089 Location Arizona

LovetheA's said: Oh I also forgot to mention. I have been determining TDC on cylinder 1 when dampener at zero and I move crank back and forth a little rockers on cylinder 1 don’t move at all because I’m assuming that means I’m on compression stroke for cylinder 1 and both valves are closed. Instead cylinder 6 moves. If it was TDC on cylinder 6 the opposite would be true? Click to expand...

Probably. If the starter and everything is off pull all the plugs, put the damper on easy, a piece of toilet paper or paper napkin waded up small enough to stick in the plug hole and when the paper blows out (and it will turning the motor by hand) bring it up to the 0 mark on the balancer and then there you go. THEN if the rotor is pointing at number 6 pull the distributor up and turn the rotor 180 degrees. Simple as that.

halifaxhops

It's going to get stupid around here!

FABO Gold Member Joined Jan 20, 2014 Messages 98,114 Reaction score 85,822 Location Hoppyworld, PA This will help you understand what many people mentioned. A Good Chart for Where to Adjust Valves Demonic

Demonic

Well-Known Member

Joined Mar 21, 2015 Messages 2,480 Reaction score 2,155 Location Mid Atlantic Good advice above. You're either 180* out or something else is amiss. Remember that the distributor rotates at half crank speed - it's a 4 stroke. :rolleyes:

black954

Well-Known Member

Joined Jan 13, 2020 Messages 365 Reaction score 302 Location Chicago, IL I just read this on Hughes website. When you install the timing set, the dot on the cam gear points down and the dot on the crank gear points up so they are facing each other. Then you need to rotate the crank 360* so the dot on the cam is facing 12 o’clock and the dot on the crank is at 12 o’clock and that is where you install your distributor.

67Dart273

FABO Gold Member

FABO Gold Member Joined Oct 14, 2010 Messages 62,673 Reaction score 37,165 Location Idaho

black954 said: I just read this on Hughes website. When you install the timing set, the dot on the cam gear points down and the dot on the crank gear points up so they are facing each other. Then you need to rotate the crank 360* so the dot on the cam is facing 12 o’clock and the dot on the crank is at 12 o’clock and that is where you install your distributor. Click to expand...

Either that or just set the dist in and time it on no6 L

LovetheA's

Well-Known Member

Joined Aug 26, 2010 Messages 827 Reaction score 120 Location Fairfield, CT Thank you everyone for all the input. I’ve heard a few different answers and solutions. Overall if I make sure that the engine is TDC on cylinder #1 and I put the distributor in so that the rotor faces plug wire #1 I should be safe and in good shape. Is that fair to say? If so that is what I will do. So it doesn’t really matter how it is set now or was before as long as when I go to fire it up as stated cylinder 1 TDC rotor facing plug wire #1. Daves69

Daves69

Well-Known Member

Joined Feb 20, 2011 Messages 8,297 Reaction score 7,872 Location WestOfChi

famous bob

mopar misfit

Joined Aug 14, 2011 Messages 20,847 Reaction score 10,003 Location okla

Daves69 said: View attachment 1715522764 Click to expand...

I have never run my 505 or any of the two hemi`s I had in the above position --- If ur on the comp stroke , u can put the dist and drive slot where u want it , as long as its lined up I always point mine toward no 1 cyl to start with.

67Dart273

FABO Gold Member

FABO Gold Member Joined Oct 14, 2010 Messages 62,673 Reaction score 37,165 Location Idaho My first car, a 57 Chev 265. One day in the gas station, the jock was checking my oil. "They did that" back then LOLOL. This was summer of 66. He looked at my dist. and announced "how does it run, your distributor and wires are in the wrong place" LOLOL At the time I didn't know there was a "right" way to install it!!! Daves69

Daves69

Well-Known Member

Joined Feb 20, 2011 Messages 8,297 Reaction score 7,872 Location WestOfChi

famous bob said: I have never run my 505 or any of the two hemi`s I had in the above position --- Click to expand...

And no one says you "have" to. The orientation described is in the FSM. It's not that hard to achieve.

halifaxhops

It's going to get stupid around here!

FABO Gold Member Joined Jan 20, 2014 Messages 98,114 Reaction score 85,822 Location Hoppyworld, PA I just drop them in at TDC and find where 1 is and put the wires on, I am not worried about the right position. Mine is not a points car.

Marcohotrod

Well-Known Member

Joined Mar 21, 2015 Messages 2,429 Reaction score 604 Location Massachusetts years ago some guys at Jiffy lube bought an old v8 camaro-gonna go racing-had no plug wires. so the gearhead in the group said "I will run home at lunch and get my book and have this fired up by 6 pm. Same firing order as a 340. at lunch I popped out number 1 plug, rotate with thumb over hole for getting #1 on the compression stroke, at 10 degrees before top. install #1 plug where rotor is pointing

famous bob

mopar misfit

Joined Aug 14, 2011 Messages 20,847 Reaction score 10,003 Location okla

Daves69 said: And no one says you "have" to. The orientation described is in the FSM. It's not that hard to achieve. Click to expand...

It is very hard to acheive w/ raised port heads and a chevy type distributor , "used by fast f/inj systems'' , lot of clearanceing on a victor knock off head !! If I had to do it over , I`d use a locked out MSD mopar dist. , live and learn . gdrill

gdrill

Left FABO Dec 3, 2025 due to 1BB's attitude

FABO Gold Member Joined Sep 26, 2011 Messages 11,885 Reaction score 20,552 Location Just North of Montana Don’t forget the counterclockwise big block rotation. Daves69

Daves69

Well-Known Member

Joined Feb 20, 2011 Messages 8,297 Reaction score 7,872 Location WestOfChi

famous bob said: It is very hard to acheive w/ raised port heads and a chevy type distributor , "used by fast f/inj systems'' , lot of clearanceing on a victor knock off head !! Click to expand...

Well, that doesn't sound "stock" but if you go by the "you can put #1 anywhere" how hard is it to re-orient the rotor on yours?

famous bob

mopar misfit

Joined Aug 14, 2011 Messages 20,847 Reaction score 10,003 Location okla

Daves69 said: Well, that doesn't sound "stock" but if you go by the "you can put #1 anywhere" how hard is it to re-orient the rotor on yours? Click to expand...

It is fixed , just keep it pointed at the no 1 terminal no matter where its at . You must log in or register to reply here. -