I have a 62 327/300 with a distributor drive tach cable.

When I time the engine, the cable is all but touching the right side (passenger) of the approximate 3" hole in the fire wall.

I have been having problem with not being able to keep the engine timed. I have a new steel plate type of distributor vs. the wire finger type.

When the engine torqes does it move in the opposite direction of rotation of the crank? (I have the water pump off for rebuild so I can't start engine) If so, could the tach cable be hitting the edge of the fire wall and moving the distrbutor timing?

What would I have to do to get the tach cable into the center of the hole when the engine is properly timed.

Thanks in advance.

Bob

 

Bring the engine to TDC firing on cylinder 1. The distributor rotor should be aligned under the #1 plug terminal on the distributor cap. Loosen the distributor hold down and rotate the housing where you want it and rewire your cap so that number 1 plug wire lines up with the rotor again. Tighten the clamp, then reset the timing with the engine running, if you were careful to select a distributor housing position where the rotor and the cap terminal lined up closely your timing should be close.

 

Proper indexing is essential when the distributor is installed. The #1 tower(tower on the passenger side of the cap window) should be at approximately the 7 oclock position when facing the front of the engine and engine @ TDC.

http://www.lbfun.com/warehouse/tech_...stem/dist2.jpg

 

Check your distributor gear also[there is two ways to to put the gear on ] If the gear has a dimple on the gear , the dimple should be on the same side as the where the rotor points to . By switching it around 180 degrees you will be off a half a tooth. This could help you with the alignment.

 

here's an easy fix if you don't want to pull the dist....leave the dist. alone and simply move the plug wires over to an adjacent hole.....you will not be "book" correct but the dist doesn't care anyway....then move the dist. base to compensate for the new plug wire location, this will free up your cable alignment but like i say..#1 wire will not be in the correct location as far as ncrs judging ....if they even look for it......

 

If your distributor is moving after you tighten the clamp down, I'd suspect you have the distributor shaft shimmed too tight and it's bottoming out on the oil pump shaft instead of the intake manifold. That's easy to check. Just take the distributor cap off and twist the rotor back and forth. There should be rotational movement of the shaft and it should also rise and fall as you twist it back and forth.

Moving the wires on the cap one notch out will err the tach cable off in the other direction of the firewall hole. Maybe not as much. The right way to fix it is to check the orientation of the gear and follow up with the noted fix.

 

Your referance to the 3" hole and getting the cable into the center of it is confusing.

Here is a diagram that might help with getting the distributor in the right spot.





I've always wondered why the L72 got more torque on the hold down bolt than the others.

 

Bob, I think your problem might be with the distributor gear alignment.

I have a 67 327/300 and have wrestled with this same problem with a replacement distributor. The replacement had the dimple on the gear aligned 180 degrees from the rotor position. When I put my refurbed original back on (with the dimple on the gear aligned to the rotor position) it moved the position of the distributor about 14 degrees clockwise for the same timing. This puts less bend in the tach cable.

Here's a picture of mine with the rotor aligned to the dimple at 6 d BTDC:



The above position has the least bend in the tach cable.

This is for a 67 327/300, yours might be different for a 62. If you are looking for more than an initial 8 d BTDC, you might have to live with the reversed dimple as the coil will interfere with vacuum advance can.

Also remember that moving the distributor gear one whole tooth will move the position 28 degrees, this could also be your problem. Re-indexing the plug wires one position will move the distributor position 45 degrees, and guarantees interference problems one way or the other.

Hope this helps,

 

you are probably off at least one or possibly two teeth on your distributor, that's why i suggested the easy way around this issue, to give an idea how far you are off, if you don't care about the #1 placement of the plug wires...as far as the balancer removal, you should be good to go with your puller set up and you should not need any penetrating oil. your problem here (unless you are using an impact wrench) is keeping the crank from turning while you use the puller. you will more than likely have to jam the flywheel with a large screwdriver or pry bar for help. sometimes you can put the tranny in gear and block one of the wheels if the car is on the ground....good luck

 

Originally Posted by JDBob62
62 327/300. I understand the HB is just a press fit. Any tips on removing. I have taken off the fan pulley and installed a puller to front of HB. I have also spayed Liquid Wrench for a couple days. Should I apply pressure and let it sit for a couple of days and try to add more pressure? Would taping around the enge of the HB do anything to brake rust between shaft and HB?

Finally, what should I look at on the HB for problem areas? As best I know it is an original part.

(Reason for removing HB is to check timing chain)

Thanks

you are probably off at least one or possibly two teeth on your distributor, that's why i suggested the easy way around this issue, to give an idea how far you are off, if you don't care about the #1 placement of the plug wires...as far as the balancer removal, you should be good to go with your puller set up and you should not need any penetrating oil. your problem here (unless you are using an impact wrench) is keeping the crank from turning while you use the puller. you will more than likely have to jam the flywheel with a large screwdriver or pry bar for help. sometimes you can put the tranny in gear and block one of the wheels if the car is on the ground....good luck




???????????????????????????????????????? Did somebody delete a post?

 

Yes, direction is opposite of the torque.

 

There is lots of good information here but ignore the swapping (rorating) wires bit. When you are done the dist cap screws should be parallel to the front axle & #1 should be in front just to the passenger side of the car center line. If you still can't pull the timing in 100% either because the vacuum advance hits the engine or the firewall then remove the pin and rotate the bottom dist drive gear 180*. Life should be good.

 

I have never pulled a distibutor. Can someone give me a step-by-step?

I know I have to mark the position of the rotor both to the distributor housing and the engine. I also know that I can't rotate the crank while the distributor is out.

Should I be at TDC on compression on no. 1 before pulling the distributor?

When I remove the distributor clamp does the distributor just lift out?

 

put it on #1 compression stroke and line up the timing marks on the balancer at zero, then look at the rotor position, it should be on # 1 wire at the cap. if it's not then remove the dist. clamp and pull the dist. it will come right out. then drop the dist. back in after you check the indexing on the bottom gear and turn it till it lines up with #1 wire. it may not bottom out to fully engage with the oil pump drive. if this is the case you may pull the unit again and insert a long screwdriver to turn the oil pump shaft until it is also indexed or turn the engine until it fully meshes and bottom's out. then repeat the tdc ritual and re check the rotor position. if it lines up with #1 wire you are set. you can put #1 wire anywhere on the cap you like but to be book correct check the manual for the proper hole or listen to other posters who are in the know about it's position.....after all this you will be an expert on the subject.....

 

If you don't put the wires on the cap in the "book correct" position, you'll have the distributor, in a less than optimum at best, relationship to the distributor cable that will cause binding and wear. At worst, you might not be able to rotate the distributor to set timing to the desired advance.

On any stock SBC application EXCEPT those that have the '55-'56 265 oiling system, you can put the wires anywhere and the engine will run okay though some will argue the rotor is not phased correctly to the cap contact due to a specific relationship between the gear, shaft, rotor and cap.

The '55-'56 distributors/oil systems have to be in the correct orientation to the block to supply oil to the rocker oil galleys and that means the distributor should be "book correct".