Installing dist.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Des moines Iowa
Installing dist.
When you get your No. 1 to TDC and install the dist. should the rotor be pointed a little to the right and No. 1 plug or staight ahead? When I got the car it's pointed a little to the left of being in the center. Did he get it a tooth off? I have heard it does'nt matter where the rotor is pointed as long as you use the place that it is to start as No. 1 plug. I want to do it right.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 8,117
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From: charlotte north carolina
drop it into place with the tach drive cable pointing toward the grommet that holds the tach cable. just insert your wires according to the firing order. use a screwdriver to turn the oil pump so that the distributor drops into the slot.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Wilmington DE, Drive it like you stole it, 68 327 4 speed coupe
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 11,322
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From: Living in the Hartland
If it drops all the way down then I point it at #1, if it does not drop all the way I point it at #5 and crank the eng with my msd box unhooked until the dist mates with the oil pump shaft, started using this method a few years ago and it is much easier than trying to get the oil pump shaft and dist to mate perfect and pointing at #1
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,356
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From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
I have a distributor installation paper that has photos and step-by-step instructions if you need it. E-mail me for the paper at:
V8FastCars@msn.com
Lars
V8FastCars@msn.com
Lars
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Des moines Iowa
So are you stopping at the intial advance. If stopping at intial advance Where should the rotor be pointing? Or does it matter? I am putting a new dist. in. so I will have nothing to use as refrence.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 8,319
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From: Wilmington DE, Drive it like you stole it, 68 327 4 speed coupe
this way you are closer coming out the gate
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 181
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From: Des moines Iowa
Ok. That makes sense. I'm just trying to fiqure out how this all works. AT 10* BTDC you said the rotor would be pointing at No. 1 plug. Where would it be pointing if I set it at TDC?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Wilmington DE, Drive it like you stole it, 68 327 4 speed coupe
if you had the crank at TDC and then dropped the dstributor in so its pointing at the number one plug, then your inital advance would be zero at TDC and you would have to adjust to timing while the engine is running, and depending on the motor set up it may or may not fire right away, and you would end up moving it anyway by eyeballing it, and fiddeling with it
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Wilmington DE, Drive it like you stole it, 68 327 4 speed coupe
when you drop in teh distributor, ith rotor will spin and stop when it bottoms out. this is controlled by the position of teh slot in the oil pump drive shaft. One way to make sure it dops on number 1 is to get a long screwdriver. or an oil pupm primer tool and turn the oil punp shaft so that it will drop on Number one. that does not necceritly happen automatically, unless you rotated the crank so it was at numebr 1 before you took out the distributor in the first place
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 8,117
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From: charlotte north carolina
remember that the pin on the distributor that you "call" number 1 can be any pin. set your dist so there aren't any sharp bends as the tach cable passes thru the firewall, and what ever pin the rotor is pointing to is "number 1". then just attach your remaining wires in a clockwise direction to the cap according to the fireing order.
Last edited by jnb5101; May 24, 2007 at 03:25 PM.
Veteran
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From: Nashville, TN
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Des moines Iowa
I can't believe how easy it was to swap out a distributor. I had to double check myself because I thought it would be harder than it was LOL. I want to thank you all for the advice and patience. I did set it up at 10* BTDC and when I was done hit the key and it fired right up! I installed a new Accel Dist. When I timed it I noticed the timing marked still moved up and down a little bit. I think I have a intake or carb leak, I hear whistling sound coming from somewhere and my carb falls on face at idle.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 8,319
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From: Wilmington DE, Drive it like you stole it, 68 327 4 speed coupe
remember that the pin on the distributor that you "call" number 1 can be any pin. set your dist so there aren't any sharp bends as the tach cable passes thru the firewall, and what ever pin the rotor is pointing to is "number 1". then just attach your remaining wires in a clockwise direction to the cap according to the fireing order.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 8,319
Likes: 7
From: Wilmington DE, Drive it like you stole it, 68 327 4 speed coupe
I can't believe how easy it was to swap out a distributor. I had to double check myself because I thought it would be harder than it was LOL. I want to thank you all for the advice and patience. I did set it up at 10* BTDC and when I was done hit the key and it fired right up! I installed a new Accel Dist. When I timed it I noticed the timing marked still moved up and down a little bit. I think I have a intake or carb leak, I hear whistling sound coming from somewhere and my carb falls on face at idle.
a jumping needle will confrim the vac leak
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 181
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From: Des moines Iowa
It kinda sounded like the whistle was coming from under the car. I wonder if the modulator on the trans or the vaccum line to it is leaking? It sounded like it almost went away when i put it in drive. I wonder if that would affect my carb if it was leaking?
