I fitted my air gap today, so found TDC, but the dizy rotor, was not pointing at number 1 clylinder wire, so its been installed wrong in the past I take it.

got the old manifold off, the 2 valves are flush and I can feel top of the clylinder, so that would be TDC??

so how do I make sure Iam putting the dizzy rotor back in correctly??

cheers

dave

 

It really does not matter how your put the rotor back in. The order of cyl firing is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2.

It moves clockwise in a circle

--- 1--8
- 2------4
- 7------3
- -- 5--6

The cylinder numbering from Drivers side, 1,3,5,7 (from front of the car to firewall)

Passenger side, 2,4,6,8 (from the front of the car to the firewall)

If the #1 cylinder is TDC, then where ever the rotor contact tab is pointing is where you plug the #1 wire. Test fit the rotor cap to make sure the rotor tab is lined up directly underneath a point. Then just follow the firing order and hook up the rest of the wires.

If the rotor contact tab does not line up perfect with a point on the cap when you set the rotor in, just twist it and line it up or you can try several different rotor positions before you drop it in the engine.

It is very simple if you have TDC set up. Follow direction and turn the key!

 

Tbk, up there has it correct, but that assumes the dizzy is assembled right....take a look at the dizzy outta the car, there is a dimple on the gear end ...it has to be lined up with the rotor button hot tip....if not, and it's only possible to be 180 out.... you will have the dizzy pointing about 1/2 position off the ideal....it will still run ok, assuming you have the timing adjusted, just look a bit funny to the practiced eye....

 

so do think Ive got TDC correct??

so I need a dizzy tab pointed towards, clylinder 1, then plug in wire 1, so at what part exact does wire 1/tab point towards, at the valves on the rocker cover, for clylinder one, it that the best place to line up with?

dave

 

Rule of thumb I've always used is that the rotor actually points to no. 1 cylinder. Yes, I said the cylinder, as well as no. 1 ignition lead. This ensures that the distributor has room for adjustment/timing.

Rotate engine by hand and feel for compression stroke at no. 1 spark plug position, then verify above stated.

 

You did mark the dizzy before you took it out, didn't you?! No matter, it's fairly easy to set it back up right.

First up, how did you get TDC? You say the valves are flush - you mean they're both closed, yeah? That's good. When you say you can feel the top of the cylinder, what do you mean? Once both valves are shut (showing that it's the compression TDC and not the exhaust TDC) and the piston's approaching the top, you're best to check the angle using the timing marks on the harmonic balancer, where TDC is marked "0". But the balancer mark CAN slip over time, so you need to double check using a probe of some sort in the #1 plug hole to feel the piston coming up and onto TDC.

When you're there, then in fact the rotor arm shouldn't be pointing directly at #1 plug wire, because the ignition should have some advance - the rotor will be pointing say a few degrees after #1 in the clockwise direction. Is that what you're seeing? If so then that's "normal" (based on whatever your basic ignition advance is set at). Or is it miles off? If so then you might have made a mistake in getting TDC... 'cos the engine wouldn't run in the first place if the timing was a long way out.



Although it's right to say in theory that the position of the distributor doesn't really matter, in practice you're limited to where you can rotate it, simply because of the plug wires/tach/batt wires and vaccum tube pulling on it. Properly installed, it should have the square "tach/batt" terminal pointing pretty much perpendicular off to the driver's side of the engine bay, again within a few degrees either way, depending on what your basic timing advance is set to.

 

so if both valves are flush with inside bit of engine, underneath the intake manifold, then it has to be at TDC, is that correct??, and also line on balancer wheel lines to 0??, is that correct?

 

yep, the valves are closed, good!

yep, the mark on balancer is at the 0 mark

the rotor was set at about 10 degrees before, so it should be pointing towards the passage side direction slightly, rather than directly at cylinder 1???

I realized once I was taking it apart it was miles off.

cheers for help

dave

 

....

 

YES..


Is it hei or points????
OEM wire placement on the cap was not the same for both.

 

Ok, both #1 valves closed, pointer at "0", that's a good start!

As for the rotor position, don't get too wrapped up in the rotor actually pointing to cylinder 1, that's just a rule of thumb/ball park kind of thing about the "rough" position of the dizzy when it's in right. The important thing is the #1 post on the cap... That's where you're aiming for! By saying the rotor was set at 10 degrees before, you mean that timing was set at 10deg Before Top Dead Centre??? If so, the rotor should be 5degrees FURTHER ROUND past the #1 cap post when you have the engine at #1 TDC, because it is advanced, and rotates clockwise. And it's only 5 degrees on the rotor because this moves at HALF the engine speed, so 5 distributor degrees = 10 crank shaft degrees.

 

its HEI

cheers

 

Here is a pic.
Point the rotor to #1 at tdc

 

You're gonna have to watch to valves on the number one. The engine rotates twice for every time a cylinder fires. So turning the engine by hand, you'll need to line up your harmonic after the compression stroke, which is about half a rotation (watching the harmonic) after the intake valve closes.

But stop at 12~ degress before TDC on the harmonic. Drop the distributor with the rotor pointing in the general direction of the number one terminal of the cap. (BTW, you can't install the rotor 180 degrees backwards,..won't go on) and install the cap and wires.

Then pull the plug wire off the number one spark plug (it's the front plug on the driver's side) and install an old but working spark plug in the boot. Turn your ignition key to "on" and while grounding the spark plug(away from the carb), rotate the distributor cap back and forth while you see a spark from the grounded plug. Stop at the point you get a spark. Lock down the distributor and reinstall the plug wire to the number one plug. Turn your ingition key "off" (it shouldn't stay in the "on" position for longer than 30 seconds but this technique is quick).

After you've completed the above, you've just "statically set" your timing at 12 degrees and she'll fire right up.

Good luck!

 

right Ive tryed to start car, but its backfiring up into carb/airfilter, black smoke, but it wont actally start, just does that as your turning over, also there seems to be petrol coming up through the passerage rocker cover, when I crank it over, but none on the drivers side.

I dont want to do any damage, so if its doing above, what could be causing it, maybe Iam not at TDC, but half through piston cycle??

or is normal for it to do this the first time??

dave

 

Your oil pump slot may be tweaked a little and won't let it drop to point at #1 - sometimes it moves a little when you pull the distributor..

If so, get it on top dead center again, with the distributor out you can reach down into the hole and turn the slot of the oil pump to allow the distributor to point in the correct spot.

You could also be 180 out.

just a thought, I've done both to myself...

 

I had to move the oil pump slot to get the dizzy rotor to point in the direction of cylinder one, I made sure it was fully in.

why would there be petrol coming up out of rocker cover?

cheers

dave

 

i hope u have fire insurance

 

you sure gas is coming out of the rocker cover? if you do, something is f'd up imo. perhaps it's just blowing back through the vacuume line from the carb (if you have one).

it sounds mostly to me like your 180* out...

 

I need to get someone to crank, while I watch to see where its coming from, to be sure, also I put on a inline petrol filter, cant seem to get that to fill right up with fuel, just sits with a wee bit in the bottom of it, but when you push the throttle linkage on carb, petrol comes through on both jets

cheers

dave