Distributor question
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,241
Likes: 4
From: Okinawa Okinawa
Distributor question
I have my MSD distributor in and the car is running okay. I have it turned counterclockwise as far as it can go. The vacum advanced is as far to the right as it can go on the intake and the tach cable will not go anymore to the right. I am at about 10-11 degrees BTDC. I would like to advance the timing to about 14 but cant turn the dist. anymore. Could I be one tooth off? Can I readjust the dist one tooth or not?
Thanks
Thanks
Racer
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 322
Likes: 0
From: Alexandria VA
Re: Distributor question (scottw)
I have mine rotated just about as far as it can go and am at 12-14. Getting ready to run outside and see if I can bump her up a few more notches, so I'm really interested in some responses to this thread. I'm basically just posting so I can get the email update :)
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,370
Likes: 6,364
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Re: Distributor question (scottw)
Scott -
You're one tooth off. Just pull the distributor straight up until it JUST disengages from the cam gear, and then drop it right back down again. It will jump one tooth over in the right direction, and you'll have plenty of adjustment. By the way - forget about initial timing. Unplug your vacuum advance and use an adjustable timing light on it. Rev the engine up until you don't get any more centrifugal advance out of it (usually about 3000 rpm) and set the timing at this point to 36 degrees. Then hook the vacuum back up.
You're one tooth off. Just pull the distributor straight up until it JUST disengages from the cam gear, and then drop it right back down again. It will jump one tooth over in the right direction, and you'll have plenty of adjustment. By the way - forget about initial timing. Unplug your vacuum advance and use an adjustable timing light on it. Rev the engine up until you don't get any more centrifugal advance out of it (usually about 3000 rpm) and set the timing at this point to 36 degrees. Then hook the vacuum back up.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 5,202
Likes: 10
From: cincinnati ohio
St. Jude Donor '09
Re: Distributor question (Tom454)
Hey Lars...
Hope you know that tip is worth $64,000.
You get paid for this, right?
:)
Hope you know that tip is worth $64,000.
You get paid for this, right?
:)
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 11,322
Likes: 1
From: Living in the Hartland
Re: Distributor question (scottw)
Check to make sure your are one tooth off, you might be one plug wire off meaning you plug wires are all one slot off. Pull you cap and put you car at TDC, the rotor should be pointing right at cyl #1. If it is, then you are one wire off. I guess you dist doesn't have to point at #1 but it is a pretty general rule of thumb. Moving plug wires one slot it a lot easier than aligning that damn oil pump notch. :mad
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Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,370
Likes: 6,364
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Re: Distributor question (Fevre)
Fevre -
When you pull the distributor straight up and drop and right back down, it will line right back up with the pump shaft while moving over one tooth - no need to try to align the pump shaft with the distributor shaft. If you do this repeatedly, you can actually "walk" the rotor all the way around to align it in any position without ever having to worry about oil pump shaft alignment. It works really slick.
When you pull the distributor straight up and drop and right back down, it will line right back up with the pump shaft while moving over one tooth - no need to try to align the pump shaft with the distributor shaft. If you do this repeatedly, you can actually "walk" the rotor all the way around to align it in any position without ever having to worry about oil pump shaft alignment. It works really slick.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,659
Likes: 7
From: Katy (Houston) TX
CI 7-8 Veteran
Re: Distributor question (lars)
Lars (or anyone else that's very knowledgable of adj timing light).....Will an adjustable timing light work on any mark you put on the balancer? I ask this because my balancer has slipped and I can't read the timing with my old style timing light. If the adjustable will work, I'm headed out to get one tonight. :D
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,370
Likes: 6,364
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Re: Distributor question (tshort)
Travis -
You have to know where top dead center is, and this has to be accurately marked. Usually, if the balancer has slipped, you don't know where TDC is, since you don't know how far the balancer has slipped. The adjustable light can't determine this for you. You can use your slipped balancer with an adjustable light as long as you locate TDC and re-mark the balancer. I have a tech paper on how to do this - drop me an e-mail if you need a copy.
By the way - your Demon carb is going in the mail to you tomorrow (Wednesday). I got it running great, so you should have lots of fun with it.
You have to know where top dead center is, and this has to be accurately marked. Usually, if the balancer has slipped, you don't know where TDC is, since you don't know how far the balancer has slipped. The adjustable light can't determine this for you. You can use your slipped balancer with an adjustable light as long as you locate TDC and re-mark the balancer. I have a tech paper on how to do this - drop me an e-mail if you need a copy.
By the way - your Demon carb is going in the mail to you tomorrow (Wednesday). I got it running great, so you should have lots of fun with it.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,659
Likes: 7
From: Katy (Houston) TX
CI 7-8 Veteran
Re: Distributor question (lars)
Thanks Lars!
By the way....if any of you guys don't know about Lars yet, he is Awesome! I don't know anyone else in any other field that does the quality of work with the same amount of professionalism and price (and that's when he's actually charging for his services) and speed that he does.
Here's to you Lars :cheers:
By the way....if any of you guys don't know about Lars yet, he is Awesome! I don't know anyone else in any other field that does the quality of work with the same amount of professionalism and price (and that's when he's actually charging for his services) and speed that he does.
Here's to you Lars :cheers:
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,370
Likes: 6,364
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Re: Distributor question (tshort)
Hey tshort -
You better try out that carb I did for you before you start toasting.... maybe I really hosed it... I ran out of gin for my Martinis part way through the building process, and I don't work too well when my blood alchohol level drops too low..... :eek:
You better try out that carb I did for you before you start toasting.... maybe I really hosed it... I ran out of gin for my Martinis part way through the building process, and I don't work too well when my blood alchohol level drops too low..... :eek:
Racer
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 255
Likes: 0
From: bklyn ny
Re: Distributor question (lars)
Scott -
You're one tooth off. Just pull the distributor straight up until it JUST disengages from the cam gear, and then drop it right back down again. It will jump one tooth over in the right direction, and you'll have plenty of adjustment. By the way - forget about initial timing. Unplug your vacuum advance and use an adjustable timing light on it. Rev the engine up until you don't get any more centrifugal advance out of it (usually about 3000 rpm) and set the timing at this point to 36 degrees. Then hook the vacuum back up.
You're one tooth off. Just pull the distributor straight up until it JUST disengages from the cam gear, and then drop it right back down again. It will jump one tooth over in the right direction, and you'll have plenty of adjustment. By the way - forget about initial timing. Unplug your vacuum advance and use an adjustable timing light on it. Rev the engine up until you don't get any more centrifugal advance out of it (usually about 3000 rpm) and set the timing at this point to 36 degrees. Then hook the vacuum back up.