Did a quick test on my dead cable driven tach by unscrewing the cable from the 90 degree adapter at the distributor. The good news it that spinning the cable caused the tach needle to move. The bad news is I can’t remove the adapter because it’s to close to the firewall. I am afraid to rotate the distributor, because I don’t have a timing light. Has anyone tried to grease the 90 degree adapter? There is a grease fitting on the adapter and I wondered if a shot of grease would help? Thanks in advance.

 

I doubt grease will affect your issue.
Suggest you buy a timing light ...

First, bring the motor to True TDC ... then pull the distributor Out ... Remove the 90 (for good) ...

While dist is Out ... spin dist by bottom drive gear and verify the cable drive is turning as you turn bottom drive gear ... ensure you don't have a trashed crossgear/shaft.

Install and Clock the dist so that the cable aligns w/ dist ... without need of any adapter.

Check the tip of the cable and ensure it's not rounded (preventing it from securely engaging dist's square drive hole).

 

just clean the base of the distributor where you can see the intake manifold and mark the dizzy base and the intake with a sharpie or paint pen. When its dry, loosen the hold down clamp and rotate the dizzy. After you get the 90* off, rotate it back where the marks line up....

 

Thanks for all the information. I knew how to set the timing on engines a hundred years ago. As a teenager, we probably used the spot marking method hundreds of times. Of course those cars were not 47 years old. The PO May have installed the 90 degree adapter because they installed a new distributor. I don’t know if that changes the location of the cable connector?

 

An MSD dizzy has a different cable location from stock but the 90 degreee adapter cable doesnt fit into the MSD square hole. I think some of the tach drive HEIs are pretty close to the stock location. I've used one of each of the above with those results. If your not using the chrome shielding it doesnt matter much but using the brackets for the shielding, the location of the tach drive vs the vacuum advance, the advance can will contact the intake or the bracket, so mods to the bracket were/are needed. Otherwise you can set the dizzy where ever the tach drive is accessible and not pinching the cable and make the #1 plug terminal which ever one it needs to be according to where the rotor is pointing.

For example, It doesnt need to be the same tower as it was before, as long as you have a timing light or can rotate the crank over to get the cap to point dead center of the closest terminal and note which lug wire that is. Then rotate the dizzy so the cable isnt pinched to the closest terminal and center it again with the plug wire that you noted earlier. I have a cap with the center cut out for this specific purpose.


an old HEI cap cut open to use to align the rotor and keep the timing the same


if you leave the dizzy locked down and rotate the crank with a socket wrench you can line up the rotator to the center of the closest post, then you can loosen the dizzy and rotate it to line up a post that doesnt kink the tach drive and lock it down. Then roate the plugs so that whatever the original plug wire was being pointed at can be put on that post. The timing should not have changed provide you line it up the same. Timing lights help to get it exact of course

 

RR
I appreciate all the information, along with the pictures. You are correct that my SB has the chrome shielding, and I don’t believe the distributor is MSD because the plastic is a bright blue. It looks like I will have to bribe my car buddy to come over with his timing light. Of course I could go online and see if there are any good YouTube videos on how to use a timing light. I just don’t want to mess up the engine, as it seems to start and run ok.

 

the new timinng lights are digital and have a dial back setting so you can set the tming advance you want and as the light flashes the zero line on the damper it will take it to the number you dialed in. They are pretty slick and you can get repair cables if you melt them like i did. Innove makes an affordable one. this one has a replaceablle cable, displays the advance and tachometer readings
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/ino-3568



This one displays the voltagge as well as the other neat stuff

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EVU8J8?tag=amz-mkt-fox-us-20&ascsubtag=1ba00-01000-org00-win10-dsk00-nomod-us000-pcomp-feature-pcomp-wm-8-wm-1-wm-4&ref=aa_pcomp_prc1_prdg2

 

RR
i am on it. Since my battery is behind the seats, would it be ok to use a 12 volt 7 am hr battery that I use for my auto projects?

 

Just hook the timing light up to the back of the alternator, no need to go to the battery.

 

Thanks, that’s another thing I forgot!

 

Or at the +12VDC at the horn relay if you want to keep the timing light leads a little farther away from the rotating machinery.

 

For a 12 source o use the alternator. For the specific timing light that shows batt and alt you may need a separate source. Your fine otherwise

 

If this project has escalated to pulling the distributor, there's no reason not to email @lars and ask for his timing papers, and (points?) distributor setup. At a minimum, you should check the shims to remove endplay. His email is all over this site, PM me if you can't find it.

Here's a video to show you how to time an engine. There are lots more, of course.

 

Thanks for finding the video.

 

Thanks for posting the video link.
Great information and explanation on timing. Good watch for everyone.