Help needed on Bubba'd distributor setting.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 2,390
Likes: 315
From: Belmont Michigan
Help needed on Bubba'd distributor setting.
When I bought my '81 last fall (mini project) it ran terribly. Bubba had put a high rise, an adapter plate, and the stock carb back on. No computer wires hooked back up to te carb. I am going back to a stock manifold. I bumped the distributor to point at #1 before I pulled it, and all wires were on correctly.
Now here's the rub. Bubba had installed a new timing chain cover and balancer (had wore into cover). When I checked to see where the timing mark was when I pulled the dist., it was on the other side of the balancer! 180 degrees from where it should have been! What in the wide world of sports is going on? The only things I can come up with are these:
1. Bubba installed the balancer backwords. (Is this even possible?
2. Bubba installed the dist. incorrectly, and the computer somewhat compensated for the incorrect setting. (Like I said, it ran badly, but would it run at ALL if it was 180 off?)
3. Instead of worrying about all this, I should just go find Bubba and beat the hell out of him just for some personal satisfation.
Any thoughts would be appreciated!
Now here's the rub. Bubba had installed a new timing chain cover and balancer (had wore into cover). When I checked to see where the timing mark was when I pulled the dist., it was on the other side of the balancer! 180 degrees from where it should have been! What in the wide world of sports is going on? The only things I can come up with are these:
1. Bubba installed the balancer backwords. (Is this even possible?
2. Bubba installed the dist. incorrectly, and the computer somewhat compensated for the incorrect setting. (Like I said, it ran badly, but would it run at ALL if it was 180 off?)
3. Instead of worrying about all this, I should just go find Bubba and beat the hell out of him just for some personal satisfation.
Any thoughts would be appreciated!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 845
Likes: 0
From: Ventura Harbor CA California
Re: Help needed on Bubba'd distributor setting. (MidShark)
1. Bubba installed the balancer backwords. (Is this even possible?
No it is keyed. It is possible the ring has turned on the center but I doubt it would go 180 before it came apart.
2. Bubba installed the dist. incorrectly, and the computer somewhat compensated for the incorrect setting. (Like I said, it ran badly, but would it run at ALL if it was 180 off?)
I believe, and could be wrong , that the only thing the PCM controls in an 81 distributor is the advance. It couldn't compensate for being that far off. Now for the hard part. The cam, which turns the distributor turns at half the speed of the crank so if the balancer was 180 from where it was supposed to be the timing was 90 or 270 out. Don't think it would run at all. You first need to pull the distutor and bring #1 to TDC on the compression stroke and see if the mark lines up. Since the balancer may have slipped, you will need to pull the valve covers and watch # 1 and #6 to determine TDC #1. The finger in the whole won't work. I think it will probably line up.
3. Instead of worrying about all this, I should just go find Bubba and beat the hell out of him just for some personal satisfation.
Think I'd hold off for now. It may not have been the previous owners problem.
No it is keyed. It is possible the ring has turned on the center but I doubt it would go 180 before it came apart.
2. Bubba installed the dist. incorrectly, and the computer somewhat compensated for the incorrect setting. (Like I said, it ran badly, but would it run at ALL if it was 180 off?)
I believe, and could be wrong , that the only thing the PCM controls in an 81 distributor is the advance. It couldn't compensate for being that far off. Now for the hard part. The cam, which turns the distributor turns at half the speed of the crank so if the balancer was 180 from where it was supposed to be the timing was 90 or 270 out. Don't think it would run at all. You first need to pull the distutor and bring #1 to TDC on the compression stroke and see if the mark lines up. Since the balancer may have slipped, you will need to pull the valve covers and watch # 1 and #6 to determine TDC #1. The finger in the whole won't work. I think it will probably line up.
3. Instead of worrying about all this, I should just go find Bubba and beat the hell out of him just for some personal satisfation.
Think I'd hold off for now. It may not have been the previous owners problem.
