I hope someone who know the answer will chime in..

 

It makes absolutely NO difference. The distributor shaft can be turned to engage any of it's gear's teeth with the cam gear. The distributor body can be rotated to adjust the timing and the wires can be anywhere in the cap towers, putting the #1 wire anywhere you want it. A statement like, "why would they bother to put an allignment dot on it." is an expression of frustration over not understanding the situation. If you think you know why the dot should align with the rotor, tell us why, with valid reasons. Not just suppositions like "why would they bother to put an allignment dot on it." False information from those that don't know, only confuses the situation. Example: The bold print quote at the top of this post.

Beppe,
The shims between the distributor gear and the "funny washer" will work just fine.

Also, I can assure you that if you install the distributor gear upside down, you will have trouble installing the distributor. Don't ask!

RACE ON!!!

 

-Beppe-

 

yes, yes , yes I agree
Not frustration, but fair enough, aside from past experience, and things not always appearing as they seem. I look at the GM manual as one source of reference, their mention is to "mark the shaft and gear so they can be re-assembled in the same position". Their reference may be for many reasons, but I believe it is there so that re-install has a point of reference.
More importantly, I believe that if reversing that mark it would locate it in a different position which would then require twisting dist. (probably more than intake allows) or moving it a tooth, or moving wires one over to time it.
Here is what I know, the standard distributer gear being that it has 13 teeth will already (hole being centered), allow for two different locations depending on installation. When placing a pin through the gear itself, then looking down it I see that the hole below the allignment mark is located between two teeth, looking at the opposite side you can see that the pin hole actually locates to a tooth. This would then set-up the distrubuter/timing differently. If one has previously marked a timing point on intake etc. this would no longer be the same.
I consider this to be valid reason and why I suggest that location.

So while we agree that it can run in a variety of ways, we obviuosly do not agree to why there would be this type of mark.

Yes I would think so.....

 

I think you are both right. The dot is of no importance if you are retiming from scratch, but I believe it is there, as mseven notes, to make it so the dist can be removed then reinstalled without having to do anything other than drop it right back in.

I may however, be completely wrong.

 

The "dot" probably has to do with indexing the gear correctly during the machining process.

That way the hole for the roll-pin can be drilled properly to index with the hole in the distributor shaft assuring proper rotor position.

Just my thoughts.

Jake

 

"Well I look at it like this", if the "dot" on the gear was so all fired important, "why would they bother to put... "mark the shaft and gear so they can be re-assembled in the same position"" into the service manual??? Although the timing may come out closer, sooner, if the orientation is maintained, I feel that paying attention to the gear and shaft orientation is nonessential, not a bad idea, but not necessary, by any means. Either way, "why would they bother to put an allignment dot on it" is not a very eloquent technical argument.

RACE ON!!!