My distrubitor is going in.

My engine is at TDC for no:1 piston.
Is it "just" to install the distrubitor with it "pointing" at no1 as close as possible, then tight it down and adjust it later with a timing light?
Got anny tips?
thanks

 

Make sure it is at the end of the compression stroke, not the exhaust stroke. I pull the plug and feel for compression.

 

I turned the crank and watched the lifter for no1 cylinder, and when the intake started to open I know that the next time the mark on the balancer came up@0 its whas at firing for no1, right? hmm..

 

How can you see the lifter? Do you mean rocker arm? But yeah, that'll work too.

 

Right you are Devilfish!

Proper Installation of Distributor

OK ~ so, let's go the long route and make 100% sure nothing is overlooked:

1: Remove the driver side valve cover
2: Rotate engine (clockwise as you face the engine from the front) until the #1 cylinder intake valve opens, then starts to close.
3: Continue rotation until the timing mark comes into view, then bring it to TDC on the timing cover timing scale
4: Scribe the #1 plug wire orientation on the distributor then drop into the bore while trying to maintain the rotor button at the #1 location.
5: While holding the rotor at the index mark, look at bottom side of distributor shaft at the male slot and make a mental note of how the male tab is oriented.
6: Look into block where distributor will be inserted (use a strong flashlight) and look at the oil pump drive
7: If drive slot in oil pump drive is not close to the same index as distributor, use a long standard screwdriver and turn the oil pump drive to as close of a match as you can achieve.
8: Drop distributor into the block while holding rotor button at scribed mark. You may have to allow the rotor to turn slightly to firmly seat the distributor.
9: If you cannot fully seat the distributor at this orientation, allowing for movement for final timing adjustment....... Then;
10: Remove distributor and adjust the oil pump drive again with a screwdriver.
11: Thru trial and error, you will be able to drop the distributor exactly where you want it.
12: Install distributor clamp and tighten to where it firmly holds distributor in place, but allows for rotation with a little force.
13: Install valve cover
14: Verify that rotor button is pointing at the scribed mark on distributor (see step #4)
15: Install distributor cap
16: Start engine
17: Using a timing light, time the engine per proper procedure for your year and model
18: Stop engine and tighten distributor
19: Start engine and verify that the timing did not change when the distributor was fully tightened.

~ Purp :yesnod:

 

how come its 180 degs out of phase? I get this question all the time, well heres something I see lots of guys don,t understandONCE YOUVE INSTALLED A CAM WITH THE TIMEING MARKS YOU MUST ROTATE THE CRANK 360 DEGRESS BEFORE DROPPING IN THE DISTRIBUTORwhile its true that if the
timeing marks are possitioned so the crank is at 12 o,clock and the cam gear
is at 6 o,clock that the cam lobes will be in the possition that fires #6
cylinder that HAS NO EFFECT AT ALL (on finding TDC,) for aligning the degree wheel with TDC,or THE timeing tab pointer, for degreeing in the cam, the piston passes thru
TDC TWICE in every fireing cycle once on the fireing/power stroke and once
on the exhaust stroke, the cam rotates at exactly 1/2 the speed of the crank
so to make it easy to line up the marks they install it with the marks at
the closest point 6/12 for easy indexing, rotate the engine 360 degrees to
the #1 TDC power stroke and the crank gear will still be at 12 oclock 12/12
but the cam will be at 12 o,clock also, rotate another 360 degrees and your
back where you started. its simply easier to index the cam at the point
where the index marks align closely. look at how the cam lobes themselfs
open the valves when the cam is just installed the #1 cylinder valves are
slightly open and the #6 are closed[b]per "Lunati[b]YES YOU ARE RIGHT - WHEN CRANK IS AT TWELVE AND CAM IS AT SIX THEN #6 CYL IS FIRING
AFTER YOU LINE UP YOUR MARKS AND INSTALL GEAR THEN ROTATE YOUR CRANK ONE REVOLUTION AND THEN DROP THE DIST. IN - AT THAT POINT #1 IS FIRING

 

nice guys :)

thank you..

 

Grumpyvette,
What most people don't know is that when you rotate the engine, the oil pump drive doesn't turn. Actually, the distributor turns the oil pump shaft, as a result of its engagemnet with the camshaft.

The oil pump drive shaft has a straight slot, therefore, regardless of where your engine is at (TDC or anywhere else) the distributor is only going to drop at one of two positions.

~ Purp :thumbs:

 

PurpleC4
I was assumeing everyone smart enough to remove a distributor knows that the oil pump drive can easily be positioned at any angle with a large strait blade screw driver to allow the distributor to seat correctly facing in any desired direction
heres more info on engine timing, both ignition and cam timing
first lets get something strait, theres two kinds of timing cam timing, the relationship of when the valves open and close relative to the pistons location at TDC and BDC and ignition timing which is the point at which the spark plugs fire in relation to the pistons position at TDC on the compression stroke.
cam timeing in the standard chevy V8 is set/locked in when the cam is installed and the relative timing of that cams lobe duration ,lift and LSA are set when the cam is ground/manufactured
ignition timing

http://www.centuryperformance.com/timing.htm

http://www.centuryperformance.com/vacuum.htm

http://www.boyleworks.com/ta400/psp/distcurve.html (pontiac but info the same for chevy)

http://www.73-87.com/garage/101s.htm

http://www.73-87.com/garage/hei.htm

here read this also www.victorylibrary.com/mopar/cam-tech-c.htm"
www.victorylibrary.com/mopar/cam-tech-c.htm http://64.90.9.168/cranecams/pdf/276g.pdf"</A> http://64.90.9.168/cranecams/pdf/276g.pdf <A HREF="http://www.msdignition.com/" TARGET="_blank">http://www.msdignition.com/

how come its 180 degs out of phase? I get this question all the time, well heres something I see lots of guys don,t understand,ONCE YOUVE INSTALLED A CAM WITH THE TIMEING MARKS YOU MUST ROTATE THE CRANK 360 DEGRESS BEFORE DROPPING IN THE DISTRIBUTOR
... while its true that if the
timeing marks are possitioned so the crank is at 12 o,clock and the cam gear
is at 6 o,clock that the cam lobes will be in the possition that fires #6
cylinder that HAS NO EFFECT AT ALL (on finding TDC,) for aligning the degree wheel with TDC,or THE timeing tab pointer, for degreeing in the cam, the piston passes thru
TDC TWICE in every fireing cycle once on the fireing/power stroke and once
on the exhaust stroke, the cam rotates at exactly 1/2 the speed of the crank
so to make it easy to line up the marks they install it with the marks at
the closest point 6/12 for easy indexing, rotate the engine 360 degrees to
the #1 TDC power stroke and the crank gear will still be at 12 oclock 12/12
but the cam will be at 12 o,clock also, rotate another 360 degrees and your
back where you started. its simply easier to index the cam at the point
where the index marks align closely. look at how the cam lobes themselfs
open the valves when the cam is just installed the #1 cylinder valves are
slightly open and the #6 are closed
per "Lunati"
""YES YOU ARE RIGHT - WHEN CRANK IS AT TWELVE AND CAM IS AT SIX THEN #6 CYL IS FIRING
AFTER YOU LINE UP YOUR MARKS AND INSTALL GEAR THEN ROTATE YOUR CRANK ONE REVOLUTION AND THEN DROP THE DIST. IN - AT THAT POINT #1 IS FIRING""

cam timing
BR>Explanation of Crankshaft timing marks:

0 - Indicates standard cam timing A - Advances the cam timing 4° R - Retards the cam timing 4°

this is some of the best basic cam info youll find so read this first,
<A HREF="http://www.newcovenant.com/speedcrafter/tech/camshaft/1.htm" http://www.newcovenant.com/speedcraf...camshaft/1.htm (lessons 1-8 http://www.mercurycapri.com/technical/engine/cam/lca.html"</A> http://www.mercurycapri.com/technica...e/cam/lca.html HREF="http://ctfba.tripod.com/main/technical/cams/cambasics/cambasics.htm" http://ctfba.tripod.com/main/technic.../cambasics.htm http://ctfba.tripod.com/main/technic...aphAttack.htm" http://ctfba.tripod.com/main/technic...raphAttack.htm http://moparjimsgarage.virtualave.net/camvalve.html" <A HREF="http://moparjimsgarage.virtualave.net/camvalve.html" TARGET="_blank">http://moparjimsgarage.virtualave.net/camvalve.html A http://www.federal-mogul.com/speedpr...peed_pro.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.federal-mogul.com/speedpro/camshafts_speed_pro.html
some good general info here look closely at the duration used for each MATCHING rpm range. ALSO KEEP IN MIND THE DCR AND OVERLAP MUST MATCH look here these are the valve timeing overlap ranges that are most likely to work correctly
trucks/good mileage towing 10-35 degs overlap daily driven low rpm performance 30-55degs overlap
hot street performance 50-75 degs overlap oval track racing 70-95degs overlap
dragster/comp eliminator engines 90-115 degs overlap but all engines will need the correct matching dcr for those overlap figures to correctly scavage the cylinders in the rpm ranges that apply to each engines use range http://cochise.uia.net/pkelley2/Overlap.html" http://cochise.uia.net/pkelley2/Overlap.html http://cochise.uia.net/pkelley2/DynamicCR.html"</A> <A HREF="http://cochise.uia.net/pkelley2/DynamicCR.html" TARGET="_blank">http://cochise.uia.net/pkelley2/DynamicCR.html
[color:"green"]plug info [/color]

here you want plug info? we got plug info!

http://www.acdelco.com/html/pi_plugs_ident.htm

http://www.atlanticjetsports.com/_techtalk/00000005.htm

http://www.ngkspark.com.au/spark_plu...art_index3.htm


http://www.strappe.com/plugs.html

http://www.babcox.com/editorial/cm/cm59910.htm
http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/techinf...tnumberkey.pdf

http://www.eric-gorr.com/techarticles/sparkplugs.html

http://www.gnttype.org/techarea/engine/plugs.html


http://www.tsrsoftware.com/sparkplug.htm

http://www.racinghelp.com/read_spark_plugs.html

http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/techinf...overviewp2.asp


http://www.projectbasketcase.com/menus/ignition.html




[Modified by grumpyvette, 11:20 PM 4/27/2003]

 

Ack.. too much reading. I don't see how the cam matters, if you can verify intake closing on #1.

Also, when you drop in the distributor, as it engages the camshaft, it'll turn the rotor clockwise about 1/8th of a turn. So when you drop it in, have the rotor retarded a bit (counterclockwise) to start with.