Distributor Installation Help - Small Block Chevy

Sounds like you are on the right track. IF it backfires through the
carb then you are 180 degrees out, Which you would be on the exhust
stroke on the #1 cylinder.

take a rod or long thin screw driver stick it in #1 spark plug hole. check
timing mark on crank ,if @ tdc the screw driver should not go more than 1
inch or so in the hole .rock the crank left and right and watch the screw
driver move in and out. get it to the point where its not going up yet not
going down this is true tdc. now put your distrib. back in and where ever
the rotor is pointing is #1

Well, I screwed up bigtime and need some help. I was replacing the
distributor in my '82 Chevy truck and didn't mark it or anything. So,
I think I know how to get the new one to go in in the right position
but wanted to ask and make sure.

What I believe is that I need to get the engine rotated until the #1
cylinder is at TDC on the compression stroke, I think this can be done
by having my thumb over the plug hole and if it's being pushed out
then it means it's the compression stroke because if it was the
exhaust stroke the valve would be open and would relieve the pressure.

Then I need to drop the distributor so that the rotor will be pointing
to cylinder #1 on the cap - any tips on how to do this with the HEI
distributor - or really any tips at all, I'm kind of fuzzy on this
one.

Then get the oil pump deal to engage and the distributor should drop
and I can rotate the engine to #1 TDC again and the timing mark should
line up and the rotor should be pointing at #1.

This is what I've gathered from the meager manuals I have and from
googling - any tips or advice would be sincerely appreciated.
--
Thanks, PM

I think that I have gotten it 180 out on every engine I've done.
The last time, I was sneaky.
Just before refiring, I moved the distributor 180 to compensate for my
history of having it initially wrong.
You guessed it, it was still 180 out.

regards,
Leon

Garry wrote:

> Sounds like you are on the right track. IF it backfires through the
> carb then you are 180 degrees out, Which you would be on the exhust
> stroke on the #1 cylinder.
>

LOL next time pull the #1 spark plug and bump the engine over with your
thumb over the hole, then you will know you're on the compression stroke

nate

Leon Corley wrote:
> I think that I have gotten it 180 out on every engine I've done.
> The last time, I was sneaky.
> Just before refiring, I moved the distributor 180 to compensate for my
> history of having it initially wrong.
> You guessed it, it was still 180 out.
>
> regards,
> Leon
>
> Garry wrote:
>
>> Sounds like you are on the right track. IF it backfires through the
>> carb then you are 180 degrees out, Which you would be on the exhust
>> stroke on the #1 cylinder.
>>
>


--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

badassmerlin wrote:
>
> take a rod or long thin screw driver stick it in #1 spark plug hole. check
> timing mark on crank ,if @ tdc the screw driver should not go more than 1
> inch or so in the hole .rock the crank left and right and watch the screw
> driver move in and out. get it to the point where its not going up yet not
> going down this is true tdc. now put your distrib. back in and where ever
> the rotor is pointing is #1

Remember, there are two TDCs for each cylinder, TDC compression
and TDC exhaust. To determine which one is which, stick your
finger in the number one spark plug hole while turning the
crank by hand. When you feel pressure, strong pressure, pushing
past your finger then you are on the compression stroke.
Continue turning the crank no more than 1/2 turn to bring the
piston to TDC. Assuming your harmonic dampener ring hasn't
slipped, line up the timing mark on the dampener with the
notch on your timing tab appropriate for the timing of your
engine, say 6° or 8°.

Install the distributor. The rotor shaft turns independently
of the housing that has the cap on it, at this point we're
only worried about the shaft. Because of the sharp angle
between the distributor gear and the cam gear, the shaft will
turn quite a bit as the distributor is fully seated in the
block. It may take a few tries to get the right gear tooth
engaged such that the resting position of the rotor is toward
the number one cylinder area. Note, it won't point exactly
at number one. This position is chosen to simplify spark
plug wire routing.

Next, rotate the distributor base so that the magnetic
trigger points line up. It's been a while since I've been
into a SBC distribut, I assume it's an HEI? It doesn't
really matter, you should be able to look at the shaft
and the body and see something like a star wheel and a
sensor or matching inside out start shape that's fixed
to the body. Get the tips of the points lined up to each
other, this should land the rotor tip almost exactly under
one of the distributor plug wire poles.

At this point your timing should be close, if not right
on. Firing order for SBC is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 clockwise, starting
from the pole the rotor is under. The engine cylinder numbering
starts from the cylinder closest to the water pump (standard for
all GMs) and goes criss-cross back from there, so one bank is
numbered (front to back) 1-3-5-7 and the other bank is 2-4-6-8.

Follow the specific instructions on the VECI label under the
hood for setting your timing. That generally requires disconnecting
a connector near the distributor, or perhaps removing and plugging
a vacuum line, or maybe grounding a terminal in the underdash
diagnostic connector.

Good luck!

JazzMan
--
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Leon Corley > writes:

> I think that I have gotten it 180 out on every engine I've done.
> The last time, I was sneaky.
> Just before refiring, I moved the distributor 180 to compensate for my
> history of having it initially wrong.
>
> You guessed it, it was still 180 out.

Murphy can't be beat.

>
> regards,
> Leon
>
> Garry wrote:
>
> > Sounds like you are on the right track. IF it backfires through the
> > carb then you are 180 degrees out, Which you would be on the exhust
> > stroke on the #1 cylinder.
> >

Thanks for the follow up, it is nice to know the result of the advise.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

PackMule wrote:
>
> On Sun, 03 Jul 2005 23:08:00 -0700, PackMule >
> wrote:
>
> --snip original message--
>
> Hey, I just wanted to thank everyone for the information and advice -
> the new distributor, cap, rotor, wires & plugs are all installed - the
> timing is set and it's running better than ever. I love my truck .
> --
> PM

On Sun, 03 Jul 2005 23:08:00 -0700, PackMule >
wrote:

--snip original message--

Hey, I just wanted to thank everyone for the information and advice -
the new distributor, cap, rotor, wires & plugs are all installed - the
timing is set and it's running better than ever. I love my truck .
--
PM

Glad to here that it is going!