dlcoop Posted March 14, 2022 Share Posted March 14, 2022 I am replacing the distributor in my 55. Now I know I'm getting old, but the last time I remember that when its on TDC that the rotor should point to #1 cylinder and not #7 cylinder. It seemed to run o.k. . Will it run if its a tooth off?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted March 14, 2022 Share Posted March 14, 2022 It MIGHT run being a tooth off, IF you rotate the distributor to compensate. Key word, "MIGHT", IF it starts. When I did the camshaft in my '77 Camaro ages ago, it seemed that I had the best luck getting the oil pump drive correctly engaged and also getting the rotor to be in the correct position, (using a tire iron to index the oil pump drive slot) by indexing the oil pump slot and letting the engine sit overnight before trying to install the distributor. Reason? I didn't want any oil still higher in the motor to drain-back through the pump and move the gears in the pump. But the tire iron/jack handle worked well. Just some thoughts, NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted March 14, 2022 Share Posted March 14, 2022 Sometime in my late 20's I decided that every time I removed a distributor I would rotate the engine so the rotor pointed 90 degrees straight back to the firewall. That has worked out to be a fine policy. If the engine does get rotated for some reason with the distributor out I have always just removed the valve cover from the #1 cylinder bank and rotated the engine in its normal direction. Watching the intake valve and the timing mark position. It comes in very close. I don't think anything of popping a distributor to change points. Yeah, I know a Continental 6 is an easy one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Stoneberg Posted March 14, 2022 Share Posted March 14, 2022 3 hours ago, 60FlatTop said: I don't think anything of popping a distributor to change points. On your Electra that is easier then lying on the engine or over the very fat fenders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted March 14, 2022 Share Posted March 14, 2022 Yep, straight in from the front for the Electra. Going over the fenders is risky for oil can dents. Wouldn't it be nice if they all opened like this. Of course, that's the one that doesn't have points or a distributor. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted March 19, 2022 Share Posted March 19, 2022 (edited) On 3/14/2022 at 9:36 AM, 60FlatTop said: Sometime in my late 20's I decided that every time I removed a distributor I would rotate the engine so the rotor pointed 90 degrees straight back to the firewall. That has worked out to be a fine policy. If the engine does get rotated for some reason with the distributor out I have always just removed the valve cover from the #1 cylinder bank and rotated the engine in its normal direction. Watching the intake valve and the timing mark position. It comes in very close. I don't think anything of popping a distributor to change points. Yeah, I know a Continental 6 is an easy one. That,s a pretty good idea. Of course with a pertronics one need'nt bother......bob Edited March 19, 2022 by Bhigdog (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlcoop Posted March 19, 2022 Author Share Posted March 19, 2022 had all intentions of installing an HEI in it. (small cap). However when I installed it the vacuum advance hit the oil breather tube and I would not be able to fine tune. HAve sent it back and am thinking of putting pertronix in it. Anyone have any issues with that item.??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted March 19, 2022 Share Posted March 19, 2022 29 minutes ago, dlcoop said: had all intentions of installing an HEI in it. (small cap). However when I installed it the vacuum advance hit the oil breather tube and I would not be able to fine tune. HAve sent it back and am thinking of putting pertronix in it. Anyone have any issues with that item.??? Unless you are dead set on having the distributor oriented in the "normal" direction it is easy to rotate the distributor to where everything is "comfortable": with the timing marks on TDC on the firing stroke the terminal that the rotor points at is now #1...just follow the firing order for the others. I had to do that in the nailhead transplant in my 51 Ford F-1 because the latch was too close to the firewall to use in the "normal" position. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted March 19, 2022 Share Posted March 19, 2022 (edited) 5 hours ago, dlcoop said: had all intentions of installing an HEI in it. (small cap). However when I installed it the vacuum advance hit the oil breather tube and I would not be able to fine tune. HAve sent it back and am thinking of putting pertronix in it. Anyone have any issues with that item.??? Pertronix ........Some guys spit and cross themselves if they even hear the word Pertronix uttered You'll hear everything from horror stories like being stranded at 0300, in a rain storm, with the wife going into labor. Or, "I always carry a set of points in the glove box. One time saved me from being eaten by a rabid wolverine." Or.....Then again......... "I have one in all 5 of my collector cars, the oldest one is 22 years old. In all that time never had a problem and never had to lay on top of an engine, never dented the radiator tank with my knee, never scratched a fender while wiggling a wrench trying to find the dist. clamp bolt." The last guy is me..............Bob Edited March 19, 2022 by Bhigdog (see edit history) 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted March 19, 2022 Share Posted March 19, 2022 On 3/13/2022 at 7:11 PM, dlcoop said: I am replacing the distributor in my 55. Now I know I'm getting old, but the last time I remember that when its on TDC that the rotor should point to #1 cylinder and not #7 cylinder. It seemed to run o.k. . Will it run if its a tooth off?? To be clear, #7 sounds a bit off, but it should have pointed to either to #1 or to it's opposite in the firing order. Or, put another way, either the front or the back of the rotor should point to #1. If the timing was set right, and it was running, then it was correct. Since the crank rotates twice every time the distributor rotates once, only one of those 2 possibilities is right, the other is what we used to call "180 out" and will not run. It has to be not only on #1, but also on TDC right after the compression stroke when you line up the rotor to #1. That only happens every other rotation, so you need to check it some way, for instance it would blow your thumb off of the spark plug hole as the piston comes up if it is really on the compression stroke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted March 19, 2022 Share Posted March 19, 2022 1 hour ago, Bhigdog said: Pertronix ........Some guys spit and cross themselves if they even hear the word Pertronix uttered Nope, just a rash and hives 😁 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Str8-8-Dave Posted March 25, 2022 Share Posted March 25, 2022 Make sure the reason the distributor is pointing to #7 instead of #1 is not because the camshaft timing gears jumped a tooth... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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