Technical SBC firing order

Hello all, quick sanity check here, and yes I know what the correct firing order is, but I think I’ve gotten confused as to where the reference point should be on the distributor cap for the #1 cylinder. So my 1940 pickup has a sbc in it, and I went to replace the plugs and wires and stupidly didn’t do the plug wires one at a time.
So I can find a million diagrams online showing the firing order and rotation of the cap, but all of those diagrams don’t really help with orientation or in other words where a reference point should be on the cap itself to tell you where #1 is. And neither the old or new delco non-HEI cap doesn’t have any marking whatsoever. The only reference point I can use is the window.
So can anyone tell me a sure fire way to know which terminal is for #1?
I attached a pic of how I have it, but I suspect I may be off by one- I’m thinking I may need to shift everything over once counter clockwise. Thanks

 

You could have #1 at any position, it all depends on how the distributor was put in and turned. I think it's pretty typical to try to have #1 toward the front of the engine, but there's no guarantee. Turn the engine to line up the timing mark and wherever the rotor is pointing will be either #1 or #6.

Lynn

 

Remove #1 spark plug, bring piston up until compression, line up timing mark on the damper, remove dist. cap and note location of the rotor, locate #1 spark plug wire.

 

The factory spot for number 1 on your cap would be if you rotate the wires clockwise one hole on the cap. Hard to tell about the dist. itself. You want the advance back towards the fire wall so you have room to advance the dist. by turning it and it makes the window easier to get at.

 

This is the spot it should be in. But as mentioned you can drop the dist. in and put number one any where you just wire the cap accordingly. I have always told young guys the first thing to do before taking stuff of is determine where number one is. That will save you time if it is wired different than the factory did it.

 

Yes, it can be set up with #1 in any position, HOWEVER, the traditional way to do it is with #1 and #8 across the front as shown here:


The "window" would be near #4.
Hope this helps.

 

On a window cap like yours #1 is the post just left of the window if your going for how the factory did it.

 

Don't forget to clock the oil pump.

 

Forgive me, I only speak 153624.
Seriously though, were you able to figure things out? I think everyone has done that at least once in their life.

 

15 will get you 36 years but you’ll out in 24. Nope, can’t say I have.

 

15-36-24. Damn, she's ugly!

As for where #1 is, just get the timing mark lined up to TDC (0 degrees), then the rotor will point at #1 or #6. Move the wires so they line up at that point.

But your distributor housing is also pretty far clockwise from where it should be, the window should be closer to the front of the the engine, the vacuum can should be pointing more towards the front of the engine. The problem is, if you loose up the distributor housing to rotate it, then you'll get even more screwed up, before you get it "just right".

So....good luck...this is something we all had to go through at one time, I got lucky and did it when I was young, in the 1970s

 

Pears out, hour glass in.

 

An old crusty mechanic told me sixty years ago that a Chevy 6-cylinder firing order was easy to remember. 15 is too young, 36 is too old and 24 is just right.

 

I stand corrected, I was wrong on the position on the cap . Yours is in the right place. This is from a 1972 Motors manual.

 

Thanks @TA DAD so just to confirm, according to the manual the terminal on the right edge of the window is #1 and the terminal on the left edge of the window would then be #8. So is your cap just mislabeled in your photo?

 

Yes my cap is mislabeled, yours is correct.

 

Keep in mind, 1972 way with window turned further clockwise and #1 being on the right of window is not 1965 and prior way it was done.

 

I’m 99% sure that the engine is a 1970

 

Beat me to it- the old Motor Manuals have the diagrams for them all

 

yes they do, beats the internet any time. I have no excuse.

 

Twenty post later, and the answer was in post #2.

What has this become, a restoration site?

 

yup, you can put it in any old way you want to, and it'll run, as long as the rotor is pointing at the right plug wire at the right time.

If you want to make it easy on yourself, you might consider installing it "by the book", then you'll be able to refer back to the book and know where things are. I do that, even if I'm not restoring the car, because it makes life easier for me. And I figure they probably designed it that way, for a reason. Plus it might make it easier for the next guy to work on it.

 

Figured it out. Everything was off by one, so I had to move all the wires clockwise… identical to the first photo posted by TA DAD.

thanks everyone

 

I had faith in ya...no really!

 

I always heard it was age 15 to young 36 to old 24 just right.

 

In truth it is going to come down to what exact year of engine you are looking at and quite possibly what model of Chevy the engine was in originally.
55 265 had #1 just to the passenger side of front center With the clips for the cap between 8 & 4 and 5&7.

Move to 57/59 and the screws were between 8 & 4 and 5 & 7.

The third diagram shows what they refer to as the conventional wiring for 68 with #1 just to the side direct front center and the "Corvette diagram with #1 at 8 O'Clock with the windown being between 1 and 8.

Note that they rotated the vacuum advace to 10/11 oclock from the 7 oclock position

Hei Moved it again but I am not going to show that.

That brings it back to you have to have the firing order correct for the year of engine and style of distributor you have rather than a generic this is the only way you can have it.

 

It's arbitrary.

It always has been.

 

My head hurts

 

Just shoot one at number one cyl turn the dist till the points just start to break and fire it. Lock it down Then set timing.