Technical Ran wires per firing order and no start.

FOUND TDC!!!

I also found my #1 position pointing to #5 which is one plug wire from #1.

Question is now, is this thing just waaaaay out of timing? or do I have to physically remove the dizzy and reset it to #1 which is less than an inch away?

 

It's pretty common to put the distributor in so it's pointing at the wrong place, you have to pull it out and turn the rotor, then put it back in. They usually twist a little as you install it, as the drive gear is helical. Then you get the fun of the oil pump drive shaft being out of line, and you have to either turn it a little, or turn the crankshaft back and forth, or forward two turns, so the distributor will drop down into place.

 

My mother always said "if it didn't fit, force it"

Time to yank that sonofagun out and play line up the oil pump shaft... all for one stupid position, but like I said. I am not surprised that this guy set the TDC and just wired it #1 at the #5 position because he didn't want to pull everything out like I am about to experience.. haha

 

Technically , however incorrect it may be.... The motor will run no matter where or how you drop the distributor in. The process goes like this: #1 on tdccompression& drop it in and observe where the rotor points. This gets #1 plug wire and follow the order around the cap. Then time it like Squirl explained and you are off.

Sounds like your dizzy is 1 tooth off and the wires are clocked 1 position around the cap.

 

Just a thought but could you be off by a plug wire or two in the rotation you put the wires back on the cap?

 

SHES RUNNING!!!!

I pulled the dizzy, lined her up with TRUE #1 on the distro cap per that photo. then double checked all of my other wires to make sure they were lined up correctly and she started up and idled. Only issue is I think I went a bit to far on the dizzy because I can't advance without the stupid vacuum diaphram for the loadomatic hitting the intake. I will have to pull her back out and just readjust. I can only retard the timing by ear and it sounds like shit. I know these y blocks like about 8-10 advance with todays wonderful corn blended gas o line!


Now I need everyones address's so I can send out the midgets!!!

 

you got it running again, now you're an expert!

I first played the distributor game when I was about 14.....

 

Yeah and I started working at my uncles shop when I was 15. I just haven't touched a dizzy in years.. Hey Squirrel, thanks for all the advice.. I will never forget it now and I get to share that with a few people that may have been scratching their head where I was scratching mine.

 

Good job, I knew you could do it. Back in the early 60's I went to a trade school/high school for auto mechanics. Went you got to the engine part of the course the FIRST thing they did was have you install a dist after the engine was rotated with the dist out. You couldn't move on until you mastered that. At the end of a couple days you had 25/30 14 & 15 yr old kids able to do it on all different makes of engines. I have to scratch my head sometimes when guys struggle with this but it's always good when they figure it out.

 

Took two days with experience teachers over your shoulder, nothing to scratch your head over. Most guys do this once in lifetime & 1/2 will do it once every ten years.

- making this look easy is the hard part.

 

They also taught us how to drop in a distributor from scratch in HS auto shop, something I've never forgotten.

When fixing cars for a living, I always liked the tune ups that came in, barely chugging. Some had the distributor clocked with the advance against the firewall and the wires rotated 3-4 positions on the cap. The old 350 Pontiacs were known just to jump time enough so it would keep running with a little hackery thrown in.

 

Sad thing is kids today, all they seem to care about is how many followers on twitter they can accumulate. I didn't have parents that were handy. Stepdad was a college professor, although very smart. completely useless around the house. It was my uncle that showed me although I had already had whatever gene you are born with to LOVE things with wheels.. 2 or 4 or even 18 that I drive.. I love it all

 

Congrats! Squirrel is a mechanical genius. He gets the first midget.

 

Excellent explanation. That is how I set them for initial startup, but had never seen it explained that clearly.

 

every tuneup i ever did -- i marked the pulley timing mark TDC w a yellow or white paint pencil and then marked the best "advance* also so both showed well w the timing lite and you could EASILY see the advance -- also the "pointer"

 

Guess now I have to invest in a decent timing light... any suggestions???

 

I carried a timing light and dwell meter in my SAR rig for 40 years -- used many times to help others -- still there along w ALL the spare parts -- points, condensors, rotors, ballast resistors, fuel filters, etc, etc, etc Beula weighed 5,680# W Shela IN her as well --

Had her weighed one time at the request of the wheel company that was making NEW wheels for her after her specially widened wheels [ made back in the 70s ] began to split apart from carryin all that weight over the years and miles 600,000 +