I removed my distributor from my 1955 235 Chevy truck to give it a good cleaning. Without thinking of its orientation, I just pulled it out. Now I'm sure there must be a correct way to install it (??). Please help! Thanks. <!--POLLS--><!--FILES-->
Bring the engine up on tdc compression on no.1 cylinder and then line it up with the cap and stab it in and set timing.
Yep - and if it doesn't start but backfires out your carb, you're 180 deg out. Pull it, turn it 180 and put it back.
Thanks for your reply but I'm not quite sure what you mean by "line it up with cap". Could you please explain a little more. Thanks.
Put your finger over the hole for # 1 spark plug turn engine over and when air blows your finger bring your timing mark to zeor advance. remove your dist cap turn roter to point to # 1 spark plug wire insert dist in hole and tighten clamp. re examine to insure roter is pointing at # 1 sparkplug.Start motor and adjust timing. with out vacume advance connected.
Dirt T nailed it. It may take several tries to bring it on tdc on #1 but that's called normal. If you didn't pull the wires out of the cap it's easy to figure out where #1 wire goes in or most manuals that cover that engine will have the diagram. You want to have it so that the rubbing block on the points is right at the point of the distributor's cam lobe for that cylinder.
If you cant get it to line up with the starter, try this. Remove all the plugs, and turn the motor with a socket and wrench on the front pulley. Take it to TDC, then advance it to the next dot. Put the distributor in, if it wont line up with the oil pump drive, hit the starter, but always turn the motor two revolutions and back to the dot. When its in, retard it, turn on the key, and advance it untill the points spark. It is now timed right. Put the rotor and cap on, tighten it down, put the plugs in, and it should run just fine. If you have never done this, it could take two trys, but dont give up. If you pay attention, its all very simple.
I found the best way to install the distributor on an I6 is to find Top-Dead-Center of cylinder no.1. This can be done in a few ways, and using your finger is one. I use a soft cork in no.1 plug hole, as it will pop-out when starting on the compression stroke. I would then continue to turn the engine, by hand, slowly until the ball marker (on the fly wheel) lined up with the indicator. (See Diagram) It is best to remove all the spark plugs to make it easier to spin the motor. Wrenching the harmonic balancer is great, or you can just click the starter button instead. I took me a few tries to line up the ball. I would then install, remove, and install the distributor until the rotor in pointing straight out from the engine. You can really put it anywhere you want, but perfectly perpendicular to the engine is usually where no.1 position is on the distributor is. (See Diagram) Plus it will be easy to remember. You will notice, as you wiggle the distributor into position, it turns a bit. It will take a few tries to get the rotor to end up where you want it.Try not to force anything!) Some times you have to take a long screwdriver and rotate the slot, at the bottom of the hole to help things to line-up. Thats it! Have fun!
I have also getting the 1 piston up on exactly tdc with the compression stroke and having the distributor in and pointing the rotor at the post in cap going to the 1 cylinder you can rotate the distributor back and forth seeing the points spark. Once you see it spark turn the distributor in the opposite direction of the rotation of the rotor somewhere about a 1/2 inch. Then tighten the distributor clamp. That should get you about 6the degrees of advance when started. Obviously if your engine has timing marks/degrees marked you can put the mark at 6 degrees btdc rather than true tdc and clamp the distributor when the points arc. Hopefully I made sense.
Or.... follow instructions above about feeling compression at # 1 hole, set the crank to TDC..... see where the rotor is pointing and rewire the cap so THAT is now #1.
Success!! Thanke to everyone that replied. I printed out all posts and then hi-lited the steps I wanted to perform. I did pull all the plugs (I'm small enough to where I could stand in the engine compartment and pull the plugs). Also, the diagram supplied by Chevy48 was great. So now the truck is running GREAT again! I am most grateful for the help.
I was posting more to the idea of getting the timing advanced a little from the get go rather than starting up right at zero degrees spark. Glad you got it going!