How to install distributor?

[DishMan]

After my earlier post regarding ignition problems I replaced my coil and ignition amplifier (from junk yard) to no avail. I remade some wires that looked bad and still no luck. Eventually looked at the EFI controller and did not see the LED light up, so I took it apart. Maybe there were some shorted wires to the distributor that damaged the controller? Anyway, I found a 0.5 ohm resistor that looked burnt and I replaced it with a cpuple of 1 ohm resistors in parallel. Now I get the LED lighting up and spark!

 

Anyway, I had the distributer off and need to replace it. I have followed the instructions in the manual but have come to a point that is ambiguous. After setting the #1 cylinder at the top of the compression stroke and the timing at TDC, I am supposed to lign the mark on the spur gear up with that on the distributor body and then insert it into the engine. As you do this the rotor turns because of the spur gear, so the question is: Do I insert the distributor body straight down, or should I rotate it with the shaft? This is not clear from the manual.

 

Thanks,

-James

[TomRhere]

You have to turn the disty shaft a bit backwards, before you drop it in.

This makes up for the turn of the gears meshing.

 

When installing a disty, it's not so much the turning of the disty body, as it is the turning of the gear drive, (which moves the rotor), that you need to compensate for.

 

Find the #1 plug terminal on the disty, by using the #1 wire position on the cap, then drop the disty in. Notice how much the rotor turns. Pull disty back out.

 

Then re-align the rotor, so that when you put the disty in, it comes back to that point, or atleast really close to that point.

 

HTH!

[DishMan]

Thanks for the tip. Now that you have pointed it out it is obvious!