New Distributor issue

[Durandal25]

FBBO Team,

I have a 1967 Cononet 440 A/C equipped car, and I decided to update the distributor with a Mopar Performance electronic unit and install went great. The issue is i cannot rotate the sucker clockwise enough to time it due to the upper radiator hose! I'll post a PIC of the nut-buster!

 

[GTX MATT]

Turn the engine to TDC on cylinder 1 on the power stroke. Pull the distributor out and take a large flat head screw driver and stick it in the slot, turn it (clockwise iirc) so that the oil pump shaft will drive itself up off of the cam gear. Turn it further back to get the slot oriented whatever way you need to set the distributor to number 1, and turn it back so that the gears mesh back together and it fits back correctly. Reinstall your distributor and set to fire number 1.

 

[Durandal25]

Turn the engine to TDC on cylinder 1 on the power stroke. Pull the distributor out and take a large flat head screw driver and stick it in the slot, turn it (clockwise iirc) so that the oil pump shaft will drive itself up off of the cam gear. Turn it further back to get the slot oriented whatever way you need to set the distributor to number 1, and turn it back so that the gears mesh back together and it fits back correctly. Reinstall your distributor and set to fire number 1.

GTX,

To got TDC on the power-stroke, one would have to line up the timing marks on the harmonic balancer and the the center line on the timing cover right?

 

[kiwigtx]

GMX,

To got TDC on the power-stroke, one would have to line up the timing marks on the harmonic balancer and the the center line on the timing cover right?

Provided the engine has not turned since you pulled the old distributor - then yes is the answer

 

[Durandal25]

Provided the engine has not turned since you pulled the old distributor - then yes is the answer

....well it has. It runs, but clearly I need to got the drive gear back up a bit so I can time it. Yikes this is a pickle.

- - - Updated - - -

Provided the engine has not turned since you pulled the old distributor - then yes is the answer

....the irony is, that I had the Mallory distro put in a few years back, and they had the same issue. What they did to get around it was add this gizmo that retarded the timing. I can only guess that they should have adjusted the drive gear in the first place. My goal here is to set the gear in the correct position so that a normal timing can be done.....

 

[GTX MATT]

KiwiGTXs question was just to make sure you don't wind up 180 degrees out on the distributor. TDC on the timing tab can be TDC on the power stroke or TDC on the intake stroke. Make sure the rotor points to number one with the balancer/timing tab at 0 and youre good.

And yes, they should have done this last time with the Mallory distributor

 

[Durandal25]

KiwiGTXs question was just to make sure you don't wind up 180 degrees out on the distributor. TDC on the timing tab can be TDC on the power stroke or TDC on the intake stroke. Make sure the rotor points to number one with the balancer/timing tab at 0 and youre good.

And yes, they should have done this last time with the Mallory distributor

Ok, the good news is, I take a lot of reference pics, so I was able to get back to the correct potion by comparison. Now that I know that I will attempt the initial suggestion.



The Mopar Performance unit on the left and the Mallory on the right both had a similar issue. So I guess moving the gear clockwise one tooth may help? I'll wait for a reply.

 

[GTX MATT]

If the engine is at TDC in that picture your problem is just that the oil pump drive is in wrong (not that it matters from a mechanical standpoint but from the standpoint of the vacuum advance can fitting where it should). At TDC the slot in the drive should be perpendicular to the crank. Give that a shot and see if it works for you.

 

[khryslerkid]

Matt was telling you to turn the gear with a screwdriver clockwise to get the gear to walk up and out of the cam gear. Watch the gear come up and out as you do this. Keep track of the teeth as the gear seperates from the cam. Don't loose your place on the gears. I'm thinking you need to reinstall the gear counter clockwise one tooth from where it is now,to get your distributor to go that direction to give you more space between your vacuum advance and hose. You think about which way you have to go to relocate the distributor. Check back if you need more clarification...

 

[Durandal25]

If the engine is at TDC in that picture your problem is just that the oil pump drive is in wrong (not that it matters from a mechanical standpoint but from the standpoint of the vacuum advance can fitting where it should). At TDC the slot in the drive should be perpendicular to the crank. Give that a shot and see if it works for you.

GTX,

Ok, here is the TDC view of the gear. I have gotten the balancer-notch to line-up and the gear should be at a 45 degree angle to that, so mine appears to be parallel.

 

[GTX MATT]

Clock it so that its perpendicular and give it a shot

 

[747mopar]

Are you sure you have a handle on what they are meaning by the power stroke? This is very important, If not there are a few ways of checking it. Have someone rotate the motor while you hold your thumb over the #1 spark plug hole, when you feel it start to blow your thumb off of the hole it's starting up the compression stroke (power stroke), now turn it to TDC. If working alone take the valve cover for #1 off and watch the rockers on #1, they will both be closed as it approach's TDC if on the compression stroke if the exhaust is open then it's the "exhaust stroke" go another full turn.

 

[Durandal25]

Are you sure you have a handle on what they are meaning by the power stroke? This is very important, If not there are a few ways of checking it. Have someone rotate the motor while you hold your thumb over the #1 spark plug hole, when you feel it start to blow your thumb off of the hole it's starting up the compression stroke (power stroke), now turn it to TDC. If working alone take the valve cover for #1 off and watch the rockers on #1, they will both be closed as it approach's TDC if on the compression stroke if the exhaust is open then it's the "exhaust stroke" go another full turn.

747Mopar,

I performed the listed steps and felt for the compression stoke. I hooked everything back up and now have quite a bit of lifter/valve noise. The engine runs, but did I over do it? Not too sure why I have a knocking noise in there now.......

 

[747mopar]

747Mopar,

I performed the listed steps and felt for the compression stoke. I hooked everything back up and now have quite a bit of lifter/valve noise. The engine runs, but did I over do it? Not too sure why I have a knocking noise in there now.......

Did you set it at TDC? if so your hearing pinging most likely and need to back it off. 12-18 BTC is a starting point, Sorry for any confusion but when referring to TDC it isn't meant to set timing there you just need to no your on the compression stroke and on your timing mark BTC(whatever it was). Turn it back and you should be fine.

 

[Durandal25]

Did you set it at TDC? if so your hearing pinging most likely and need to back it off. 12-18 BTC is a starting point, Sorry for any confusion but when referring to TDC it isn't meant to set timing there you just need to no your on the compression stroke and on your timing mark BTC(whatever it was). Turn it back and you should be fine.

747,

Thanks for the feedback sir. No more pinging, but I cannot seem to get my timing gun to find the marks when running. I feel like a nube, but my 67 give me more crud than my 69. Did I go 180? It seems run fine, but no timing marks present at 35'.

 

[Gpuller]

The slot in the intermediate shaft should be parallel to the cam. With the vac advance pointing to the top the rotor should be at the 5:00 position.

- - - Updated - - -

Do you have an advance timing light?

 

[Durandal25]

Did you set it at TDC? if so your hearing pinging most likely and need to back it off. 12-18 BTC is a starting point, Sorry for any confusion but when referring to TDC it isn't meant to set timing there you just need to no your on the compression stroke and on your timing mark BTC(whatever it was). Turn it back and you should be fine.

747,

So, by trial and error, I have determined that the correct position for the distributor on the compression stroke is the 2:00 o'clock position. I was able to get the timing and rotation of the distributor.
View attachment 137488

 

[67 coronet]

sorry i came in late in this thread,but for future reference there is a simple way to solve your problem.if you have a running eng but the vac can is hitting something,all you need to do is rotate all the plug wires at the cap 1 space each towards the item it is hitting.just be carefull to keep you firing order and time from there.it will clock the distrib about 45 degrees further up and alow for vac can movement while timming.

 

[coloradodave]

67coronet: Thanks for doing this for me. I was wondering how long it would take for some one to chime in with this....lol

 

[Durandal25]

sorry i came in late in this thread,but for future reference there is a simple way to solve your problem.if you have a running eng but the vac can is hitting something,all you need to do is rotate all the plug wires at the cap 1 space each towards the item it is hitting.just be carefull to keep you firing order and time from there.it will clock the distrib about 45 degrees further up and alow for vac can movement while timming.

.....and in truth this issue has taught me several things, but more importantly I can feel confident that there is more than one way to skin a distributor.