230 distributor setting !HELP!

[63chevyfleet]

i have a 230 six motor and im trying to set the distributor on it but what i wanna know is which way is the rotor supposed to turn????????

[raiden7800]

Rotor turns clockwise.

Heres a tutorial (if you need it)


The best way to do this is take out the number 1 sparkplug. Get a 5/8" wrench or really shallow socket for the crank pulley bolt, and loosen the fan/accessory belts. Take a small philips screwdriver, and place it in up to the handle into the sparkplug hole, (dont use a handle small enough to fall inside!). Rotate the engine by hand and keep i hand on the screwdriver, and feel for when the piston reaches TDC. Make sure that when you find it, you turn back until it just starts to go down, then slightly forward again, so that you are just before TDC. Now, take off your distributor cap, and see where your rotor is pointing, (as long as the wires on the cap are correct, it really doesnt matter where the rotor points) and for easiness sake, if it isnt pointing at the number 1 cylinder, take the tensioner bolt out, and set the distributor so that it points at the number 1 cylinder.
Now, if your cap is still wired in the location of where the rotor used to point, take all the wires off, and start over from where your distributor is now. The firing order is 1-5-3-6-2-4. Place the cap back onto the distributor, and put the tensioner bolt back in, but keep it loose enough to move around when the time comes. Put the wire for number 1 cylinder on the cap in relation to the number 1 cylinder. Then, go clockwise and follow the firing order. After all of that, put the spark plug back in, the wire on, and tighten the belts back up.
Hop in, and crank er over, see if she goes. If not, then take the tensioner bolt out, take the cap off, take the distributor out, and spin it a full 180 degrees. The gears for it are slanted, so remember where it was when you took it off, and get it as close to 180 as possible. Cap goes back on, and the tensioner bolt goes back in, but we still want to be able to move it, so dont torque it.
This time, it should fire almost instantly, if it isnt flooded anyways.

The reason for swinging the distributor around 180, is because when we found TDC, is was TDC on the end of the exhaust/beginning of the intake stroke. So it was firing at the opposite time. Spinning it 180, puts it at just before TDC on the compression stroke. Now, you can make fine tuning adjustments with the mile long adjustment on the distributor.

Hope this helps.. Rob

[Luvlegs]

Watch which way the vacuum module on th e dizzy is located also - as you slowly turn the dizzy, while tuning by ear, you may run out of "twist" room as the module will hit the side of the block.

[63chevyfleet]

Originally Posted by raiden7800

Rotor turns clockwise.

Heres a tutorial (if you need it)


The best way to do this is take out the number 1 sparkplug. Get a 5/8" wrench or really shallow socket for the crank pulley bolt, and loosen the fan/accessory belts. Take a small philips screwdriver, and place it in up to the handle into the sparkplug hole, (dont use a handle small enough to fall inside!). Rotate the engine by hand and keep i hand on the screwdriver, and feel for when the piston reaches TDC. Make sure that when you find it, you turn back until it just starts to go down, then slightly forward again, so that you are just before TDC. Now, take off your distributor cap, and see where your rotor is pointing, (as long as the wires on the cap are correct, it really doesnt matter where the rotor points) and for easiness sake, if it isnt pointing at the number 1 cylinder, take the tensioner bolt out, and set the distributor so that it points at the number 1 cylinder.
Now, if your cap is still wired in the location of where the rotor used to point, take all the wires off, and start over from where your distributor is now. The firing order is 1-5-3-6-2-4. Place the cap back onto the distributor, and put the tensioner bolt back in, but keep it loose enough to move around when the time comes. Put the wire for number 1 cylinder on the cap in relation to the number 1 cylinder. Then, go clockwise and follow the firing order. After all of that, put the spark plug back in, the wire on, and tighten the belts back up.
Hop in, and crank er over, see if she goes. If not, then take the tensioner bolt out, take the cap off, take the distributor out, and spin it a full 180 degrees. The gears for it are slanted, so remember where it was when you took it off, and get it as close to 180 as possible. Cap goes back on, and the tensioner bolt goes back in, but we still want to be able to move it, so dont torque it.
This time, it should fire almost instantly, if it isnt flooded anyways.

The reason for swinging the distributor around 180, is because when we found TDC, is was TDC on the end of the exhaust/beginning of the intake stroke. So it was firing at the opposite time. Spinning it 180, puts it at just before TDC on the compression stroke. Now, you can make fine tuning adjustments with the mile long adjustment on the distributor.

Hope this helps.. Rob

which way is the rotor supposed to be facing towards the engine or the front radiator?

[raiden7800]

Originally Posted by 63chevyfleet

which way is the rotor supposed to be facing towards the engine or the front radiator?

When you actually reset the timing, point the rotor towards the Number 1 cylinder spark plug. In the front of the engine.

[63chevyfleet]

Originally Posted by raiden7800

When you actually reset the timing, point the rotor towards the Number 1 cylinder spark plug. In the front of the engine.

thank alot i apreciate it thankx

[raiden7800]

Anytime man!