Ignition Questions II

[ed2552]

I'm tired of bumping the other thread, so here is a new one. I can't find a buddy to help, so i'm going to wait till tonight when my dad gets home to put in the new dizzy. I went to the parts store this morning and got new plugs and wires, the wires are the universal type where you crimp the dizzy end on. Should i get some kind of loom for them? I don't have a pointer and the store didn't have a pointer, so how can i time it. I'm going to see if the balancer has marks on it this afternoon, and if it does, can i just use a piece of heavy wire bolted to something, as long as it doesn't move? What is the firing order again? i know it is on the intake, but mine is hard to read. You put the wires on in order of the firing order making sure the dizzy is at #1 at TDC, right? I've never done this and i want to do it right the first time. Sorry about the length of the post.

[El Jay]

Originally Posted by ed2552

I'm tired of bumping the other thread, so here is a new one. I can't find a buddy to help, so i'm going to wait till tonight when my dad gets home to put in the new dizzy. I went to the parts store this morning and got new plugs and wires, the wires are the universal type where you crimp the dizzy end on. Should i get some kind of loom for them? I don't have a pointer and the store didn't have a pointer, so how can i time it. I'm going to see if the balancer has marks on it this afternoon, and if it does, can i just use a piece of heavy wire bolted to something, as long as it doesn't move? What is the firing order again? i know it is on the intake, but mine is hard to read. You put the wires on in order of the firing order making sure the dizzy is at #1 at TDC, right? I've never done this and i want to do it right the first time. Sorry about the length of the post.

Definitely get some kind of loom. You'll be very upset if you burn your new plug wires on a hot manifold. Please don't ask how I know this. Just accept it.
Firing order: 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2

Pull the #1 spark plug & put a finger in the hole. Have Dad bump the starter until the compression blows your finger out of the hole. Don't worry, it won't hurt!
The timing mark on the harmonic balancer should be roughly @ 1:00 o'clock.
Pop the cap off your dizzy. The rotor should be pointing roughly @ 6:30-7:00ish. Make a mark on the intake manifold with a Sharpie where the rotor is pointing.
When you pull the old dizzy, the rotor is going to rotate backwards a bit. Kind of keep a mental note of how far.

When you drop in the new one, start with the rotor turned back a bit (see above mention) and slide the dizzy down into the hole. Oh, yeah, don't forget to put a new gasket on the dizzy.
You may have to "stab" it several times to get the oil pump drive lined up.
Set your new cap on. Take your Sharpie & make a mark on the dizzy body under the #1 tower. That will be the one closest to where the rotor is pointing. Take the cap off & turn the body so that the rotor is pointing @ the mark on the body. Put on the clamp & snug, but not tighten, every thing in place.
Install the cap & then the wires in a clockwise rotation.

You are now in the ball park & the truck should start.

You can time it using a vacuum gauge. Attach the gauge below the throttle plates; that is, the base of the carb, or on the manifold. Power brakes, EGR, transmission modulator.
Adjust the timing to maximum vacuum, 17"-22" Hg.

Hope this helps.

I'm sure other will jump in with some other pointers.

[LONGHAIR]

The rotor should be pointing roughly @ 6:30-7:00ish.

The rotor should be pointing toward the #1 terminal on the cap....where it points in relation to anything else is totally irrelevant. If he pulls this apart and is not pointed somewhere specific, it would be confusing. It could be pointed directly back at the firewall....as long as that is where the #1 plug wire is connected, it's fine.

[El Jay]

Originally Posted by LONGHAIR

The rotor should be pointing toward the #1 terminal on the cap....where it points in relation to anything else is totally irrelevant. If he pulls this apart and is not pointed somewhere specific, it would be confusing. It could be pointed directly back at the firewall....as long as that is where the #1 plug wire is connected, it's fine.

That's true.
We've all seen them drop in "a tooth off", or even much more.
But normally, #1 is in the aforementioned position. Sometimes when it's not there, there are interference problems with the vacuum chamber and setting the timing can become an issue.

As an aside, if I pull one apart & #1 is pointed somewhere else, I'll take the time & turn the oil pump drive to get #1 back to 6:30ish. It's just a personal preference on my part.

Gotta luv this board with the free flow of information.

Have yourself a great weekend.

[ed2552]

My buddy came over, and we are almost done, just came in for a break. We just marked it where it was pointed, and stabbed it back in where it came out, then we did the trick to make it at TDC. Then we wired it up to a keyed source and grounded it. Now we are working on getting it wired back in and working right. It came w/ a new gasket. Tomorrow i will get a vacuum gauge and looms, etc

[LONGHAIR]

El Jay,
It's funny you say that, most of the ones that I have taken apart were more like the 4 to 5 o'clock range.
It seems that many guys hear "rotor pointed toward #1 cylinder" and take it literally...rotor pointed toward the left front corner of the block.
IIRC, when you look at the "locking ring" that joins the wires of a factory unit, it is numbered. The numbers on the lock ring put the #1 at about 4:00.....but again, it really doesn't matter. You can drop the distributor in with the rotor wherever is happens to fall....you just have to start the plug wires from the right place.

[El Jay]

Originally Posted by LONGHAIR

El Jay,
It's funny you say that, most of the ones that I have taken apart were more like the 4 to 5 o'clock range.
It seems that many guys hear "rotor pointed toward #1 cylinder" and take it literally...rotor pointed toward the left front corner of the block.
IIRC, when you look at the "locking ring" that joins the wires of a factory unit, it is numbered. The numbers on the lock ring put the #1 at about 4:00.....but again, it really doesn't matter. You can drop the distributor in with the rotor wherever is happens to fall....you just have to start the plug wires from the right place.

Chevrolet seemed to move stuff around.
I have a '73 Motor's Manual (yeah, I keep a lot of junk) that shows #1 @ the 6:30 position, and about 7:00, a Chilton's ('69-'77 Blazer/Jimmy) that shows #1 @ 6:30, and a Motor's ('79-'85) that shows #1 @ both 6:30 & 5:00.
So they're all somewhat toward the front of the distributor.
But like you said earlier, it doesn't really matter where #1 is actually pointing, as long as you run the plug wires in right.

I reckon that this is a learning experience for all of us.

I enjoy the living heck out of discussions like this.

[El Jay]

Originally Posted by LONGHAIR

El Jay,
It's funny you say that, most of the ones that I have taken apart were more like the 4 to 5 o'clock range.
It seems that many guys hear "rotor pointed toward #1 cylinder" and take it literally...rotor pointed toward the left front corner of the block.
IIRC, when you look at the "locking ring" that joins the wires of a factory unit, it is numbered. The numbers on the lock ring put the #1 at about 4:00.....but again, it really doesn't matter. You can drop the distributor in with the rotor wherever is happens to fall....you just have to start the plug wires from the right place.

P.S. Just for kicks & giggles, I wandered out & looked @ my '72 GMC BB. It still has the factory points dizzy. #1 was about 6:30. No use in looking @ my Chevy. It has an MSD, that replaced a POS ACCEL; so I set #1 where I wanted it. Guess where that was!

[ed2552]

well, it is like 4:30 on mine, but they got plugged in right and now it runs good for not having been timed at all, will get vacuum gauge tomorrow as well as looms, and the correct wires, as the parts store gave me a universal kit for a 4 banger and i used one for the coil, so i will keep it for a spare, b/c we mounted the coil on the fender well due to lack of space due to power brakes, and the heater core, so the wires to it are really long. Thanks for the information, will get it running like a champ tomorrow.

[ed2552]

Originally Posted by El Jay

P.S. Just for kicks & giggles, I wandered out & looked @ my '72 GMC BB. It still has the factory points dizzy. #1 was about 6:30. No use in looking @ my Chevy. It has an MSD, that replaced a POS ACCEL; so I set #1 where I wanted it. Guess where that was!

My guess: 6:30? LOL

[El Jay]

Originally Posted by ed2552

My guess: 6:30? LOL

How did you know?????
You must have ESPN.

Glad you got it running.

I hope we were able to help.

Didn't mean to hijack you thread, but we had an interesting dialog going. Hope you were able gain some insight from it.

El Jay

[ed2552]

Yeah, that's ok. I learn more by hanging out with my grandpa and just standing there than in a week at school, it is fun to watch old(er) people talk about what they have and what they did to it and used to do.

[El Jay]

Originally Posted by ed2552

Yeah, that's ok. I learn more by hanging out with my grandpa and just standing there than in a week at school, it is fun to watch old(er) people talk about what they have and what they did to it and used to do.

You have a good attitude. Keep that & an open mind & you will do well in life.
BTW, I'm old enough to be your Grandpa.

[ed2552]

He is 76, but i figured that out a long time ago, so it is ok