Timing Issue.....I think.

[Bandit130]

74 C10 350 TH350. Stock (original) engine. Upgraded OEM points distributor to HEI. I removed coil, cap and wires. Turned harmonic balancer mark to 0. Checked where rotor was pointing before removing old dist. It was pointing to #6 plug. From info I have found, it should point to #1. Installed HEI and set rotor to point to #1 and would hardly run with dist turned all way counter clockwise. Is this a timing issue with cam and crank?

[Gixx]

OK, with the timing mark at zero on the scale, The rotor can either point to number 6 or number 1. One is TDC exhaust and one intake.

Either way,

It sounds like you are 180 degrees out on your rotor. So, I'd suggest pulling the distributor up about an inch or so and rotate the rotor 180 degrees and then drop it back in.

THEN set timing with a timing light. That sould get you running again.

[Bandit130]

So, If I reset dist to point at #6 as the old one was, and mark at 0, It should be ok? Then set with timing light?

[Gixx]

Yeah, that should do it !

[Bandit130]

Very good. Thank you so much. I may have not understood the info I found.

[Gixx]

Well, Its a little confusing, because you would THINK that if the mark was at zero, ten the rotor has to point at #1, but it can also point at #6, depending on where it is in the cycle.

You just got "lucky" and it was on #6, and you thought it should be #1, so you put it in that way.

[cadillac_al]

Whenever i swap distributors I point the rotor at the firewall and reinstall the new one the same way. You can't mess it up that way. It sounds like you are off one tooth since it runs; you just don't have enough timing adjustment.

[rwhit57]

You should probably just start over. With the distributor out and #1 spark plug out you can have someone bump the starter until you feel the air or compression from the spark plug hole, stop and by hand set the timing mark TDC. Then drop the distributor in pointing at #1 wire. Then you can adjust it from there.

[Dead Parrot]

If you haven't pulled the distributor yet, you can just put the #1 wire on the post currently holding #6 and just follow the firing order around. The distributor doesn't care which post is #1. If it then runs like it should, you can decide if you want to pull and re-stab the dizzy so that #1 post is in the traditional place and reset all the wires.

[Killer Bee]

Originally Posted by rwhit57

You should probably just start over. With the distributor out and #1 spark plug out you can have someone bump the starter until you feel the air or compression from the spark plug hole, stop and by hand set the timing mark TDC. Then drop the distributor in pointing at #1 wire. Then you can adjust it from there.

bingo! my advice as well, static time for 0 and proceed from there..

eliminate the guesswork and minimize the chances of causing collateral damage to the engine..

also allows you to orient the plug wire arrangement to stock location or wherever is convenient for you..

good luck!

[kwmech]

Every revolution of the distributor or the camshaft. The crankshaft will go around 2 times. #1 cylinder and #6 cyl are "companion" cylinders in that the piston is at TDC at the same time with 0 on the balancer, but on a different cycle. Same as 5 and 8, 4 and 7 etc every 90 degrees

[70K10Hunter]

Originally Posted by Dead Parrot

If you haven't pulled the distributor yet, you can just put the #1 wire on the post currently holding #6 and just follow the firing order around. The distributor doesn't care which post is #1. If it then runs like it should, you can decide if you want to pull and re-stab the dizzy so that #1 post is in the traditional place and reset all the wires.

winner.

[Gixx]

So, did ya get it fixed ? What worked ?

[cadillac_al]

OK after re-reading this I see it is a simple 180 out situation. I didn't think the dist would turn enough for the engine to run being 180 off. Simple fix, rookie mistake, we all did it in our younger days.