Why is distributor pointing away from #1 on TDC?

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LovetheA's

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So I’m attempting to put my engine back to gather after many upgrades to it. Aluminum heads roller rockers new timing chain and set. Doing all this myself by learning and this website. I’m a bit confused at this point? I use this website and the technical how to forums to do most of my work. They’re very helpful. I’m pretty sure I understand the workings of an engine when dropping in distributor so rotor lines up with #1 plug when harmonic balance set at 0 deg. Then engine should fire up and I can fine tune with rotating cap and timing light. Keep in mind that I marketed where the cap and distributer were in relation to engine when pulled and put back the same. The problem is that my rotor at TDC #1 points away from plug #1. My rotor lines up with plug #1 only when cylinder #6 is at TDC and dampener is at 0. I attached two pics so you could see what I mean. I know that I put the distributor and cap back just as they were pulled out when engine was shut off. It appears as if when the engine was killed the rotor stopped pointing 180 deg away from plug wire #1. I wasn’t sure what position the harmonic balance was at that point. Am I overthinking this? How do I get rotor to point to #1 wire at TDC of cylinder one before I start the engine for the first time if it only lines up when crank at zero and 6 cylinder TDC?

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Surefire method is to pull #1 spark plug. Bump engine until you hear/feel pressure and set to this TDC. If rotor is still pointing to #6 then you dropped in the distributor 180 degrees out. Just pull it up, rotate the shaft 180 degrees and drop again.
 
I can’t bump the engine because I also pulled off the exhaust, starter, and upgraded the torsion bars and suspension. In order to do this I pulled everything underneath out to make it easier to remove exhaust suspension etc. Could it be that when I turned the engine off the rotor just happened to stop at that potion which also was TDC for position # 6? Now that I’m putting everything back together it doesn’t add up because I turned the dampener around countless times to adjust pre load on roller rockers. If I rotate the engine 1 revolution it will be at TDC on cylinder #1 but the rotor will be facing 180 deg out. What about pull distributor and drop it back in as close as possible to plug wire #1 when at TDC for # 1 cylinder? As long as it is close I can fine tune it when timing the car. I also replaced the timing gears and chain and put them back exactly lined up dot to dot as before. So I think I’m ok with that.
 
396Cuda said:
Surefire method is to pull #1 spark plug. Bump engine until you hear/feel pressure and set to this TDC. If rotor is still pointing to #6 then you dropped in the distributor 180 degrees out. Just pull it up, rotate the shaft 180 degrees and drop again.
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^^THIS^^ or if you have the valve covers off bring the marks up to TDC and examine the no1 and no6 valves. Whichever pair is closed is ready to fire. To set timing accurately, do NOT stop at TDC. After you determine which cylinder is ready to fire (on compression) back up the engine and rotate CW until the marks are WHERE YOU WANT THE TIMING TO BE (fire.) Say, 15BTC. Now, set up the dist. so the rotor is coming TO the no1 tower. If you have breaker points, rotate the dist. CW (retard) and then advance it slowly ---with a continuity tester-- until the points just open. If you have breakerless, rotate the dist until the reluctor is in the middle of the pickup. You can check timing with a light "on the starter" but you should not need to.

There is NEVER any reason to eff around with backfire and popping and failure to fire a new engine. Get it ready. And start it up
 
Oh I also forgot to mention. I have been determining TDC on cylinder 1 when dampener at zero and I move crank back and forth a little rockers on cylinder 1 don’t move at all because I’m assuming that means I’m on compression stroke for cylinder 1 and both valves are closed. Instead cylinder 6 moves. If it was TDC on cylinder 6 the opposite would be true?
 
LovetheA's said:
Oh I also forgot to mention. I have been determining TDC on cylinder 1 when dampener at zero and I move crank back and forth a little rockers on cylinder 1 don’t move at all because I’m assuming that means I’m on compression stroke for cylinder 1 and both valves are closed. Instead cylinder 6 moves. If it was TDC on cylinder 6 the opposite would be true?
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Probably.
If the starter and everything is off pull all the plugs, put the damper on easy, a piece of toilet paper or paper napkin waded up small enough to stick in the plug hole and when the paper blows out (and it will turning the motor by hand) bring it up to the 0 mark on the balancer and then there you go.

THEN if the rotor is pointing at number 6 pull the distributor up and turn the rotor 180 degrees.

Simple as that.
 
Good advice above. You're either 180* out or something else is amiss. Remember that the distributor rotates at half crank speed - it's a 4 stroke. :rolleyes:
 
I just read this on Hughes website. When you install the timing set, the dot on the cam gear points down and the dot on the crank gear points up so they are facing each other. Then you need to rotate the crank 360* so the dot on the cam is facing 12 o’clock and the dot on the crank is at 12 o’clock and that is where you install your distributor.
 
black954 said:
I just read this on Hughes website. When you install the timing set, the dot on the cam gear points down and the dot on the crank gear points up so they are facing each other. Then you need to rotate the crank 360* so the dot on the cam is facing 12 o’clock and the dot on the crank is at 12 o’clock and that is where you install your distributor.
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Either that or just set the dist in and time it on no6
 
Thank you everyone for all the input. I’ve heard a few different answers and solutions. Overall if I make sure that the engine is TDC on cylinder #1 and I put the distributor in so that the rotor faces plug wire #1 I should be safe and in good shape. Is that fair to say? If so that is what I will do. So it doesn’t really matter how it is set now or was before as long as when I go to fire it up as stated cylinder 1 TDC rotor facing plug wire #1.
 
My first car, a 57 Chev 265. One day in the gas station, the jock was checking my oil. "They did that" back then LOLOL. This was summer of 66. He looked at my dist. and announced "how does it run, your distributor and wires are in the wrong place" LOLOL At the time I didn't know there was a "right" way to install it!!!
 
I just drop them in at TDC and find where 1 is and put the wires on, I am not worried about the right position. Mine is not a points car.
 
years ago some guys at Jiffy lube bought an old v8 camaro-gonna go racing-had no plug wires. so the gearhead in the group said "I will run home at lunch and get my book and have this fired up by 6 pm. Same firing order as a 340. at lunch I popped out number 1 plug, rotate with thumb over hole for getting #1 on the compression stroke, at 10 degrees before top. install #1 plug where rotor is pointing
 
Daves69 said:
And no one says you "have" to. The orientation described is in the FSM. It's not that hard to achieve.
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It is very hard to acheive w/ raised port heads and a chevy type distributor , "used by fast f/inj systems'' , lot of clearanceing on a victor knock off head !!

If I had to do it over , I`d use a locked out MSD mopar dist. , live and learn .
 
famous bob said:
It is very hard to acheive w/ raised port heads and a chevy type distributor , "used by fast f/inj systems'' , lot of clearanceing on a victor knock off head !!
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Well, that doesn't sound "stock" but if you go by the "you can put #1 anywhere" how hard is it to re-orient the rotor on yours?
 
Daves69 said:
Well, that doesn't sound "stock" but if you go by the "you can put #1 anywhere" how hard is it to re-orient the rotor on yours?
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It is fixed , just keep it pointed at the no 1 terminal no matter where its at .
 
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