LA Engine Build - Where / How to Line up the Dist / Oil Pump Drive gear?

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slant six

slant six

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I never knew there was an option on this But as the Service manual states↑↑↑ There is.

HN, would be aspen and volare. - I think I have a 77 or 78 Manual.

What is the normal procedure? Install at 3:00 or at 2:30?

Why is there a choice for this anyway? Dist Retard or Something for lean burn?

My build is a 318 in a 78 Van.

Thanks for your help!

Greg
 
drop it in...using a large flat tip screw driver turn it clockwise......you want it to point toward the 1st bolt hole on the driver side for the intake manifold...

you actually have to go pass the it and it will slide back down to that position...might take you a couple tries....

but it can point to anywhere you want it to as long as you move the wires on the cab to line up with the rotor......rotor and number one on cab need to point to each other.
 
slant six said:
What is the normal procedure? Install at 3:00 or at 2:30?
Click to expand...
Drop the drive in at 3:00; when the gears mesh as the shaft drops all the way down, it will rotate the slot to the 2:30 position and align with the #1 intake bolt.
 
The procedure is there to allow the most possible for timing adjustment considering the vacuum advance clearance.
 
70aarcuda said:
drop it in...using a large flat tip screw driver turn it clockwise......you want it to point toward the 1st bolt hole on the driver side for the intake manifold...

you actually have to go pass the it and it will slide back down to that position...might take you a couple tries....

but it can point to anywhere you want it to as long as you move the wires on the cab to line up with the rotor......rotor and number one on cab need to point to each other.
Click to expand...
I recently did this exact thing with the timing gear marks lined up and found the distributor to be 180 degrees out if you don't move anything and point the rotor at # 1. My mistake was thinking that with the dots lined up was TDC #1 when it actually is not.
 
No...the distributor is not 180 out....is the engine on TDC No. 1 firing?.....if it is and you point the rotor towards no 1 on the cap...it will fire...

that slot will point towards that intake bolt hole whether the engine is TDC No. 1 firing or...on No. 6 firing...the slot does not know the difference....

just remember a piston is at tdc twice...but only firing once ...the other time it is on the exhaust stroke...
 
I have a later model distributor and the rotor is 45* from the shaft end. I rotated the intermediate shaft to line up the rotor to point towards #1. Thankfully the vacuum advance still cleared everything.
 
RustyRatRod said:
The procedure is there to allow the most possible for timing adjustment considering the vacuum advance clearance.
Click to expand...

That Makes Sense - Limited Firewall clearance on F Bodies.

Thanks Guys!

Greg
 
FIRST look at the rotor and the drive tab. IF they are not lined up, then going by the book will NOT get you what the book shows. The ROTOR has to be pointing towards cylinder #1 at TDC, regardless of the slot.
 
I've seen 2 sets of instructions for this, don't remember what years of manuals I looked at.
I've seen those that say what you show. I've seen others that sat straight forward/straight back. Only 1tooth different between these two positions of the cam/oil pump drive. As long as you can get the distributor in and rotate the distributor body so that the rotor can line up with#1 distributor cap tower and have room for all the adjustment you might need in setting ignition timing without the vac advance can hitting something to interfere with getting the timing set, either way will work. A 318 is a 318 whether it's in a van or a volare or a fury. The engine doesn't know that it's equipped with lean burn or points or whatever.
 
And if you wind up 180 out, moving that drive pinion won't matter.just pull the distributor and spin it 180, drop back in.the distributor drive itself isn't much more complicated than a screwdriver slot
 
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