Basic Distributor Question

[340inabbody]

Setting up for first start after pulling the distributor for some top end work. I know this is a basic question so I hope you guys will be patient with me.
I stabbed the distributor with the timing market about 7° before top dead center. The rotor is pointing to number one and I have it set so that the cap is centered with the body so such that we can halfway retarded or halfway advanced giving me the most room for adjustment.
So my question is this when people say it’s set for 10° or in my case 7° before top dead center it really can be very far off from that depending on how the body is positioned. so when you first fired up and you wanted to be approximately 10° it seems to me that the body should be centered the way I have it. What is the actual initial timing given the relatively unknown body position? Is this thinking correct?
Thanks for your insight on this.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Meh, I wouldda gone for a little more than 7, but that should bust it right off and you can add to from there. Nice work.

 

[340inabbody]

Meh, I wouldda gone for a little more than 7, but that should bust it right off and you can add to from there. Nice work.

Thanks but what is the timing actually given where the body of the distributor is? Or it doesn’t matter as its say 7 degrees from the starting point regardless of the body position?

 

[RustyRatRod]

Thanks but what is the timing actually given where the body of the distributor is? Or it doesn’t matter as its say 7 degrees from the starting point regardless of the body position?

Correct. Just have your timing light hooked up and ready to read right off the bat. Get the RPM up to about 3K and pull in about 36 degrees of timing.

 

[4spdragtop]

If you are that precise with the timing, what you can do is put cap on and mark the middle of #1 tower on the distributor body just below the edge of the cap. Rotate crank to whatever you want timing(7* or 10*). Look at mark you made on distributor and rotor should be coming right at it. If not, advance or retarded distributor until it's where u want it.
Hope that makes sense?

 

[340inabbody]

If you are that precise with the timing, what you can do is put cap on and mark the middle of #1 tower on the distributor body just below the edge of the cap. Rotate crank to whatever you want timing(7* or 10*). Look at mark you made on distributor and rotor should be coming right at it. If not, advance or retarded distributor until it's where u want it.
Hope that makes sense?

Thanks I am not at all concerned about if its 7° or 10°.
What I was asking is….how does the distributor body location/orientation affect the initial actual timing or does it just not matter.
If the timing marks indicate 7° on the block/balancer does it matter if the distributor is centered or fully clocked one way or the other?

RustyRatrod just said correct to my question which I assumed meant it doesn’t matter. But I maybe misinterpreted his response because it wasn’t precise.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Thanks I am not at all concerned about if its 7° or 10°.
What I was asking is….how does the distributor body location/orientation affect the initial actual timing or does it just not matter.
If the timing marks indicate 7° on the block/balancer does it matter if the distributor is centered or fully clocked one way or the other?

RustyRatrod just said correct to my question which I assumed meant it doesn’t matter. But I maybe misinterpreted his response because it wasn’t precise.

It was as precise as I know how without comin over there and doin it for you. If you cannot figure it out from that, then I don't know what else I can say. I said you were correct and I added what else to do. I was very precise.

 

[67Dart273]

Setting up for first start after pulling the distributor for some top end work. I know this is a basic question so I hope you guys will be patient with me.
I stabbed the distributor with the timing market about 7° before top dead center. The rotor is pointing to number one and I have it set so that the cap is centered with the body so such that we can halfway retarded or halfway advanced giving me the most room for adjustment.
So my question is this when people say it’s set for 10° or in my case 7° before top dead center it really can be very far off from that depending on how the body is positioned. so when you first fired up and you wanted to be approximately 10° it seems to me that the body should be centered the way I have it. What is the actual initial timing given the relatively unknown body position? Is this thinking correct?
Thanks for your insight on this.

Sounds like you have the right idea BUT..........

Do you understand about "compression stroke?" You must get no1 on compression. Pull no1 plug, bump engine, with your finger in no1 hole, and feel for compression. Then as it "starts to" compress, look for the marks and bring them up to the pointer where you want timing.

NOW. Put dist in with rotor at no1, and rotate dist CW (retard) and then back slowly until you get timing set. This gets the play out of the gears and advance

1....If you have points, easy to set time. Rig some sort of light/ indicator on the points, either continuity before connecting to coil, or voltage if connected to coil. With voltage, and key in run, slowly advance dist. from known retard until points open. Snug it down

2...If you have breakerless, slowly advance dist from retarded until pickup and reluctor are aligned.

You can also actually use a light "on the starter" (Crackedback posted that a LONG time ago) and check the timing. I also would lean towards more advance. About 10BTC for a stocker, maybe 12-15 for a mild cam and maybe 15-20 for a "hot" cam.

 

[340inabbody]

Sounds like you have the right idea BUT..........

Do you understand about "compression stroke?" You must get no1 on compression. Pull no1 plug, bump engine, with your finger in no1 hole, and feel for compression. Then as it "starts to" compress, look for the marks and bring them up to the pointer where you want timing.

NOW. Put dist in with rotor at no1, and rotate dist CW (retard) and then back slowly until you get timing set. This gets the play out of the gears and advance

1....If you have points, easy to set time. Rig some sort of light/ indicator on the points, either continuity before connecting to coil, or voltage if connected to coil. With voltage, and key in run, slowly advance dist. from known retard until points open. Snug it down

2...If you have breakerless, slowly advance dist from retarded until pickup and reluctor are aligned.

You can also actually use a light "on the starter" (Crackedback posted that a LONG time ago) and check the timing. I also would lean towards more advance. About 10BTC for a stocker, maybe 12-15 for a mild cam and maybe 15-20 for a "hot" cam.

Thats exactly what I did. I can change to 15° no problem. Just wondering how the body position of the distributor affects what we read on the block or does it just not matter. .

 

[340inabbody]

I guess another way to look at what I am asking is this. Seems like most of you want me to put in more initial timing as I indicated I am at 7 degrees. If I was to NOT change the crank position BUT instead rotate and advance the distributor would that not do the same thing?
If so the initial body position does matter.

 

[4spdragtop]

OK, I got ya I misunderstood your question sorry. Looks like I've muddled things up again lol.

Thanks I am not at all concerned about if its 7° or 10°.
What I was asking is….how does the distributor body location/orientation affect the initial actual timing or does it just not matter.
If the timing marks indicate 7° on the block/balancer does it matter if the distributor is centered or fully clocked one way or the other?

RustyRatrod just said correct to my question which I assumed meant it doesn’t matter. But I maybe misinterpreted his response because it wasn’t precise.

 

[340inabbody]

Sounds like you have the right idea BUT..........

Do you understand about "compression stroke?" You must get no1 on compression. Pull no1 plug, bump engine, with your finger in no1 hole, and feel for compression. Then as it "starts to" compress, look for the marks and bring them up to the pointer where you want timing.

NOW. Put dist in with rotor at no1, and rotate dist CW (retard) and then back slowly until you get timing set. This gets the play out of the gears and advance

1....If you have points, easy to set time. Rig some sort of light/ indicator on the points, either continuity before connecting to coil, or voltage if connected to coil. With voltage, and key in run, slowly advance dist. from known retard until points open. Snug it down

2...If you have breakerless, slowly advance dist from retarded until pickup and reluctor are aligned.

You can also actually use a light "on the starter" (Crackedback posted that a LONG time ago) and check the timing. I also would lean towards more advance. About 10BTC for a stocker, maybe 12-15 for a mild cam and maybe 15-20 for a "hot" cam.

Ah I got it now! I had to reread your post several times. The key is alignment of the reluctor and pickup alignment. This answers my question fully! It does matter how the body is set up or more precisely how the reluctor and pickup are aligned! If perfectly aligned then what you read on the block/ballancer is what you get! In other words when the reluctor and pickup are aligned the distributor is neutral.
Thanks!!

 

[67Dart273]

Yeh the points or pickup is what triggers the spark. The rotor is not really a great index, although you can certainly get it close enough to fire.

 

[Bewy]

The initial body position does not matter. It is 8 cyl, so you have a choice of 8 positions. On some engines that use a vac adv dist, the VA unit may get in the way....so select another position.