Distributor Vacuum pod to intake manifold interference issue

[Speedy Pedi]

Happy Easter FABO family, I wanted to make sure I'm thinking about this correctly. I've got a kink in my vacuum line, and was wondering if I changed the position of the distributor drive gear by one tooth if that would remedy this interference. 2nd part of question is if I mark the rotor position vs distributer housing wouldn't I have my engine timing very close to correct on reassembly?

 

[mopowers]

Moving the gear a tooth would work. You could also move the plug wires one over. That would be a 45* difference.

 

[Professor Fate]

Happy Easter FABO family, I wanted to make sure I'm thinking about this correctly. I've got a kink in my vacuum line, and was wondering if I changed the position of the distributor drive gear by one tooth if that would remedy this interference. 2nd part of question is if I mark the rotor position vs distributer housing wouldn't I have my engine timing very close to correct on reassembly?

View attachment 1716395181

Yes, the proper way would be to re-index the drive gear.
The quick and easy solution is to go to the parts store and look on the Motormite/Dorman-Help! rack and grab one of these for a couple of bucks.

 

[PRH]

You’d like to have a timing light on hand before reclocking the dist drive gear.
Check the timing before you move anything, then just put the timing back to where it was after you’ve moved the housing.

 

[CRUZE 418]

My 2 small blocks, when everything is correct, have the dist vac pod at 90° to the engine. Pointing straight at the inner fenderwell. Re index your oil pump gear.

 

[Speedy Pedi]

Moving the gear a tooth would work. You could also move the plug wires one over. That would be a 45* difference.

45* of ignition rotor position change, or 45* of engine timing change?

 

[Speedy Pedi]

My 2 small blocks, when everything is correct, have the dist vac pod at 90° to the engine. Pointing straight at the inner fenderwell. Re index your oil pump gear.

Would I move the gear 1 tooth clockwise or 1 tooth counter clockwise?

 

[CRUZE 418]

Well, number #1 cyl at TDC on compression stroke. Have rotor pointed at number one cyl. You may have to adjust your plug wires in the cap, number one should be at the rotor tip. Start it and see where you are and adj accordingly. That's how I do mine. Maybe someone else can explain it better.

 

[4spdragtop]

Mark the dist in relation to vac.pod currently. Move gear 1 tooth by using a large slotted screwdriver. You will have to back it out 1st due to helical gears. I believe ccw it will ramp "up n out". Then adjust accordingly either cw or ccw. I would find TRUE TDC #1 compression 1st.

Would I move the gear 1 tooth clockwise or 1 tooth counter clockwise?

 

[mvh]

Just move the wires around the distributor cap. That's way simpler than messing with the drive gear. And, it is probably the problem in the first place. Why mess up the basic timing of the engine — the drive gear alignment is part of the engine setup — just address the actual problem.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Re-clock the distributor. It's a five minute job.

 

[mopowers]

45* of ignition rotor position change, or 45* of engine timing change?

Moving the plug wires one over would amount in moving the vacuum can 45* from where it is now.

Check the timing now, rotate the distributor about 45*, move the plug wires over one and put timing where it is now. Shouldn't take longer than a few minutes.

 

[CRUZE 418]

Somewhere down the road, he should do it the way it should be done. There is an order in the way you do things. So if someone else is helping or trying to diagnose a problem, he doesn't have to say, 'What the hell is this?'
It's your car. I'm out.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Somewhere down the road, he should do it the way it should be done. There is an order in the way you do things. So if someone else is helping or trying to diagnose a problem, he doesn't have to say, 'What the hell is this?'
It's your car. I'm out.

I said "re-clock the distributor", simply because sometimes the wires are cut and routed in a way that won't allow them to be moved. That and plus, it's really the right way. But like you say. It's his car.

 

[Bewy]

No, you cannot just 'move the wires around the dist cap'. The timing will be WRONG. This procedure is something I do regularly [ will be doing one this week ] when setting up MVA because the adj VA units stick out further [ as in this case ] & foul other engine parts.
This is how to do it:
- measure from one of the plug lead towers on the cap to another part. The greater the distance, the less chance of error. So measure to the inner fender as an example & mark both places [ cap & fender ].
- remove the dist cap & look at which tower the rotor is pointing. Take note/mark which cyl tower it is. Say it is #5.
- remove the dist.
- if you can rotate the dist half a turn & refit it with clearance for the VA, job done. Make sure the tower where the rotor points becomes #5 cyl. in the new firing order [ 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 CW ]
- if not, you will need to pull up the oil pump drive, rotate it & re-seat it. Looking at the pic in post#1, it looks like pump drive needs to be rotated 1-2 teeth CCW for the VA clearance. Bear in mind you may want to adjust the spring tension in the VA using an Allen key, so that maybe tight for clearnce. I use a cut off Allen key, but could still be tight. Other alternative is to turn the dist further for a more desirable location. It can be in any one of 8 positions. [ you may have to lengthen the supply wires to the dist ]
- once the dist is seated, tighten the clamp & position correctly, using the measurement from the first step. It will be a different tower, that is ok.
- fit the rotor & check which tower it points at. That is now is cyl#5. Refit the leads in the correct CW firing order.

 

[OLDSTYLE]

Why not just bend the nipple up so the vac hose has a strait shot

 

[Speedy Pedi]

I definitely am concerned about the car setup to make sense for the next guy, as the car will be going to my son. I'm thinking long term 20 yrs pass and I'm long gone, I want it to be maintainable for him. I'd like this car to be setup really good for him.

Moving the plug wires one over would amount in moving the vacuum can 45* from where it is now.

Check the timing now, rotate the distributor about 45*, move the plug wires over one and put timing where it is now. Shouldn't take longer than a few minutes.

Ok, I reread what you said and realized what you understood all along it's 45* cause 360* of rotation /8=45* makes perfect sense!

No, you cannot just 'move the wires around the dist cap'. The timing will be WRONG. This procedure is something I do regularly [ will be doing one this week ] when setting up MVA because the adj VA units stick out further [ as in this case ] & foul other engine parts.
This is how to do it:
- measure from one of the plug lead towers on the cap to another part. The greater the distance, the less chance of error. So measure to the inner fender as an example & mark both places [ cap & fender ].
- remove the dist cap & look at which tower the rotor is pointing. Take note/mark which cyl tower it is. Say it is #5.
- remove the dist.
- if you can rotate the dist half a turn & refit it with clearance for the VA, job done. Make sure the tower where the rotor points becomes #5 cyl. in the new firing order [ 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 CW ]
- if not, you will need to pull up the oil pump drive, rotate it & re-seat it. Looking at the pic in post#1, it looks like pump drive needs to be rotated 1-2 teeth CCW for the VA clearance. Bear in mind you may want to adjust the spring tension in the VA using an Allen key, so that maybe tight for clearnce. I use a cut off Allen key, but could still be tight. Other alternative is to turn the dist further for a more desirable location. It can be in any one of 8 positions. [ you may have to lengthen the supply wires to the dist ]
- once the dist is seated, tighten the clamp & position correctly, using the measurement from the first step. It will be a different tower, that is ok.
- fit the rotor & check which tower it points at. That is now is cyl#5. Refit the leads in the correct CW firing order.

I really appreciate the detailed how to do this as it's a rather difficult for me to do with rear distributor and engine installed. This addresses quick way of being sure everything is aligned correctly on reinstall of oil pump drive. I counted the number of gear teeth on oil pump drive shaft is 18 teeth, so a 1 tooth step is 20 degrees of dist. rotor change?
360 degrees of rotation divide by 18 teeth = 20 degrees of change? (360/18=20*)
That could put me close to almost 1/2 the distance between dist. cap tower locations correct?

 

[Newbomb Turk]

This is NOT complicated.

Roll the engine to TDC on number 1 cylinder.

Take note of the direction the slot in the drive is pointing.

Pull the distributor out. Take a long screwdriver and turn the pump drive counter clockwise (IIRC abut the gear will only turn one way) until you move the slot one tooth from where it was.

Put the distributor back in with the rotor still pointing at number 1 plug.

Get your timing light out and verify timing.

This is pretty basic and it’s a simple fix. There is no reason you can’t do it. It’s not hard.

 

[Speedy Pedi]

Why not just bend the nipple up so the vac hose has a strait shot

View attachment 1716395624

I don't think it is doable my vacuum pod is adjustable and I'll need to be able to put an allen wrench in there

 

[mygasser]

yes you definately CAN move the leads on the cap, no need to pull the dizzy and 'retime' the drive gear. first rotate the dizzy anti clockwise one position on the cap, then move the leads one position clockwise on the cap. you end up with the rotor and leads positioned as before (hence no change in timing) but the dizzy body and vacuum can are rotated anti clockwise for the vac' hose clearance you need. if it's not enough repeat the 2 steps until the vacuum can is where you want it.
neil.

 

[67Dart273]

My gawd will you PLEAUZE stop UNDERTHINKING this. Very very easy. Either move the wires one hole, or pull the dist and move the gear as Newbomb detailed.

The main reason for the "specified" correct no1 hole position is so that the plug wires lay nice (OEM) and so the assembly line folks can rinse/ repeat, as well, of course, that the dist advance can "sit" clear.

When I got my first car, a 57 Chev 265, I didn't even know there WAS a "correct." I would drop it in, crank it until the oil pump drive engaged, and then bring the marks up on TDC and put no1 where the rotor pointed. I had a 50-50 chance back then because I didn't know about "sticking your finger in" no1 hole to check for compression

Anyhow, I went into one of the local Shell stations, and the pump jock announced, "THAT THINK CAN'T RUN, IT's ALL OUT OF TIME!!!! Well, I drove it in there so I guess it must run??

 

[AJ/FormS]

Re-clocking the distributor is so easy. Five minutes.

 

[MobileCustoms]

Maybe the plug wires are already off by one tower and that's why the distributor has to be turned into the interference position. I didn't see anyone ask about that, or a photo to show where your plug wires are currently located in the cap. Might be no need to pull the distributer at all, if that's the case.

 

[Speedy Pedi]

My gawd will you PLEAUZE stop UNDERTHINKING this. Very very easy. Either move the wires one hole, or pull the dist and move the gear as Newbomb detailed.

The main reason for the "specified" correct no1 hole position is so that the plug wires lay nice (OEM) and so the assembly line folks can rinse/ repeat, as well, of course, that the dist advance can "sit" clear.

When I got my first car, a 57 Chev 265, I didn't even know there WAS a "correct." I would drop it in, crank it until the oil pump drive engaged, and then bring the marks up on TDC and put no1 where the rotor pointed. I had a 50-50 chance back then because I didn't know about "sticking your finger in" no1 hole to check for compression

Anyhow, I went into one of the local Shell stations, and the pump jock announced, "THAT THINK CAN'T RUN, IT's ALL OUT OF TIME!!!! Well, I drove it in there so I guess it must run??

Point taken, the reason for so many questions is that isn't as easy for me since my stroke, I will get it done just not as fast or as easily. I did try to move plug wires on cap but the HEI dist. is limited in rotation due to the 12v/tac connector terminals on one side of dist. cap (hits firewall) and vac pod on otherside will hit oil pressure sending unit, but the one gear tooth steps the rotor 1/2 the distance, and that should work. So thanks to everyone.

 

[MoparLeo]

Indexing