Ok, so the shortblock is done, and i just installed the cam. I have the #1 piston at TDC, and i put the crank gear on. I installed the cam and lined the dots up...all is well. Then i put the lifters in, and it occured to me that the lifters that should be down at TDC are up, and the ones that should be down are up.

It seems like maybe the cam should be rotated 180* so that each mark is at the top of the gear, instead of the crank dot at the top and the cam mark at the bottom....

does any of that make sense or am i retarded?

Eric

 

No, you are exactly confused, and that's probably a good thing. Because, you actually looked and observed what's going on.

Nearly always, if you put a timing set on the motor "dot to dot", you'll be at #6 firing. With both dots at 12:00, you'll be at #1 firing. Remember, the #1 piston is at TDC twice during each engine cycle, and as far as the crank is concerned, those 2 occurences are identical; they are not different until the cam, and as a result the valve action and distributor, is introduced. One of those #1 TDC instances is #1 firing. The other (the "dot-to-dot" occurence) is #6 firing, and is also the point at which the #1 exhaust valve is just closing and the #1 intake is just opening at the beginning of the #1 intake stroke.

When you drop the dist in, make sure the marks are both at 12:00 if you're aiming for #1 firing. If you try to line it up "dot-to-dot" and drop the dist in set at #1 firing, you'll be 180° out.

 

when the dots are at 6 and 12 o'clock the #1 piston is at TDC exhuast stroke.
if you install both dots at 12 o'clock #1 will be TDC on compression stroke.
it doesn't matter which way you do it as long as the rotor and dist. are pointed accordingly.
most people say to use the 6 +12 method due to less chance of error lining the dots up verticly(sp?)
actually the dots don't matter at all as long as the crank and cam are in proper positon to each other.
edit- it looks like rb beat me to it

 

that's OK, you're right on the money too with a different way of explaining it

 

Just make sure that when you put the cam in, the crank dot was at 12, and the cam dot was at 6..... then rotate the motor until both are at 12....


When you put the dizzy in, make sure that you put the #1 spark plug where the rotor is pointing.

I too thought that 6 and 12 should be #1 firing, and in thinking that I was 180 out, and I'm glad nothing got hurt.