I dropped my distributor back in....
when I set the crank and cam I lined both dots (dot 2 dot) then I rolled the crank and made it to where both dots were at 12 oclock....So that means I should drop it in pointed towards #1? right? ....from the picture does it look correct? I could be one tooth off but how would I know?

I want to make sure the distributor is correct before I go crankin on the crank bolt to put my balancer back on....

If I was to run a straight edge from the tip of the rotor at what point should the rotor button hit?

I know, stupid question I just dont want it to be off...

 

as long as the rotor is pointing to the number one plug wire on the cap when it's installed you did it fine.

 

both dots straight up rotor pointing to #1 on the cap. there is no such thing as a tooth off

 

so I did it right?

You mean if I was to set the distributor in and it was rotated and was pointing towards the passenger side of the block, as long as its pointing to the number 1 on the cap ..its fine? that doesnt sound right but if you guys say so...

 

Looks right to me.

It's true that the dist can go in basically anywhere, as long as you put the plug wires on so that the rotor points to the right cyl at the right time. However, if you're re-using properly made plug wires, they might or might not fit right if you don't put the dist back where it came from.

I prefer to always put mine in at the factory location, which is with the #1 just to the driver's side of straight ahead.... just as you have yours.

 

Good point, I never thought about that, if I have to turn the distributor alot after I fire it up....once I get the plug wires on then they would be to long or to short....I got universal fit so I have to cut to fit...Great! now something else to worry about....LOL....My rotor is pointing to number one on the cap, I used my old one and cut a hole in it and lined it up perfectly on the #1 cap......and then dropped it in to point to #1 on the motor as well....So i hope I dont have to move it alot.......I guess time will tell.....

 

one way to find out you know? you can move the dizzy a little each way for timing issues as needed

 

Thats a new one on me, whats that mean?

 

i meant that if it's a "tooth off" etc, typically you can rotate the dizzy(distributor) a little each ways to account for this, meaning that if it won't fire up right away try turning it far clockwise and try it.....or do the opposite until you get it all timed in with a timing light. hope this makes it clearer.

 

Somebody told me that if both dots are pointed at 12oclock, that is not #1...they said I would be 180* off.

They said on the newer motors that would work but will older motors number 1 is with both dots together....I was like, NO your wrong the guys online said its both at 12 is number 1..........he told me well when it backfires I will know Im 180* off......

who right?

 

Dot to dot is number #1 at TDC for the exahust stroke. You need to rotate it so that the dots are 180 apart for #1 to be TDC on firing stroke.

 

so am I correct at where Im at....that what I did and I got the rotor pointing to #1.............when I put my cam in I line it up dot 2 dot, then I rolled the crank till they where both at 12....and then I put my dizzy in with rotor at #1 plug wire then drop the dizzy in so that its pointing to #1 on the head.......will I be Ok?

 

Should be

 

A while ago I took pictures of this to show someone that wasn't 100% convinced. A pic is worth 1,000 words..... or is it 180 words



This pic is with the cam and crank gear dots at 12 o'clock. Here's the #1 intake and exhaust lifters. As you can see they're both at the same height, which means the compression/power stroke.

 

Here are the #6 lifters.

As you can see, they're not the same height. That means there's some overlap going on.

 

Both dots at 12:00 is #1 firing for almost any cam.

It's easy to tell; you can just spin the motor slowly with a crank socket like the one I posted you a pic of, and watch for the #1 exhaust to open and close, then its intake to open and close; the next time it reaches #1 TDC after the intake closes, it's firing time.

 

Well I guess we'll find out in about a week when Im done putting it all back together.

 

Find an old distributor cap ... a junk cap. Cut huge windows out of the side of the cap so that you would be able to see where the rotor is pointing. Put this cap on and then line up the rotor with the #1 spark plug terminal. You'll know if the alignment is close because you can see it Snug the hold down bolt just enough to keep the distributor from turning easily. Now put your real cap on. This is the best way to align the distributor IF you know that you are firing on #1. Don't take a chance on guessing if you are firing on #1. Just look and see if the #1 pushrods are moving as you are coming up to the Top Dead Center mark on your balancer. If the pushrods are moving at all then you are on #6 firing and not #1. Just for the heck of it you should just rotate the engine around a few times just to watch the pushrods. This will make things more clear for you and also give you a little more experience.

Tim

 

Ya know what. I'm such a dumb ***. I totally worded that wrong.

Both of the dots when I took those pictures were at 12 o'clock.

Sometimes I have constipation of the brain and diarrhea of the mouth.

I will edit it, then go crawl back into my little hole in the ground.

 

thats what I did, I cut my old dis cap and when I had both dots at noon I made sure that my rotor was pointing to the number one plug on the cap and then droped it in the dis hole but I also made sure it was also pointing to the number one cylinder too....

 

you should have the cam gear at 6 and crank gear at noon to get the distributor to line up right. i think that is what you mean when you say both at 12. with crank dot at 12 and cam dot at 12 you will be 180* off. maybe that's why there is a little confusion in what your friends are telling you.

 

when everyone said both dots at 12 or straight up is exactily what they meant. dot to dot or 12 and 6 is finring on #6. both dots straight up is firing on #1 just like everone but jason said.

 

Just to clarify my fumbled words earlier, here's a pic of the timing set up. You can see where the dots were when I checked the lifters.

Well... you can see the dot on the cam gear. The crank gears that come from Milodon have a very small "0", a very small "A", and a very small "R" barely stamped onto them. Something that's hard to see in person, let alone with a camera.

 

i just finished a 402 a week or two ago. i used a cloyes timing set with the 3 key ways cut in the crank gear. each key way has it's own dot, triangle, and square timing dot. each key way is differant, one is rounded, one pointed and other flat. to install my cam straight up i needed to use the dot and either the pointed or rounded key way (can't remember now). anyway with my failing eye sight in my old age i used the wrong key way and had the timing cover back on before i caught it.