Installing the distibutor: looking at the engine from the front, the first cylinder on the right front is TDC. When I drop the dist and rotor in the rotor should point to the cylinder correct?

Harmonic balancer: What is the correct wat to put it on?

Thanks
Tony

 

TDC of which stroke?

Borrow the tool and avoid headaches.

 

1) not sure, machine shop just said it was TDC.

2) I have a harmonic balancer puller, is there a Harmonic balancer installer? Or is there another way of using the puller to use as an installer?

 

yes there's a harmonic balancer installer, it thread into the crank and has bold on the outside that presses the balancer on

 

Or use the best tool in the shop, a hammer!

Ive done it to a few of my junker motors but you are best off renting the tool and doing it properly.

 

if you choose to do the hammer route (which I've done but don't recommend) clean the crankshaft and dampner then lube the **** out of it. Get a block of wood and tap GENTLY.

 

It's impossible to know how to set up the distributor without what piston is TDC firing. Either set/reset it to #1 TDC firing yourself, or call the shop and get the information out of them.

Don't whack on the balancer. Rent/buy/make the tool.

 

If they set the cam "dot to dot" and didnt roll it over any the engine as tdc of #6

 

when the shop did my engine...yes the motor was set up for tdc where the dizzy should point to the front right cly if your looking at the motor from the front...i dont know if everyone does it that way, but my machine shop did

 

The piston is at the top, should the valves be open or closed to have it ready to install the distributor?

 

I have done this several times.

You want to install the dizzy with the #1 piston at FIRING TDC. You know that it is firing TDC when the rocker arms on #6 are rocking, then#1 has to be at firing TDC. Just drop in the dizzy,, the rotor will point to the post which goes to #1 cylinder. (edit: Both valves on #1 must be closed) With that said, you can actually drop in the dizzy and have the rotor point in any direction allowed by the gears. Most builders drop in the dizzy so that the rotor points toward #5.

 

you can make a harmonic balancer installer very easily, just get a piece of all thread like 6 inches long with the same treads as the balancer bolt, 1.09$ home depot, and a nut that fits it, 0.10$ big washer, 0.10$. Thread the all thread in, put the balancer over the all thread, put a really big socket over the all thread, put on the washer, and put on the nut. Just spin down the nut till the balancer is pressed all the way on. you just made the tool for 1.29$ lot better than running a 100$ balancer and possibly damaging a 150$ crank.

 

Rented harmonic balancer installer, easy as pie and I did not rune the crank a second time, costly mistake! As for the #1 TDC, thanks all. I figured it out. The valves are closed on #1, the piston is all the way up and #6 is a rockin. Thanks all, now trying to finagle that thing back into the engine bay, fun!

 

i hope you have the distributor out for reinstallation. Just for safety sake. I didnt' take mine out when I took the motor out and smashed it all to ****.