Distributor 180 off? (1 Viewer)

[Dogfinder6]

71 40 has been down a while. Got it all back together, lots of crank, no fire, even with starting fluid. It has spark. I wondered if it was spark at the right time. At TDC, the rotor was pointing at the #6 plug, not the #1, does that mean its 180 off? Tried rewiring the plugs 1-to the six spot, then the firing pattern - still nada, but could be flooded from all the fuel I've been dumping down the carb.

Thoughts?

 

[LandCrusher'70]

If you’re on the timing mark (TDC), verify the no.1 piston is at the top of the stroke (remove the spark plug and use a chopstick to ‘feel’ the piston). If it is not a the top, rotate the crank another 360°, and you will be TDC. Check the distributor then for the correct alignment.

 

[Dogfinder6]

If you’re on the timing mark (TDC), verify the no.1 piston is at the top of the stroke (remove the spark plug and use a chopstick to ‘feel’ the piston). If it is not a the top, rotate the crank another 360°, and you will be TDC. Check the distributor then for the correct alignment.

Yep, verified with chopstick, #1 is at the top of the stroke. but the distributor rotor is pointing at the #6 wire....

 

[cruiserboy14]

I had the same problem. It was driving rough and the dizzy looked off. My mechanic told me it was off by 90*. Distributor and engine work pretty good now. All that’s left is to straiten out my carb.

 

[Dogfinder6]

I had the same problem. It was driving rough and the dizzy looked off. My mechanic told me it was off by 90*. Distributor and engine work pretty good now. All that’s left is to straiten out my carb.

What did you do to correct? Remove and realign the distributor, then wire it all up right? Shouldn’t just reordering the plugs 180 degrees solve the problem?

 

[cruiserboy14]

No. I tried that and nothing!!! Don’t try it. If you just move the wires to match it, it’s not moving in sync… your still off 180* from gears to spark. We had to re-align the distributor.

 

[LandCrusher'70]

Yep, verified with chopstick, #1 is at the top of the stroke. but the distributor rotor is pointing at the #6 wire....

Okay, bear with me. I wasn’t clear / complete with my instruction.

You could be TDC on the exhaust stroke (Which would point to no.6).

You hit TDC twice during a normal engine cycle. Compression & Exhaust. When on exhaust, your distributor will point to cylinder no.6. Compression, no.1.

Rotate the engine again 360° with your finger over the spark plug hole on cylinder no.1. If the rotation to TDC causes your finger to ‘blow off’, you are on the compression stroke (TDC). The distributor should be pointing at cylinder no.1 at this point.

 

[Steamer]

This diagram might help. You must be TDC on compression and not TDC exhaust.
They make a whistle tool that will determine which is which. “HERE”

 

[skidplate]

^^

 

[3_puppies]

Shouldn’t just reordering the plugs 180 degrees solve the problem?

yes, you can move the plug wires around so they are all off 3 positions, I picked up a parts rig wired like that years ago, it ran fine.

to avoid confusion in the future, you should probably fix it correctly tho.

 

[middlecalf]

If you pull the valve cover cylinder #1‘s intake and exhaust valve rockers will wiggle when at TDC on the flywheel and on compression stroke (both valves are closed on compression hence no pressure on them from the rocker arm so the springs are working to keep them closed). @Steamer ‘s photo then applies. If they don’t wiggle and #6’s do while on TDC then you‘re one rotation off on the flywheel.

 

[Shark56]

Shouldn’t just reordering the plugs 180 degrees solve the problem?

If you are truly 180 off. Swapping the plug wires, 1-6, 2-4, 3-5 should allow it to fire. While not proper, I ran one two years like that until I got around to re-stabbing the distributor.
Did you remove the distributor while your were working on it?