Hey I need some advice.

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kennythewelder

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Its very easy to stab the distributor wrong. The gears are small and when stabbing it, the oil drive shaft has to be on its proper place too. Check out this video, but I dont use the paint mark he shows on the dist shaft. I just turn the rotor enough so that once the distributor seats down, the rotor is pointing to #1. You can see how the rotor turns as he stabs the distributor. Look close at this.
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kennythewelder

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Look very close at where the rotor is pointing once the guy in the video pulls it up and shows you how it turns as he pulls it. Once the distributor is pulled up word, and the rotor stops turning counter clock wise, lool very close where the rotor is pointing. This is where you will need to set yours to start with, so that once it is seated all the way down on the intake, and the rotor has turned back clock wise, it is pointing to # 1 plug wire. I was going to take a few pics for you but once I opened my sheed, and pulled out my box with the 2 old distributors in it, nether one have a rotor on them.
 

Diptenkrom

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this one is just a pain as it is in the back and hard to get to. i had the same issue when i did my intake gasket. was 180 out. i just pulled the distributor back out, rotated the motor until i got it to the mark again, and put it back in. was in the right place at that point. runs fine now.


a suggestion:
in future you could set TDC BEFORE pulling the distributor (Rotor pointing right way) that way you know whether is it at TDC on intake or exhaust.
 

Mattyhewson

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That is the video of me getting it to Top Dead Center and making sure that my finger was over the #1 spark plug hole while someone turned it over. Did basically as the video required.
 

kennythewelder

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Distributor is not lined up rite. Without being there to check it my self, I cant say if its off 1 tooth, or 180 out. Did you pull the valve cover, and check the valves on #1 on TDC to be sure they are closed? That would be the next thing to do, before you pull the distributor again. Pull the valve cover and line the engine back up on TDC on the compression stroke, then pull the distributor cap and see where the distributor is pointing, or find someone who has done this before to help you. The reason the engine wants to keep running, is because the distributor is out of time with the crank.
 

Mattyhewson

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Yeah it seems like it is a hard thing to get it right. I didn't pull the valve covers off because I would have to get the power steering bracket off again and that was a long process of getting it on and off.
 

kennythewelder

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Yeah it seems like it is a hard thing to get it right. I didn't pull the valve covers off because I would have to get the power steering bracket off again and that was a long process of getting it on and off.
Its really hard to say without being there, but it looks to me like it is off 1 tooth. Thats why I said line everything back up to TDC compression stroke, check the valves to be sure, and see where the rotor is pointing. It has to be pointing rite at #1. Rite at the point on the corner of the distributor base like it is in the pic I posted last night, and the angle of that edge need to line up with the lower intake like on the last video I posted. Everything has to be just rite for it to run.
 

kennythewelder

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This is where someone who has done it before can be a big help. Even if it is on an old Chevy small block.
 

kennythewelder

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Oh, and dont give up. Once it is in the rite place the truck will run.
 
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