Any Chevy V-8 gearheads here?? Easy question for you!

[maluckey]

I took a break from arguing in AT P&N and was finishing an intake manifold gasket install and noticed that the distributor will not seat all the way. I have never worked on any American V-8. What's the issue here? I am trying not to force it in, because it would seem to be the wrong way to go about it. FWIW, to my knowledge the distributor was not rotated after leaving the motor, nor was the crank rotated.

Any tips or pointers would be great.

Mark

 

[Demon-Xanth]

You might need to twist the rotor a bit to line the teeth in the gears up.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

...just make sure you line it up right!

 

[sao123]

yeah... the gear teeth are slanted...

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you must rotate the distributer to seat it properly...

 

[maluckey]

I can get it to mesh with the gears by turning it about an eigth of a turn, but not to seat all the way in. Maybe I need to see if the oil pump gears are lined up. I should be able to see through the opening if this is the case (I think)

 

[maluckey]

Dumb question now that it started up. Wheres the #'s on the distributor cap. It's running a little rough, though I check that the sequence is right.

 

[CaptnKirk]

Was there a drive slot on the end of the distributor shaft at the very bottom, below the splined gears ?

Many distributors take their input into an oil pump, and the slotted tab inserts and drives the pump from there.

If it's running 'rough' you may have the gear set either advanced or retarded by one tooth on the gear drive.
You may have to pull it, run it back - or forward - by one tooth and try it again.
If you're off by a tooth, you won't be able to move the distributor adjustment through it's entire range.

 

[ManyBeers]

It's not seating because the oil pump slot isn't aligned. Use a long screwdriver and align the oil pump shaft with the slot in the distributor.

 

[maluckey]

Yeah, there was a drive slot in the end of the shaft. It lined up and it's now seated. It started all easy enough, but it's running very rough. I was wondering if the motor would run if the plug wires, though in proper sequence, were one to the left or right in rotation?

 

[sao123]

I'm pretty sure after changing a distributer, a timing adjustment with the timing light is mandatory.

 

[CaptnKirk]

You may still be one tooth out on the distributor, but it may smooth-out,
if you move the distributor forward of backwards slightly in it's timing adjustment slot.
If it does smooth-out like that, you are almost certainly one or two teeth out of correct installation - don't forget about the oil pump drive.
How about vacuum lines, put them back on ?

Second question - did you remove the plug wires from the distributor ? (and leave them alone on the spark plugs)
If so, you may have a 'miswire' and are getting either crossfiring or firing out of phase.
FIRST - find out which is the NUMBER ONE terminal on the distributor, mark it (if not already marked)
then follow around in the direction of rotor rotation to make sure that the firing order is correct.

Chevy V-8, what motor - there should be a on-line manual to define the firing order sequence

 

[maluckey]

I have everything on, and adjusting the timing does little at all. I may have it miswired at the distributor cap. There are no markings on the new cap, and the old one is long gone with trash day being yesterday.

Who'd have thought that the hardest part of the job would be this part?? BTW, at least there are no leaks!

 

[CaptnKirk]

You may have to re-set the distributor in the engine and correct the tooth alignment

 

[maluckey]

I'm just going to reset everything from scratch. Also, inside the cap I noticed some corroded terminals. I figure that it wouldn't hurt to replace the cap and rotor.

Thanks everyone (alot) for the info. :beer:

 

[CaptnKirk]

Originally posted by: maluckey
I'm just going to reset everything from scratch. Also, inside the cap I noticed some corroded terminals. I figure that it wouldn't hurt to replace the cap and rotor

Good idea !

 

[maluckey]

Everything is up and running. The shaft WAS turned. I found this because of the distance that I had to rotate the cap to smooth out the idle. I removed the distributor and rotated it one tooth the other direction. Even so it ran less smoothly than it used to. After replaceing the cap, all is AOK. and it runs just fine.

 

[cavemanmoron]

Originally posted by: maluckey
Everything is up and running. The shaft WAS turned. I found this because of the distance that I had to rotate the cap to smooth out the idle. I removed the distributor and rotated it one tooth the other direction. Even so it ran less smoothly than it used to. After replaceing the cap, all is AOK. and it runs just fine.

:thumbsup:

 

[Iron Woode]

This is why I love my mopar distributor so much.

It fits in and its either dead on or 180 degrees out. Its basically foolproof.

 

[maluckey]

That is also the reason that I love distributorless ignition. as your timing belt/chain is at TDC you are god to go.