The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop distributor/timing problem

With the dist out and the engine turned from its orig position the only way to make sure you will fire on one and not six after you have dropped in the dist is to take off the valve cover and remove the plugs. That done if you have a 216 or 235 engine slowly turn over the engine by hand and between watching the action of the valves and the pointer on the flywheel you can be assured you are firing on one. For example: As you turn the engine over watch the intake valve (second valve from the front), when it comes to rest you are set to fire on #1 plug. STOP. Do this a couple of times with a friend's finger over the #1 plug hole to confirm. The pointer on the flywheel should also be visible as you sneak up on #1. NEXT: Look down the hole where you yanked the dist. You will see a slot that is where the end of the dist fits. IMPORTANT: If the slot is not parallel with the block take a long screwdriver and put in the hole turn the slot til it is parallel. NEXT: Take the dist and turn the dist til the grease cap thing on the side is about 8 o'clock. Does not matter if its a.m. or p.m. ha ha. Oh well. Put the rotor on the shaft and turn the rotor til it points to about 7 o'clock. Look at the end of the dist where it fits in the slot. Then look down the hole and slowly put the dist in. When it starts to bottom out try to remember the relative positions of the slot to the dist and slowly turn the rotor not the dist til it bottoms out. You know you are in when you can put the bolt in by the octane selector. NOTE: After you get the dist in and the bolt started move the octane selector to zero and tighten the bolt.If the dist is seated correctly the octane selector will be flat against the block. Timing is another story. Let us know if you need help.
Tim