The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Any tips on installing a rebuilt distributor?

I'll be replacing the distributor in the 216 in my '46 with a rebuilt one. Are there any particular do's & don't's here? Thanks in "advance", (pun intended).

If you are new to doing this i would suggest that you start by locating number one cylinder wire on the cap. .remove cap ,see where it corresponds to the distributor . then mark distributor with chalk in the general local at this spot . remove the number one spark plug . with the coil wire off from the cap end and grounded( better even to remove the positive lead to the coil!),with the cap off now ,then tap the starter with a remote switch or cross with a screwdriver (for experts only,Ha)to turn the motor, with your thumb on the plug hole until you feel the compression in the cylinder push your thumb. then turn the motor by hand ,watching the rotor until it reachs the exact point where the #1 wire is. check for the timing mark,just to see if all is ok with your motor and for reference later if you goof this up!! .are these on the flywheel? ,im not sure,then remove the holddown bolt for the distributor ,remove carefully pulling straight up ,watching how it comes out and install the new one exactly the same . it may not go down flush to seat completely but it will engage in the camshaft . tapping the starter motor again slowly it should drop into place ,once it has lined up with the oil pump. this is the basic method for most motors but i haven't done a six in years .time accordingly and enjoy!

I have wondered this before about some valve adjustment instructions too. If you have the distributor pointing at wire #1 and the flywheel timing ball is lined up, then why do the finger on the sparkplug hole trick? Isn't it already on the firing stroke?

The ball lines up with the pointer twice on each cycle. If you don't put your finger on the spark plug hole, you could drop the distributor in with the engine 180 degrees off the TDC..

I like to use the procedure in the service manual and watch the # 1 intake valve rise up ( close ) then continue spinning the flywheel until the ball lines up with the pin.

Whatever works..

Ok, but what I never understood is that the distributor turns twice as well?

I would have lined up the ball on the flywheel with the distributor pointing at #1. Take the old distributor out and replace with the new one without moving the engine. Is this not correct?

Your procedure is correct ofcourse if the engine has been moved for any reason, but why would you to just replace the distributor?

Tony M,

"I would have lined up the ball on the flywheel with the distributor pointing at #1. Take the old distributor out and replace with the new one without moving the engine. Is this not correct?"

What you describe works for me every time.

"Ok, but what I never understood is that the distributor turns twice as well?"

The distributor turns one full revolution for two full revolutions of the crankshaft (the timing gear at the end of the camshaft takes care of this reduction).

Tim

So tell me Tony M, did you learn something here or are you still resisting the facts ?

Well, I was hoping you learned not to move the engine when replacing the distributor.

It seemed you guys were saying the distributor could be pointing at #1 and not be on a firing stroke. I thought this was incorrect. So, it seemed to me the finger on the sparkplug hole was unnecessary when just replacing the distributor. Unless it was broken ofcourse.

So, I guess we confirmed what I knew.

will a engine evan run whith engine 180 off TDC? :confused:
would be funny if all tonyMs trucks were driving around whith timeing 180 off

Nope engine won't run with distributor in half a turn off.

When I was in high school, I pulled the 265 in my '55 hardtop and had it rebuilt. When I went to install it in the car, I didn't put my finger in the spark plug hole and got the distributor in 180 deg off.

I was working on a dairy farm after school and I was doing the work in the machine shed. When I got ready to start it, it kinda popped but not much else. Well with pickup handy, we decided to give it a push down the road since the battery was pretty close to dead. For some reason, I left the air cleaner off during this little exercise, probable because it was getting dark and I wanted it to run.

We'll we got it out on the road and up to about 20 mph and I pulled the powerglide into drive. It promptly belched a pillar of flame about 6 feet high out of the 4-bbl. In the near darkness, it DID get my attention. Put a new wrinkle in the seat cover..

I had it towed to a shop the next day and got to pay real money for that lesson in how to install your distributor.

Thanks for the advice...points well taken. This puts a cap on my questions, in a condensed format, too. I'll have to break from here now, 'cause No.1 is callin' out firing orders to me right now and if I don't keep my timing right, I just might hear a backfire!

well i'll come back in on this . if you dont need to pull the valve cover and you want to be sure ,use the ol finger .i guess i forgot to say what someone else just said ,the mark comes up twice.i have done it wrong ,too in my earlier years and got a good laugh reading your tale of the flame.when things have been removed (timing gears ,distibutor ) it's always good to understand all the above . actually you could put the distributor in six ways and then just move the wires accordingly .always nice to know it was in right when you take it out!check the manual for the proper location of the cylinder wires

All of the above answers are correct especially if you do not have a distributor in the engine. If you are swapping a rebuilt one for the old one that is allready in the engine, why not just remove the cap and rotate the engine so that the rotor is pointing to a particular spot such as the fender or engine block, and then remove the distributor and replace in the exact position. You don't have to know TDC or exhaust/intake valve location, IF the engine was running before taking out the distributor. You will have to fine tune the engine after installation.