Z1 (TDC) location on '87 Carrera

zorin · 09-09-2009, 06:31 PM

Hi,

I have been reading many posts in this forum and other ones regarding location of Z1 (TDC) on my '87 3.2 Carrera engine.
I see 4 notches on the pulley, two of them are about 30 degrees apart, the other two are 120 degrees apart. I though that Z1 mark is the one on the left of the two marks 30 degrees apart but when I set my cylinder 1 firing to that notch the engine barely revved and stayed up.

Thanks

Flat6pac · 09-09-2009, 06:38 PM

Sounds like you have the distributor off a cog, the rotor is suposed to be coming up to mark on the dist. edge at TDC, not past it.
Bruce

zorin · 09-09-2009, 06:58 PM

Thanks Bruce,
So Z1 is the one to the left of the two closest to each other?
I made sure the right edge of the rotor points to the notch on distributor body. It did not help.

mthomas58 · 09-09-2009, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zorin

Hi,

I have been reading many posts in this forum and other ones regarding location of Z1 (TDC) on my '87 3.2 Carrera engine.
I see 4 notches on the pulley, two of them are about 30 degrees apart, the other two are 120 degrees apart. I though that Z1 mark is the one on the left of the two marks 30 degrees apart but when I set my cylinder 1 firing to that notch the engine barely revved and stayed up.

Thanks

Dumb question from a Valve Ajustment Noobie

ChrisBennet · ChrisBennet's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by zorin

Thanks Bruce,
So Z1 is the one to the left of the two closest to each other?
I made sure the right edge of the rotor points to the notch on distributor body. It did not help.

Yes, Z1 is the left of the "double" notch and the distributor rotors right edge will be nearest the (rather hard to see) notch in the distributor housing.

The way I remember which notch is which for the 3.2: I think of the right most notch as the "Z1 is coming up" notch.

Could you give us a bit of history of what happened before this? Did you have the distributor out because you just rebuilt the motor for example?

-Chris

zorin · 09-09-2009, 07:21 PM

Thanks Guys.
I lost the 3.0L engine I had before this (broke a rod) so I replaced it with '87 3.2L engine.
I did make sure that the right edge of rotor is point to the the notch on dizzy when the left notch on the pulley is at 12 o'clock position. But the engine ran horribly.

rick-l · 09-09-2009, 07:32 PM

Here is a picture. I had this question last week on my 88.

930 Timing Marks For Valve Adjustment

zorin · 09-09-2009, 07:50 PM

Thanks. Here is the photo of setting I have I have. I guess I am off by few degrees.

zorin · 09-10-2009, 04:28 PM

WHich part of the rotor need to be alligned with the nodge, the left, the right or the centre? In my case the engine runs smooth only when the left side of the rotor is alligned with the nodge at TDC.

Flat6pac · 09-10-2009, 06:19 PM

Zorin, I m missing something.. you have a 78/79 distrib running on a 3.2 CCW thats why your leading edge of the rotor is coming up on the left first.
You must have changed the crank drive for the dist.
Bruce

zorin · 09-11-2009, 05:58 AM

The distributor runs clockwise, I have not changed anything on it myself. Its part number is 0237 306 001. Maybe it was before I bought it. Forgive my ignorance but doesn't 3.2 run clockwise?!

What I have noticed is that when I point the timing gun on the pulley, I see that the 30 degree notch moves clockwise as I increase the RPM which is when the distributor is advancing.
If the engine is turning CCW, that means that the Z1 TDC mark is the left notch of the two 30 degrees apart notches on the pulley, which contradicts : 930 Timing Marks For Valve Adjustment

zorin · 09-11-2009, 09:49 AM

I just confirmed that the engine runs clockwise as well looking at it from the back of the car.

zorin · 09-11-2009, 04:46 PM

The distributor turns clockwise. (looking from the top)
The engine turns clockwise.
However,when I use a timing gun to check, as I increase the rpm I see that TDC keeps going right (clockwise), which I guess it means retarding. This does not sound right to me, but the engine seems to run and rev well.

E Sully · E Sully's Garage

You seem to have the wrong distributor for the engine.
The DME sets the timing for ignition for the 3.2. I don't know how that distributor will affect the engine. The Z1 mark is the notch to the left, TDC Cyl. 1
The coil looks wrong also. Do you have the DME ignition or an earlier one running the engine?

911st · 09-11-2009, 08:20 PM

I have to replace a cam line on my 85 so I have to remove the distributor.

I am guessing that on the pulley there are three marks that are 120 deg from each other (at each third) that represents the TDC for the different cylinder phases.

Plus there will be one additional mark that represents about 35 deg spark advance before one of the TDC marks.

That advance mark comes up before the TDC mark for cylinders number 1 & 4. this is the Z1 mark.

The crank turns clockwise so the advance mark will be to the right of the Z1/TDC mark.

I guess I first line up the distributor mark and the rotor center line with the pulley at TDC for cylinder 1 (Z1).

Then I can remove the distributor to replace my cam oil line and just put it back.

Dose that make sense?

-------

In the case above, I am thinking having the pulley on Z1 is not enough to set up the dist from scratch. It also has to be at TDC for cylinder number 1 other wise it might be TDC for cylinder 4. Thus, there is a 50/50 chance of getting it right if one dose not check for cylinder #1 being at TDC. If it is wrong, one just needs to turn the motor over 360 deg and reset the distributor with the lines matched up.

zorin · 09-12-2009, 01:39 AM

No DME on the car. The engine is running with Zenith carbs. No computer or any electronic part.

E Sully · E Sully's Garage

I would think that you are going to need to have someone set up a distributor for you with a custom advance curve for your setup. When mixing and matching ignition components it gets complex.

E Sully · E Sully's Garage

911st, You have the right idea. Verify the flywheel notch lines up with the engine centerline while piston #1 is at tdc, then install distributor. Note in pic below, manuel states rotor will not be exactly lined up with notch in housing. DME automaticaly sets timing.

911st · 09-12-2009, 01:14 PM

E Sully,

Outstanding!!!

To confirm, on a 3.2 Carrera I want my rotor pointing as your posted pic with the motor at Z1, not centered.

That is per factory procedure?

This is so good to know.

Assuming the mark on the distributor is perfectly lined up with the number one spark plug, I guess that makes sense as the motor dose not fire at TDC at idle and or there might be some rotor advance already at idle speed.

E Sully · E Sully's Garage

The pic above is from the factory manuel. Line up the notch shown in red, not yellow, on the pulley exactly with the centerline in the case, then install the distributor. It might take a couple of tries to get the distributor gear to catch at the right point. Use a new o-ring on the dist. shaft. On the stock setup, the DME sets the timing using the sensors mounted on the engines flywheel, unlike the points on older engines