78 distributor rotation direction
 

I have a 78 engine on a test stand and I want to run it on the stand prior to putting it in the car. This is my first sc engine. Right now I am diagnosing a no spark condition. So I was checking the distributor with the cap off and the rotor rotates counterclockwise, both with the starter and by hand with a wrench on the alternator nut. The Bentley clearly states that rotation is clockwise. There is an arrow on the distributor body that points ccw, and the sticker under the engine lid indicates ccw.
I did a search on this forum, and there is one thread back in 2002 that indicates ccw rotation in sc's is correct, but there are lots of other threads that indicate cw is the correct rotation, but not specifically for sc's. The dist number is 0 237 304 06/PGUF6
Anyone? Thanks in advance!

That is pretty well known error in the Bentley. It should read CCW.

Bentley has an update on their website: https://wiki.bentleypublishers.com/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=12910636

Mark

78-83 SC' are CCW.

has there ever been any explanation as to why this was done for the SC? more trivia than required knowledge I guess...

It is an odd thing. Maybe someone screwd up the drawing and too many parts were ordered before they figured it out? I'd be interested in knowing too.

This design change cost me an air box last week. The bright side of it is that I get to drop my engine again so I'll be a pro now.

Thanks for the answers and the discussion. Hopefully, if this question occurs again, this thread will pop up during a search.

These distributors also feature a pinion with a unique pitch to it if I recall correctly. It just means you always want to retain your OEM distributor with the early '78's and be sure the pinion matches its counterpart in the engine.

CW or CCW
 

Could it be so simple as placing the wires in the opposite direction? Pinion gear will not interchange?

How why would the guys have done this?

Porsche has a history of changing things so updates and back dates are difficult to impossible. The CCW distributor is one example.