Distributor timing problem

[Thack]

When I bring my fan marker to TDC, the dist. rotor points to cylinder 2 o4. So I have to put my no. 1 cylinder wire where 4 should be and then 4,3,2 follows accordingly. What is going on? As long as the no. 1 cylinder is at the no. 4 spot on the dist. cap the timing light finds the mark on the fan.
I have what I think is a '76 2.0 d-jet motor.

Mike

[jamcleod]

if it was me, i would verify the dist is installed correctly, that is, follow the factory manual to set up the distributor drive gear (the set up is something like bring to TDC then set dist drive gear at a 12 degree angle to the seam in the engine case) then the dist is installed and the rotor should point to #1. this is kinda recommended because the vacuum advance dashpot position may not allow the correct timing as it might hit something on the engine case that prevents it from being positioned correctly for correct timing.

[Thack]

The only way the distrib will go in at indicated TDC is when the groove lines up with rotor positions 2 & 4. The groove does not line up to 12 degrees from engine longitudinal. It lines up at 2:00 and 7:00 o'clock. Can the Ccms be put in incorrectly? Or perhaps the drive gear that orientates the distri. drive groove?

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Ccms? Whazzat?

The distributor driveshaft--the part that has the gear on the end and the slot on the top--can be installed in many different orientations. If you remove it, be careful not to lose the washer on the end of the shaft; sometimes it likes to fall out of the distributor shaft bore and into the engine... Not a happy thing!!!

When you have the TDC mark up at the top, check your rocker arms. Both of the rockers on one cylinder should have some slack to them--that is the cylinder that is now at TDC. You can re-arrange the wires on the distributor cap such that the wire going to the current TDC cylinder is hooked up to the distributor cap tower closest to the current position of the rotor, and the car [b]should[b] run OK.

You might, however, run into problems getting enough of a range of motion to set the timing properly. The vacuum advance dashpot might hit the fan shroud or the engine tin before you can get the timing correct.

Or you can set the engine up to TDC#1 and pull the distributor driveshaft out (a pair of external snap-ring pliers can do this, though some people use a pencil!) and put it back in, using the orientation in the manual. Note that you have to twist the shaft as it comes out, and it will twist again on its way back in! And be careful of that washer.

--DD

[Thack]

I meant cams Dave. All I saw at the end of the distrib. driveshaft was a round key that fits a slotted groove. Any real gears are not seen. Hence I can only put in the distrib. in two different positions. I took it out to do the accu-fire /compu-fire pointless distrib. modification. I'll take some pics tonight.

[Thack]

My distrib looks like this but alot dirtier.

Mike

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Like I said, there's a separate part--the "distributor driveshaft" that has a gear on the bottom and a slot on the top. The slot, BTW, should be offset so it is very difficult (if not impossible) to put the distributor in 180 degrees out. ...But it has been known to happen...

Anyway, go check things as I described in my post above.

--DD

[Thack]

Sorry I'm slow Thanks so much. What would we do without you? (Put in my dizzy 180 degrees out!)

Mike