Painless Dizzy Install
Thread Starter
|
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
Got a reman Cardone distributor for the 292 today. While the engine runs pretty good, the dizzy in there now has a LOT of miles on it. Am looking forward to see how this thing runs after getting everything dialed in.
Sometimes though, people find it difficult to get the rotor lined up because of the helical gear, finding TDC on the #1 cylinder and such.
But, the distributor doesn't care where the #1 cylinder is, only that the firing order is correct. Seems to me, so long as I can live with the #1 wire possibly starting somewhere other than as indicated on the distributor cap, installation could be a lot less hassle?
Pull cap, mark where rotor is pointing. Transfer mark to same point on new dizzy body. Remove distributor, finagle new one in so body lines up same, and rotor lines up exactly on mark. Sound like a plan or is there an advantage to doing everything according to Hoyle?
Sent with smoke signals using IB AutoGroup
Sometimes though, people find it difficult to get the rotor lined up because of the helical gear, finding TDC on the #1 cylinder and such.
But, the distributor doesn't care where the #1 cylinder is, only that the firing order is correct. Seems to me, so long as I can live with the #1 wire possibly starting somewhere other than as indicated on the distributor cap, installation could be a lot less hassle?
Pull cap, mark where rotor is pointing. Transfer mark to same point on new dizzy body. Remove distributor, finagle new one in so body lines up same, and rotor lines up exactly on mark. Sound like a plan or is there an advantage to doing everything according to Hoyle?
Sent with smoke signals using IB AutoGroup
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,389
Likes: 58
Getting it lined up with the 1 on the distributor cap does help when trouble shooting down the road.
It's pretty simple, really. I think what happens is that the oil pump drive does not alway line up exactly which prevents the distributor from seating fully. If this happens, You will have the distributor in far enough to tell whether it will line up with #1. Hold the distributor and bump the starter and it should drop right in.
It may also help to mark the crank damper before you pull the distributor, particularly since old worn dampers are not really reliable on Y-Blocks. That way, if you mess things up while the distributor is out, you know where everything was.
It's pretty simple, really. I think what happens is that the oil pump drive does not alway line up exactly which prevents the distributor from seating fully. If this happens, You will have the distributor in far enough to tell whether it will line up with #1. Hold the distributor and bump the starter and it should drop right in.
It may also help to mark the crank damper before you pull the distributor, particularly since old worn dampers are not really reliable on Y-Blocks. That way, if you mess things up while the distributor is out, you know where everything was.
Thread Starter
|
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
Hm.. That makes sense, the part about troubleshooting. Replaced the damper just the other day, so that isn't an issue. Suppose will start out trying it the right way.
The #1 Cylinder on a 292 Y block is the front cylinder on the passenger side of the block, correct? Maybe should do this now, have the fan and radiator out now, plenty of room to put thumb over the hole and turn the crank, lol. The cap isn't lined up correctly now anyway so starting from scratch can give me all kinds of opportunity to make mistakes ha ha.
Are there any clearance issues on a Y, with the dizzy at the back of the block it's pretty close to the firewall. Should be a cusser. This "new" Cardone is sure purty and all spiffy. My current setup is a Pertronix Ignitor and Flame Thrower coil. The new dizzy has points and condenser already installed, the plan here is to leave them installed for test purposes and swap over the stuff later.
Sent with smoke signals using IB AutoGroup
The #1 Cylinder on a 292 Y block is the front cylinder on the passenger side of the block, correct? Maybe should do this now, have the fan and radiator out now, plenty of room to put thumb over the hole and turn the crank, lol. The cap isn't lined up correctly now anyway so starting from scratch can give me all kinds of opportunity to make mistakes ha ha.
Are there any clearance issues on a Y, with the dizzy at the back of the block it's pretty close to the firewall. Should be a cusser. This "new" Cardone is sure purty and all spiffy. My current setup is a Pertronix Ignitor and Flame Thrower coil. The new dizzy has points and condenser already installed, the plan here is to leave them installed for test purposes and swap over the stuff later.
Sent with smoke signals using IB AutoGroup
Thread Starter
|
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
Bought this on eBay, a standard brand replacement. Pulled it out of the box and noticed the coil wire insulator is sort of chipped or rough instead of smooth finish. Will that cause arcing or other problems?
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,389
Likes: 58
#1 is front passenger side.
There should not be any clearance issues.
I don't think the distributor cap will cause problems. It's hard to tell from a picture. If it was purchased as new, I'd see what I can do about getting a good one, though. If it wasn't new, then new brass terminal caps should be pretty easy to find.
There should not be any clearance issues.
I don't think the distributor cap will cause problems. It's hard to tell from a picture. If it was purchased as new, I'd see what I can do about getting a good one, though. If it wasn't new, then new brass terminal caps should be pretty easy to find.
Thread Starter
|
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
Thanks Charlie Seems like it should be OK, but wanted to make sure. Just replaced drive belt, heater hoses and radiator hoses and dropping radiator back in, maybe start with dizzy next.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 106
Likes: 0
Make sure to double check the distributor's shaft length against your current dizzy. I had to buy and return two distributors and finally the third one was correct.
Trending Topics
Thread Starter
|
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
Yep, checked everything carefully against another dizzy on hand. Everything is exactly the same, mostly. There is an O ring that isn't part of my spare. A couple differences. The one installed has a tiny oiler spout w/ cap, lubes the distributor shaft, I guess. Guess that was deleted at some point? The Reman doesn't have metal fittings for the vacuum advance, so will have to use rubber hose, Is there a specific type of hose recommended? Thanks for the help folks!
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make
Brett Foote
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!
Michael S. Palmer
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home
Verdad Gallardo
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!
Joe Kucinski
2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?
Brett Foote
2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package First Look: 12 Things You NEED to Know!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Most Surprising 2026 Ford Truck Features!
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Ford Trucks Coming to Mecum Indy 2026
Brett Foote
5 Best / 5 Worst Ford Truck Wheels of All Time
Joe Kucinski
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,389
Likes: 58
It sounds like you have a Motorcraft, rather than an Autolite, which is good. There are quite a lot of differences between the two but the Motorcraft is good because you can get quite a few different advance mechanisms from the junkyard, from small blocks and big blocks, and that gives you many easy tuning options. It is also very easy to convert to Duraspark.
If your hard line is still good, you can just trim it and use some vacuum hose to take up the space between.
If your hard line is still good, you can just trim it and use some vacuum hose to take up the space between.
Thread Starter
|
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
Ok, sounds good, wondered about the advance curves and such. So long as it runs good at stock specs that will work for me.
The more I think about it the dizzy that is installed now must be pretty worn. It has at least 90k on it minimum, maybe more. There is a slight miss now and then at idle that could never track down. Engine pulls 19-20 inches of vacuum and no valve issues, Have maybe 10k or so on the rebuild. Cheaped out on the dizzy though on the rebuild, that was a mistake.
Replacing the points with Pertronix seemed to help with performance and idle, bet that's because it is a lot more forgiving of slop in the dizzy shaft.
Supposed to be 48F today, going to read up on general distributor changeout one more time and hopefully get started today.
The more I think about it the dizzy that is installed now must be pretty worn. It has at least 90k on it minimum, maybe more. There is a slight miss now and then at idle that could never track down. Engine pulls 19-20 inches of vacuum and no valve issues, Have maybe 10k or so on the rebuild. Cheaped out on the dizzy though on the rebuild, that was a mistake.
Replacing the points with Pertronix seemed to help with performance and idle, bet that's because it is a lot more forgiving of slop in the dizzy shaft.
Supposed to be 48F today, going to read up on general distributor changeout one more time and hopefully get started today.
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,389
Likes: 58
The stock curve is terrible. If you have the means, tune it. First of all, confirm that it is Motorcraft. Then remove the points plate and see which advance mechanism is installed. It will have something like 18L on one side and 13L on the other. The numbers correspond to distributor advance (double that for crank advance).
You want 24-26 crank degrees by 3000 rpm or so for a stock to mild build with about 12-14 initial. So from here, you can either install it and see what it actually does with a tach and timing light, or you can go ahead and turn the mechanism so that the smaller slot is engaged and then see the rate of advance provided by the springs. You will need a spring kit to adjust the rate of advance.
Your thoughts about the Pertronix are what I have observed. Absolutely no perceptable difference between a good, fresh points distributor, and a noticeable difference on a sloppy, worn out distributor. I am curious if you will notice the same thing.
You want 24-26 crank degrees by 3000 rpm or so for a stock to mild build with about 12-14 initial. So from here, you can either install it and see what it actually does with a tach and timing light, or you can go ahead and turn the mechanism so that the smaller slot is engaged and then see the rate of advance provided by the springs. You will need a spring kit to adjust the rate of advance.
Your thoughts about the Pertronix are what I have observed. Absolutely no perceptable difference between a good, fresh points distributor, and a noticeable difference on a sloppy, worn out distributor. I am curious if you will notice the same thing.
Thread Starter
|
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
Well so far things are going "painless".. Almost too good..
Pulled the #1 plug (looks good, too) stuffed my thumb in plug hole and TDC came up on the damper first pull of the ratchet along with a rush of air. Rotor points directly at the #1 tower on the cap. Already had the wires marked as to firing order.
Removed hold down bolt and clamp, and with just a little persuasion came right out! Gonna swap over the Pertronix to the new one, be cause it's easier off the engine. Better get off my behind and see how this goes.
Pulled the #1 plug (looks good, too) stuffed my thumb in plug hole and TDC came up on the damper first pull of the ratchet along with a rush of air. Rotor points directly at the #1 tower on the cap. Already had the wires marked as to firing order.
Removed hold down bolt and clamp, and with just a little persuasion came right out! Gonna swap over the Pertronix to the new one, be cause it's easier off the engine. Better get off my behind and see how this goes.
Thread Starter
|
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
Ok. It dropped right in, and started right up and sounds and feels really "solid", but it won't idle, have to keep the RPMs up. Guessing I need to advance the timing a little bit right? Have the vacuum port at the carb plugged.
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,389
Likes: 58
If you have not already checked the timing and just dropped everything in, then that could result in an engine that doesn't idle.
If you have timed it the same as before, then something else is going on since it did idle before and since the distributor and Pertronix are all that have been changed so far, I'd start looking there.
If you have timed it the same as before, then something else is going on since it did idle before and since the distributor and Pertronix are all that have been changed so far, I'd start looking there.
Thread Starter
|
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
Yeah finally got it to idle after a bit of finangling and able to get a vacuum gage on it. It needed to be advanced, a WHOLE bunch. Runs Good!!! 19 in. of vacuum, expect will have to back off on the advance some when I get it on the road. Really was painless!
Will have to fine tune the carb but am very satisfied, it idles down to 500 very smooth, before it just wouldn't "hold" a smooth idle., sort of wander and stumble a bit. Going to fabricate a vacuum hose together and take it out on the road! Thanks Charlie and everybody.
Will have to fine tune the carb but am very satisfied, it idles down to 500 very smooth, before it just wouldn't "hold" a smooth idle., sort of wander and stumble a bit. Going to fabricate a vacuum hose together and take it out on the road! Thanks Charlie and everybody.