lets say you replace a distributor, and the rotor isnt exactly in the same spot ( maybe a notch to the left or right ) would it start up and run? If so is it a bad thing?

She seems to be running fine, but with a new distributor, coil, plugs, and ignition module its hard to say. Its runs and sounds a little different. The first start after the distributor change the new Starter Solenoid must of got fried or something cause the truck didnt start, but the starter wouldnt shot off (had to d/c the battery). I put the old Solenoid back in.. then it fired up. The new Starter Solenoid did work fine for several starts b4 the new distributor.




Thank You

 

moving the rotor to the left or right would cause the timing to either advance or retard. Would it run? Depends how far in either direction you went.

Don't know about the starter problem.


Dr_j

 

Im guessing it was advanced a notch, after setting the timing the Vacuum Control is off to the left more so then before. Not a problem I hope!

 

It all depends on how far you can turn the cap to time it. If you can still point the rotor (when at TDC) to the number one wire then it isn't a problem at all.

I ended up with this problem once and couldn't get the distributor timed because an aftermarket vacuum advance was hitting something. I just moved all the wires one place clockwise and ended up with all the room in the world.

If you wanted to turn the rotor 180 degrees it would run fine as long as you moved the wires 180 degrees as well. Makes it harder to fix things down the line if you forget that you moved it all 180 degrees though.

Or how about this...suppose you are a shop teacher with a cocky student who thinks he is the best mechanic ever. Point the rotor 180 degrees off and move the wires like I said. Start the thing up and show the student that it runs ok but don't tell him about your little switcheroo...Now take off all the wires and hand them to him with a tech book. Tell him he has an hour to put the wires on and make the thing run. If he really is any good he will notice that it is out of time when trying to start it then go through the manual process of finding top dead center and discovering the distributor is in backwards.

 

(depends on how far you can turn the cap to time it)

I was hopping that was the case, thanks for clarifying that.


as for the aftermarket vacuum advance mine was hitting the A/C bracket, so i cut a slot in it. could have just pulled it out and rotated it aliitle. Im in learn as you go mode, and was just happy I got the thing running again. Oh well you live and you learn.