I thought of that, but don't have that much of the electrical system hooked up yet. That will be the fallback plan, though.
Dumb distributor question
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From: Topeka, KS
Dumb distributor question
OK, here's the dumb question of the day. I'm putting plug wires back on my 215-6. Which way does the distributor rotor turn, looking down from the top. clockwise or counterclockwise???
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From: NM
Didn't mean to be flip,sometimes the most obvious thing isn't obvious when you're laying across the fenders! So, with your situation (no electrical) you can turn the engine by the crankshaft with a wrench in the same direction the fan turns (imagine it is a screw, biting into the air at the radiator and pulling it backwards) and see which way the dizzy rotor moves.
Another easier way is to look at the advance can. It pulls in to advance, so it is pulling against rotation. You could also say it points in the direction of rotation.
Another easier way is to look at the advance can. It pulls in to advance, so it is pulling against rotation. You could also say it points in the direction of rotation.
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From: Topeka, KS
I'm just teasing, too, I agree, sometimes the obvious isn't obvious. I'd thought about the advance thing, too, but had myself confused about whether it advanced with more vacuum or less... If it pulls to advance, that'll answer the question. The vac advance can sits at about 5 o'clock on the housing and points tangentially across the bottom to 7 or 8, so the silly thing has to turn clockwise...
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From: NM
You got it! 
You can also tell by looking at the points. The cam always comes from the pivot side of the points, towards the rubbing block.
IS your engine a flathead? I don't recall a 6-banger 215 that was OHV. I had a 53 and it was a 223 OHV.
You can also tell by looking at the points. The cam always comes from the pivot side of the points, towards the rubbing block.
IS your engine a flathead? I don't recall a 6-banger 215 that was OHV. I had a 53 and it was a 223 OHV.
Last edited by ALBUQ F-1; Apr 22, 2007 at 06:28 PM.
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From: Kansas City, Mo
Dist.
You said you were installing the wires, you have the firing order. The rotor has to follow the firing order. When in doubt find #1 and then the next number in the firing order would give the rotor direction of rotation. Have a great day,chuck
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From: Topeka, KS
All the plug wires are gone, so the firing order trick is moot.
And yes, it's an OHV. It's kind of an interesting engine. It's almost identical to the 223. I'm told they only made it the second half of '52 and the first half of '53. The "experimental" Ford OHV, I've heard it called as well. They moved the distributor up toward the front and made a couple of very minor changes when they bumped up the bore to get 223ci. If you see one with the distributor smack dab in the middle of the block on the passenger side, it's a 215 instead of 223. The exhaust manifold also exits straight down instead of angled back. Basically all parts are interchangeable. Since nobody makes 215 pistons overbore, I ended up boring mine out for stock 223 pistons during the overhaul. I actually learned the most about the engine from a local Ford tractor expert. There was an aftermarket company that put the 215 into tractors, very few of them made which makes the tractors very sought-after by collectors. He has one of them and it made the "centerfold" of a tractor book.
And yes, it's an OHV. It's kind of an interesting engine. It's almost identical to the 223. I'm told they only made it the second half of '52 and the first half of '53. The "experimental" Ford OHV, I've heard it called as well. They moved the distributor up toward the front and made a couple of very minor changes when they bumped up the bore to get 223ci. If you see one with the distributor smack dab in the middle of the block on the passenger side, it's a 215 instead of 223. The exhaust manifold also exits straight down instead of angled back. Basically all parts are interchangeable. Since nobody makes 215 pistons overbore, I ended up boring mine out for stock 223 pistons during the overhaul. I actually learned the most about the engine from a local Ford tractor expert. There was an aftermarket company that put the 215 into tractors, very few of them made which makes the tractors very sought-after by collectors. He has one of them and it made the "centerfold" of a tractor book.
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Oh good grief...just when I thought I had it figured out... I'm just gonna have to turn it over and see which way it goes...
Last edited by stewards68; Apr 22, 2007 at 10:31 PM. Reason: typo
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From: NM
Originally Posted by stewards68
Oh good grief...just when I thought I had it figured out... I'm just gonna have to turn it over and see which way it goes...
Flathead V8's turn clockwise.
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