Took the distributor out without marking... Doh.. Total newb

[guidoverduci]

I am a total newb when it comes to this stuff....

I took the distributor out without marking. Can I just put it in and fire it up and rotate it till it works? I have no idea what I'm doing.... If anyone is near Vacaville sometime... Beer's on me if you can help me!

[old69bronco]

Re: Took the distributor out without marking... Doh.. Total newb

All u need to do is take off the cap have the rotor pointing at the number one cylinder anMake sure the number one cylinder is at TDC and adjust if needed that's what I did and worked out for me

[jperry1290]

Re: Took the distributor out without marking... Doh.. Total newb

i used a coat hanger to find TDC bymysef, makes it easy to watch while turning the crank. when you stab the dizzy back in make sure it lines up right with the oil pump shaft. if you dont there will be no oil pressure and it will fall in the pan. you can see if he shaft is hooked up to the pump with a drill, just dont lose the socket. google "installing a 302 dist"

[DirtDonk]

Re: Took the distributor out without marking... Doh.. Total newb

As mentioned, you have to find TDC on the number-1 cylinder. You'll probably need more than a coat hanger or the timing marks the first time around though, as your pistons come up to the top twice in their cycles. You just have to pick the right one, and even though it's a 50/50 chance on paper, it's more like a 90/10 thing you'll pick the wrong stroke! Almost everyone's been there, done that.

Easiest way I've used is to just pull the number one spark plug (passenger side, front) and put your finger over the hole while the engine is being rotated. Either by a helper with a wrench, or if you're talented in a pretzel kind of way, you can do it yourself.
You can also do this with a helper turning the key or you using a jumper on the starter relay, but doing it by hand is more controllable.

With your finger over the spark plug hole, feel for pressure building up and trying to blow past your finger. When this starts to happen, watch for the timing marks to come up to the pointer.
When it gets to the zero mark, this is Top Dead Center on the compression stroke.

This all assumes of course, that your engine is unmolested and your timing marks on your damper are correct for the front cover and pointer mounted to the engine. Since Ford used several combinations thereof, you could be sunk before you begin.
Let's hope anyway...

Once you're there, rotate the distributor rotor to point at, or near enough to, the number one spark plug wire terminal on the cap. This can be anywhere, but is usually between 12 and 2 o'clock position on the cap.
You're usually limited in just where the distributor will sit due to the vacuum advance pot needing some clearance near the front. Somewhere in the middle of all that is the sweet-spot.

As mentioned, the distributor shaft mates up to the oil-pump shaft down inside the block. It's a hex-shaped shaft, so you might have to fight things a bit to get the two shafts to line up, while the cam and distributor gears try to mesh.
What this means is that you can either use some kind of a tool to turn the pump shaft, or offset the distributor a bit when you insert it, then rotate the engine some more until the gears mesh and turn things until they align. It's a little dance you have to do sometimes, but it's not that hard once you get the concept.

Oh, and just in case, crankshaft rotates clockwise, distributor shaft rotates counter-clockwise.
If you work it until your brains are almost fried, then it goes in one position off and you don't want to take it back out, you can correct that by moving the plug wires one position over to get the number one plug back in firing order.
As long as the wires are in the correct order for your engine, and the rotor lines up with the correct terminal when the piston is in the right place, the engine doesn't really care where the order starts.

Good luck.

Paul

[DirtDonk]

Re: Took the distributor out without marking... Doh.. Total newb

By the way... What were you doing that you had to pull the distributor? Anything else changine on the engine that we need to know about that might effect what you're doing?

Paul

[guidoverduci]

Re: Took the distributor out without marking... Doh.. Total newb

Thanks guys. I'm still a little worried about trying this. I am a total newb. I understand the steps up until after felling pressure in the #1 cylinder. What and where are timing marks?


I removed for an intake manifold install.

[JimGo]

Re: Took the distributor out without marking... Doh.. Total newb

If at any time you hear a sound like something fell down into your oil pan STOP! your oil pump shaft fell into pan, and you will ruin engine running it this way.

This video is for Chevy, but it shows what you need to do. Your Ford engine has the #1 cylinder at the passenger side front of engine. Hope this helps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHX1yXVyIMg

[guidoverduci]

Re: Took the distributor out without marking... Doh.. Total newb

Ugh. I still stand by my original post.. Lol. Anyone know a mechanic that makes house calls? I'll pay! I'm in Vacaville.

[jperry1290]

Re: Took the distributor out without marking... Doh.. Total newb

I live down the hwy in suisun city. However between graveyards, ot, and a new baby I m not sure we I will be free to drive to vacaville. I just used the haynes manual and the advice given from the members here. I am a very mechanically inclined person so reading it didn't help. Watch the video a few times or watch other vids online. very simple. The haynes book has step by step drawings.

[DirtDonk]

Re: Took the distributor out without marking... Doh.. Total newb

And in case you start to tackle it again, the timing marks themselves are on the outer ring of the harmonic damper. Down behind the belt pullies.
Adjacent to that, there "should" be a small pointer bolted to the front of the engine. Usually it's opposite of where the water pump hose comes out. It'll point right to the edge of the damper ring.

The problems arise when the motor has been modified or swapped in from another vehicle with a different orientation. If that's the case here, you might have to do some digging. And if that doesn't turn up, punt...

Paul

[guidoverduci]

Re: Took the distributor out without marking... Doh.. Total newb

Ok, I'll try it! I've got the pointer... What mark do I line it up with?

[DirtDonk]

Re: Took the distributor out without marking... Doh.. Total newb

Zero degrees would be fine to start, but if you're able to get the distributor's trigger wheel to right about the point it's passing the pickup (you can see those under the rotor) while the rotor is pointing at the number-one spark plug wire, you can actually turn the damper so that the pointer is roughly at 10 degrees BTDC (before top dead center).
Depending on what markings your damper has on it, that would the the 10 mark just clockwise to the zero mark.

With luck, you'll even be able to see those marks without a wire brush, telescope, neon paint and yellow glasses.

That gets you near enough usually. If it doesn't start sparking at the right time to start the engine at that point, you can twist the distributor a few degrees in each direction to see if that helps.

Paul

[guidoverduci]

Re: Took the distributor out without marking... Doh.. Total newb

Thanks! Last thing before I crank it... If I'm totally off, will it mess anything up? If it starts, am I just listening to how it idles? What things am I looking for once I decide to try and start it?

[DirtDonk]

Re: Took the distributor out without marking... Doh.. Total newb

Thanks! Last thing before I crank it... If I'm totally off, will it mess anything up?

Not permanently. Just won't run for crap (or at all) if it's off a bit more than it can handle.
If it's off completely, like if you had the distributor in 180 degrees off, then not only won't it run, but it'll likely start spitting out the carburetor just to laugh at you.
That lets you know pretty quick that you're way off.

If you're off just a bit (say a few degrees), it should run fine. Just not up to full potential. You probably have 15 degrees or more of leeway.
Of course, vacuum leaks can cause it to spit and not start too, so if you've gotten anything amiss during the re-install of the manifold, it could act up as well. Crossing fingers...

If it starts, am I just listening to how it idles? What things am I looking for once I decide to try and start it?

Idle is a good indicator, but unfortunately with the work you've just done, LOTS of things can mess up your idle. Since it's a "system" where several pieces of the puzzle have to work together, you have to have your timing light hooked up and ready, the distributor hold-down clamp just barely snug (so you can spin the dizzy by hand) and be ready to use three and a half hands to fiddle with things to keep it running while you mess with it.

The good thing about timing though, is that it's set-and-forget at least initially. With the vacuum advance disconnected, your timing light will tell you exactly where it is. Put it somewhere in the middle, like 8 to 10 degrees BTDC, and you're in the sweet-spot.
Then you can tighten the hold-down clamp and move on to other things if it won't idle right. Things like carb settings and vacuum leaks.

Good luck,.

Paul