Distributor Drive Orientation

[Clatter]

OK,
I’ll admit it..

Not too proud to ask.

Been building these things for years,
And have driven a pin out of a distributor drive foot too many times now.
Lost track of what is correct..!

In the Bentley,
They have this grainy pic of how to install and orient the distributor drive.
And, I’ll be damned if it’s any use!


Is that pic showing this right here?


Or do i have my distributor drive in 180 degrees out??

[wreck]

That looks right to me . But as long as the rotor lines up with a contact in the cap and the vac can clears everything , then it really doesn't matter . just make sure it's #1 cylinder at the top of the compression stroke and the rotor is lined up with the lead to #1 .

[twodollardoug]

Yup, what wreck said... You're probably going to end up reclocking it anyway.

[Clatter]

So nobody else knows either!

I feel better now.


Yeah,
I know i can drive the pin out of the distributor drive.
Been doing it for years..
That’s why what’s right is clear out the window now.

Because i have flipped the foot on of all my distributors,
There’s no way to tell by what’s here,
And,
Having just bought an 050,
And it’s 180 out from that works..

So,
Either i bought a flipped one,
Or most of mine are wrong.

Trying to have a “come to Jesus” moment.
Where all of the distributors will reconcile with the scriptures,
See the light,
all sins will be forgiven,
And we will follow the true way faithfully forevermore.

[sideshow]

Re-clock-pinning is such a PINA I don't know any reason to do that.

If the vacuum can or clips don't clear, just mis-wire the HT leads offset of normal. I would (but never have shapie/tape/paint) mark the new number one and get one with life for the short term. This gives you choices of +/-90° and 180°
Once happy and I was feeling up to pulling the drive gear per the bently

[twodollardoug]

Agreed. Reclocking is always risky. If you drop one or both of the shims your dead in the water. Fortunately I have never lost a shim during the procedure but the risk is always foremost in your mind.

[Clatter]

So you guys don't know the truth either, huh?

Repent!

I've had enough of this.
From here on all of my motors are to be built correctly!

Will take my entire box of distributors, and put their feet and wires in the 100% correct orientation.
No more monkeymonkey with drive foot pins, switched leads, and cans hitting the fan shroud..!

Every motor will be built correctly from here on out.
Every distributor will fit without modification.

Enough of this nonsense forevermore!

At least,
Er,
Um,
If I can figure out what's actually correct, here..

[Clatter]

2056
Full dynamic balance
ARP rod bolts
Worked S heads
Beehives
Web 163/86b
9:1

It looks foolish with the distributor facing backwards like that..

[wreck]

That should be a lot of fun .

There should be a notch on the edge of the distributor near the Vac can , the line in the centre of the rotor should line up with it at #1 . Now that is if you are using a type 4 distributor with stock cooling . With 009's the mark is in a different place ,not sure on a 050 .

I couldn't fit my distributor in the Type 4 factor clock position on my bus engine because the Sharp 911 shroud with the duct for the cooler got in the way .

it really doesn't make any difference to how the distributor works because the points cam and rotor position doesn't change .

[Bruce.m]

OK,
I’ll admit it..

Not too proud to ask.

Been building these things for years,
And have driven a pin out of a distributor drive foot too many times now.
Lost track of what is correct..!

In the Bentley,
They have this grainy pic of how to install and orient the distributor drive.
And, I’ll be damned if it’s any use!


Is that pic showing this right here?


Or do i have my distributor drive in 180 degrees out??

Had a look at a different manual.
Yes, that’s correct. Specifically says the small segment on the top of the drive gear, goes towards the outside of the car, NOT towards the case centreline. (12 degree angle as you know, at TDC)

[Clatter]

Big thanks to Bruce.m for the correct info.

Got around to checking a bunch of distributors in a box here,
And almost all of them were setup to work with the drive clocked as above.

What happened was, that I got an old 050 from a guy to try out,
And for whatever reason he had the foot flipped 180.

So that started this whole 'self doubt' thing, enhanced by a useless picture in the Bentley..!

Love this place.. Thanks for being here gentlemen.