setting the distributor top dead center

Can i put the distributor at top dead center by hand???

I have tried 2 times to set the distributor and it isnt working out to well

any tricks?

 

Sometimes you have to turn the oil pump drive shaft a little to get it so distributor will drop in and turn to desired spot.

 

yup. i think i used a custom made nut driver to reach it and put it in position cause the shaft always tends to fall to the side

 

let me explain whats going on, i can get the distributor in but i cant get it exactly right so it wont backfire.

 

it could be 180 degrees out?

......

 

but how? i set it 2 times!!! lol

IT still runs!, backfires but it runs.

 

thats what mine was doing when it was 180 out.

 

i could always pull the valve covers and watch the rockers lol

 

To check for top dead center take the passengerside valve cover off, the intake and exhaust valve should both be closed with the timing pointer at tdc.

 

sounds like a plan, tomorrow though, im pooped...

 

I use the #6 cylinder - watch the rockers as you turn the engine and as the exhaust comes up and the intake moves down you are at TDC on #1. Then you can drop the distributor in. If it won't go down all the way just put a little pressure on the distributor as you turn the engine over and when the shaft and pump drive line up the distributor will drop in. Timing is close but then you have to make sure that the #1 is where the rotor is pointing when the engine is back at TDC. (it takes two turns of the engine to get TDC on #1 cylinder after it has rotated off. You could turn the engine backwards to a bit past TDC and then rotate it to tdc again but either way you have to be at TDV on the #1 compression stroke - not the exhaust stroke.

 

What always irritated me is that you "think" you have it lined up and ready to drop in, then when the gears mesh, it rotates the pointer to the next plug. So on top of all the other stuff, you have to rotate the rotor and then drop it in and hope it de-rotates back to #1.

I always found that you can just barely lift the dizzy up while putting rotating pressure on the rotor, and feel it skip from tooth to tooth, and catch the tooth that lets it drop down into the right spot.

 

No need to do that, just pull the #1 plug and stick your finger in the hole and spin the engine over, stopping when you feel the compression rise. Then using a breaker bar and socket, rotate the crank to the desired timing setting on the balancer.

 

Agreed that way is the easiest, I was giving him the novice way of doing it. He wanted to look at his rockers anyway