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Need desperate help with distrubitaror.
- Thread starter Bjero
- Start date
JerryC
Active member
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2014
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- 726
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- Vehicle Year
- 1988
- Vehicle
- Ford
Assuming the motor is the truck and you have no idea where the distributor was pointing when it was pulled, or somebody rotated the crank....
You have to find TDC on the #1 cylinder.
Pulling the valve cover and watching the valves is one way. You watch the intake valve open and then close and you will be near TDC.
Another way is use a TDC tool to find TDC. This is basically tool that screws into the spark plug hole and has a wire that moves when the piston hits it. You can just use a really long wire (long enough so that it wont fall into the cylinder. and a smooth end to not scratch the piston or cylinder). You'll find TDC this way, but you wont be sure if you have TDC on the compression stroke or the exhaust stroke.
You could try the distributor and if it doesn't run then rotate the engine until you find TDC again and try the distributor again.
Also if you could use air to see what stroke you are on. Screw an air line from a compressor (or use a nozzle on the air hose) into the spark plug hole and reverse the engine rotation slowly. On the compression stroke the intake valve will open and air will come back through the intake. On the exhaust stroke you'll get air out of the exhaust.
Hope that helps....
You have to find TDC on the #1 cylinder.
Pulling the valve cover and watching the valves is one way. You watch the intake valve open and then close and you will be near TDC.
Another way is use a TDC tool to find TDC. This is basically tool that screws into the spark plug hole and has a wire that moves when the piston hits it. You can just use a really long wire (long enough so that it wont fall into the cylinder. and a smooth end to not scratch the piston or cylinder). You'll find TDC this way, but you wont be sure if you have TDC on the compression stroke or the exhaust stroke.
You could try the distributor and if it doesn't run then rotate the engine until you find TDC again and try the distributor again.
Also if you could use air to see what stroke you are on. Screw an air line from a compressor (or use a nozzle on the air hose) into the spark plug hole and reverse the engine rotation slowly. On the compression stroke the intake valve will open and air will come back through the intake. On the exhaust stroke you'll get air out of the exhaust.
Hope that helps....
If you have someone to help you, take the #1 spark plug out and hold your finger over the spark plug hole. Then have someone "bump" the engine over on the starter until it "farts" air out onto your finger. Then you know you are on the compression stroke. From there it is best to put a wrench on the nut in the crank pulley to slowly turn the engine over until you get the piston to the top of the cylinder, or at "top dead center." It should be at top dead center when the mark on the crankshaft pulley is lined up with the 0 degree timing mark, but sometimes those are off a little so you can verify by using a piece of wire or a screwdriver to find when the piston gets to the top. From there you can take the cap off your distributor, turn the rotor to line it up with the stud for the #1 spark plug, then drop it in. From there get your timing light out and fine tune it