Dizzy Install Question: What the heck happened?, Somehow the rotor got lined up to the #4 position Options

[kpfoten]

Hello,

I was installing my new SVDA dizzy tonight when I think something got screwed up...

I had the 009 bumped to the #1 cyl position (notch on the dizzy), removed it, and put the new one in--I initially had some trouble getting the base to line up into the notch, but after I finally seated it, the rotor now seems to be pointing to the #4 position (directly towards the front of the car). I initially thought the notch was toward the #1 position (about 2 o'clock on the 009), and it seems I somehow moved it to the 12 o'clock position as I tried to install the new dizzy.

I didn't think it was possible to do such a thing?? Is there something I'm missing?

[Kirmizi]

Where's the timing mark on the fan or flywheel pointing?
Mike

[kpfoten]

Hey Mike--

I was under the car and made sure the punch mark I had on the flywheel for (the opposite of) TDC was lined up at the bottom of the flywheel.

I guess the option I have is to remove the dizzy, put the car in 5th, jack-up one side and check the flywheel/fan again and rotate if necessary (although I don't think my fan has marks on it for some reason).

Where's the timing mark on the fan or flywheel pointing?
Mike

[VaccaRabite]

You are 180 degrees off.

Zach

[type11969]

The dizzy is installed and seated properly? In other words, the offset on the engagement hub matches the offset on the dizzy drive gear? If so, you could pull the hub off the bottom of the dizzy and rotate it 180 degrees. Or, you could simply rotate the wires two positions and forget about it. The engine doesn't care how the dizzy is lined up as long as the wires are in the right order and that this order follows after the number 1 wire fires the number 1 spark plug at (more or less) TDC. Where the rotor is at that time is inconsequential.

-Chris

[kpfoten]

Where is the rotor "supposed" to be pointing? I thought it was the 2-3 O'clock position (if 12 is the front of the car)? That's where the notch of the 009 was lined up anyway...

The dizzy is definitely seated all the way--

Thanks for the help!

[r_towle]

Stock motor, Stock dizzy the number one cylinder lines up in a straight line between the passenger side rear edge of the deck lid and the viewing hole on the fan shroud...

So roughly speaking 10-11 oclock.

You know the bottom of the distributor is offset, right.
It can only be installed one way.
If you managed to get the drive gear set wrong you have the option to change that, or as the previous poster said, just ensure you are on the number one TDC marks, check that via the plug hole with a piece of wire (not a chopstick) and then just wire up the distributor cap so you retain the proper firing order....simple.

Rich

[kpfoten]

Thanks--I'll check it out! One thing I know is that it's securely in place--there is no movement of that rotor.

[kpfoten]

Okay--here's what I found out:

The notch at the top of the flywheel is lined up, indicating TDC. The rotor is pointing in the 10-11 O'clock position. I've got the plug wires where they're supposed to be on the cap. I think the PO had the wires on the cap lined up with the notch on the distributor, which they thought (and I later thought) was #1. The notch was in the #4 spot, but this is where the #1 plug wire was located... Come to think of it, when I rotated the wheel to put it to TDC, I don't know if I looked to see where the rotor was, initially...

They got me all damned confused!!

[r_towle]

Okay--here's what I found out:

The notch at the top of the flywheel is lined up, indicating TDC. The rotor is pointing in the 10-11 O'clock position. I've got the plug wires where they're supposed to be on the cap. I think the PO had the wires on the cap lined up with the notch on the distributor, which they thought (and I later thought) was #1. The notch was in the #4 spot, but this is where the #1 plug wire was located... Come to think of it, when I rotated the wheel to put it to TDC, I don't know if I looked to see where the rotor was, initially...

They got me all damned confused!!

What notch on the distributor, show a pic.

Rich

[Joe Owensby]

Why don't you compare the location of the rotor button notch on the new dizzy to the position of the offset drive bar on the bottom of the dizzy to see if it is different between the new and old dizzy's?

I bought a new Mallory dizzy, and the relative position of the rotor button was off by 1 cylinder when I installed it. I wondered if I had screwed up, so I pulled it back out and compared to the original dizzy. Yep, the notch for the rotor button was rotated by 90 degrees compared to the original. I think this may be the same as you have. I just rotated the wires on the dizzy around to match up with the number 1 at top dead center. Just turned over 3000 miles today with no problem. Ready for an oil change and valve adjustment. JoeO.

[kpfoten]

Joe--you know, that may be what's going on. I didn't pull it out to check, but I put everything together and fired it up--no problems whatsoever (minus the fact that I still need to time it)

Rich--I'll try to get a pic of what I was talking about--the notch on the lip of the body of the dizzy. Like looking over a coffee cup with a small line notched into the lip. It apparently is used to mark something?

Now, after timing and carb adj, I should be ready to go!

Thanks everyone for the input

[ChrisFoley]

The line on the top edge of the distributor body is supposed to represent #1 but it really isn't important as long as you are able to time the engine. Since the distributor drive gear can be re-indexed the line often no longer represents #1, and the plug wires get moved around.

WRT the Mallory, Ed (ejm) discovered that they don't all come from the factory with the same indexing. The pin for the drive cog and the flat for the rotor do not have a pre-determined relationship. It seems like shoddy manufacturing practice to me but doesn't really affect the functionality of the unit. It only is an issue if changing one dizzy for another in the same car.