I am helping a fellow teener with his valve adjustment. His distributor is off 180 degrees off making the notch at the dizzy cyl 3.
With that said, at TDC the rotor points to 7 o'clock instead of 1 o'clock .

Assuming that I am using the procedure on the pelican, based on the fact that TDC opens cyl 1. Now that TDC is at 4, should I adjust the same way or should I adjust assuming that TDC is 3?

I hope I didn't confuse the reader,

Well you did! I'm not even going to wrap my head around that one. Why not correct the dizzy. Only a 10 min job!

...either fix the dizzy...or do the "Rory method", and not have to worry about the dizzy.

....but more importantly, where you at? who you helping?? someone new in the tristate area...

Hi Paul
Bring any piston to the top of its stroke. Feel for clearance at both valves. Adjust these valves after verifying that the rockers on the opposite cylinder are at overlap.(one opening while the other is closing)
The rotor is 180 out ?
Unless you have a way to lift and rotate the drive gear for the distributor the easiest remedy is the following.
Verify TDC #1 cyl A.. piston at top of stroke B.. groove on fan rim visible at notch C.. clearance at both intake and exhaust valves.
Now if you're lucky the rotor is pointing at a terminal on the cap.
Attach the #1 wire to that terminal.
The other three continue around the cap in the firing order. 1-4-3-2 (confirm direction of rotation)
Or call that guy that Ray mentioned.
It is a 4 cyl. right ?

Ok Crew,

Using the capt'n method

"Turn until Rocking: Adjust:

#2 Ex & #3 In #4 Ex & #1 In"

to my understanding when rocked the valve is open ad shown in the first picture.
Click to view attachment

All went well until I get to the last set

"#3 Ex & #4 In #1 Ex & #2 In"
then the #2 intake looks abnormal (See pic 2), no matter how much I unscrew the bolt, there is no space for the gauge.

Click to view attachment

What am I doing wrong?

You're not at the right place if you can't get a gauge in there at all. The valve is almost certainly open. Look at the same valve on the other side of the engine--the intake on the #4 cylinder. That valve has to be open if you want to adjust the #2 intake using the Cap'n's method.

If #4 intake is open, then #2 intake either has the pushrod hung up on the edge of the lifter, or the #2 intake valve seat has dropped. Hope that it's the former...

--DD

WTF?

Why are you making this so hard.

It's a four lobe camshaft.
8 valves use those four lobes.
The two valves opposite each other share the SAME lobe.

Rotate the engine until you see a valve fully open, spring is fully compressed...rock it back and forth to prove it to yourself.
Then.....
Adjust the valve on the opposite side of the motor...
It will then be sitting on the bottom of the lobe....in the exact position it needs to be to adjust it.

Don't look at the dizzy, don't think about TDC, don't think about what part of the stroke you happen to be at during this adjustment.

Just think,about one thing.
If one valve is open, the other is closed....

Rich

...the voice of reason....

I turn the motor untill I observe an exhaust valve close and as the intake begins to open on the same cylinder, I adjust both valves on the opposing cylinder. Then follow the firing order around the motor.

The Approved Methods are one of two--neither of which is the one you describe. At least, not precisely.

The "book" method involves setting a cylinder to TDC, so there is slack in both the intake and exhaust rockers, and doing the adjustment that way.

The Cap'n's method involves rotating the engine until a valve is open all the way, then adjusting the same valve in the cylinder on the opposite side of the engine.

--DD

That's how I do it. I put a remote starter buttton on the car, and pull both valve covers. Then I bump the motor until the front exhaust valve opens on the right side, and adjust the left front exhaust valve. Then bump it until the left front exhaust valve is open and adjust the right front exhaust valve.

Then I just repeat the process as I work my way to the rear of the car.