After my rebuild i need to know if this looks right. When i was putting it together i thought i fallowed the instructions of tom Wilson's book. But i may have done something wrong. With the piston at top of stroke the red mark it lined up but the rotor is between 1and 2 at the cap with the mark on the dizzy pointing to the case deciding line. If you look close there is a mark to the left of the red one and that correspondence to a factory mark on the opposite sidethat i thought should be showing with the piston at the top. But its not showing but the red one shows. The mark on the flywheel is dead center though. Can someone guide me from here? The motor is a 1.8Lt, 96 pistons stock crank, scat cam for carbs, 34 ict dual carbs. Thank

Here r some pics

Another

I'll let others comment on the mark.....

You should take the caps off both sides of the advance can if you are not going to use it.

The way to verify if you are on TDC of the firing stroke of the #1 cylinder - pop the valve cover off the #1 side and both rockers should be loose. If not, spin the engine 360 and check again.

I will check to be sure im on the firing stroke. But if it is then all the marks and rotor is in the proper place. Is that right?

Why? If the advance is not being used it should not matter if the ports are capped or open.

Jim

It looks to me like your distributor is clocked incorrectly.
I don't have anything here to reference at the moment but I think it should be turned about 75 degrees clockwise, the vacuum canister should point toward the oil file/breather.

You mat also have to lift a rotate the distributor drive gear to get the distributor to orient correctly. There are some pictures around the show the angle of the slot in the drive gear relative to the case mating line. And the slot in the drive gear is offset to one side slightly and is not always easy to discern.

Jim

I will be using the advance. Just no need to put the hose on yet. I may be pulling it once i figure out where the rotor should be pointing and if thats the correct mark showing down in the hole. That is the mark towards the front of the car. There is a sight v notch in the hole on both sides in the hole. If i turn it just a litte further there is a mark that shows in the v on the other opposite side of the fan. I looked on this site a lot for the answer but i will keep trying. The book daid to put the notch on the dizzy at 12 o'clock to the case dividing line. Thats why i have the dizzy oriented the way i do. Im not saying thats right though. Just seems like the rotor should point at that notch or numher one on the cap.

I think the timing mark is your advance, not tdc. should have a mark with a "0" I think

The benefits of being a parts whore..

See the TDC 0 in white and the red advance mark?

This is stock positioning of the distributor.

Click to view attachment

Jim

Never ever cap your advance even if you are not using it. As McMark says - tell your friends

914fun,

Your engine looks good. How did you get the engine case so clean? Or is that finish paint?

Sorry but I don't see a reason not to.

If you are just using one side of the vacuum canister then you shouldn't cap the other side air needs to be able to go in and out of the unused side.

If the vacuum advance is not used, then capping either or both sides will have no impact on any other function of the distributor. The mechanical advance does not move the vacuum advance mechanism.

Jim

It will limit the advance plate unless the arm is disconnected with the little circlip.

But if you are running carbs why use the stock dizzy?


Get an electronic programmable dizzy and don.t look back.

IMHO

I agree if you are using Carbs and no vacuum advance, why the stock distributor.

I was trying to understand your reasonong for "Never ever cap your advance even if you are not using it."

If you are not using the Vacuum advance then you actually want to limit the advance plate, it is only used by the vacuum advance. If you disconnect it from the vacuum canister then it would be free to wander around within its range of movment and your time could be very inconsistent.
But you do not need to cap teh ports on the vacuun canister, just leaving it connected and the ports open will limit the advance plate via the springs inside the vacuum canister.

The mechanical advance is done by weights and springs under the advance plate and it rotates the top of the distributor shaft, moving the cam that opens the points, in relation to the points.

Jim

Thanks. I used high heat paint just on the very top but not on the whole motor. I hope it will hold up or it will look wears than if i just left it alone.

Im not sure why but my fan markings dont look looke yours. I confirmed i am at tdc in my pictures. Piston at the top and valves closed.

I have read that the 1.7 and 2.0 is timed different than the 1.8. I have the 1.8. But now with carbs and cam and bigger cylinders. Besides not knowing where the rotor should be pointing at tdc, once i get it all going how do u treat the timing, like a 2.0 or 1.8? Still have stock 1.8 crank so im assuming time it like a 1.8. I read the different ways on pelican parts.

So since i know um at tdc then i know the rotor is wrong. Its now at #2 on at cap and it should point to #1. So i will pull it tomorrow. Thank you all for chiming in.