OK, Here's the deal. As you can see by the pics I have electronic ignition in a 009 distributor. My understanding is that when the engine is at TDC (verified by location on fan) the little notch on the distributor should be lined up with the center of the rotor. BUT, I think the distro might be in 180 degrees out. Should the rotor be pointing towards the driver seat (approx) or 180 degrees away? Also, I see the TDC mark 2 times as I turn the engine over. How is all this supposed to be aligned?
Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment

The nice part is that there is only one way to put in a T4 dist. (drive "gear" is offset to one side) However you may be on TDC of cyl. #3 instead of #1. You can verify by checking valve movement. or just turn the dist. body around and rotate engine one revolution.

After pulling the plug I can put a plastic feeler into the #1 cylinder to determine when it is at TDC. But, how do I know that it is TDC of the ignition stroke and not the exhaust? What do you mean by "turn the distro body aroud? 180 degrees rotated in the engine?

Could just rearange the spark plug wires.
:PERMAGRIN: Joe

I think that's what's been done. The anal retentive side of me wants it to be right. That's why I am trying to decipher the correct orientation of the distributor housing.

There's a classic thread about this.

Here...

don't bet on it ...


i was the lucky one who bought a freshly rebuild 2056 with zero miles that we could never get timed right.
until someone took a light to the dizzy hole and what do you know? the engine builder had put the "gear" in 180 deg. off ...

Andy

Andy,
How do you know if the gear is 180 degrees off by looking in the hole?

my memory is a bit foggy, brad will be able to clarify, but i think it was something like:

if cyl. 1 is at TDC, the "notch" in the gear where the dizzy locks into should be closer to the pass. side of the car, meaning offset to the right from the centerline ...

Andy

There is one concept you need to understand. The engine makes two revolutions for every one revolution of the dizzy. 4 stroke engine eh?

So, you will see the mark on the fan twice for every one revolution of the dizzy. One of those occurances the motor will be at TDC for #1 cylinder. On the other occurance, the engine will be on TDC for #3 cylinder.

Now it's possible that your dizzy drive gear is 180 degrees off, but it isn't likely.

Normally on a stock 914 dizzy, the TDC mark on the dizzy will be pointed towards the driver's seat more or less when the engine is at #1 TDC. With a 009 that isn't necessarily the case. And advance timing will alter the position of that TDC mark on the dizzy. Who's to say exactly how you have that thing timed.

Does the car run? Is there a problem or did you just want to know how everything was supposed to work?

You can check the valve train to see which cylinder is the one on TDC right now. If the notch is up on the fan, and the rocker arms for the #1 cylinder are both loose (the valves are both closed), you're on TDC#1. If the notch is lined up, and the rocker arms for #3 are both loose, you're on TDC#3. If neither one is loose, then something else is going on. (You've got the wrong cylinder numbers, or the fan isn't marked correctly.)

--DD

With valve cover off turn engine until #1 intake rocker pushes intake valve open and then closes, Find nearest marking on timing hole. #1 TDC Achieved, Drop in distributor and turn until it seats itself. Where ever rotor is pointed spin body of dizzy to align #1 marking on dizzy to rotor. Static Time, And start engine.......I would reccomend throwing the 009 away and buying the mallory from jake. I was once a non believer and ran an 009 but what a difference when you drop in the mallory.

Excellent thread. That's what this club is about

I would not use a plastic feeler guage..

I would use a chopstick.

you can also put your finger over the spark plug hole, plugs out, and feel when you get compression....

what i did was put everything 90 degrees off with the spark plugs, so the order shifted from the OE order to something else that i dont remember.

I dunno, ive switched to an SVDA which is good.

Aahh yes... Forgot about that part....I was thinking the actual dist., what's that part called anyway, the offset doohicky on the bottom?

I was assuming the car was running, pulled dist. for the ei and then put back. I have a notes in the back of my Haynes manual about the drive gear drop in.

Was the car running before?

Hey all,
Since I started this thread I thought I'd let you know where I'm at.
1st - The distributor casing was 180 degrees out. So I turned it around, plugged in wires and it works but still not running good.
2nd - hook up my timing light, start the engine, look into the hole...where the heck is my TDC mark ? I shine the light way down into the right side of the fan shroud and I can see my TDC mark about 30 degrees south of where it should be !
3rd - turn off the engine, pull the rocker arm cover and mechanically set my engine at TDC. Look into the timing hole and there is my TDC mark!
4th - Where am I now? Pulled the distributor and getting ready to do the McMark grab the drive and twist. Unfortunately do not own a tappet puller so using the needle nose method or maybe try a magnet? Wish me luck cause I really don't want to drop the washer! Any other words of advise?

Advice? Yes. I still seriously doubt your distributor drive gear is 180 degrees off. Before you try to pull it, check this first.

You keep saying "set my engine at TDC". You need to make sure that #1 cylinder is at TDC. That's what the notch in the top rim of the dizzy is for (#1 cylinder).




You checked that the valves for #1 cylinder were both closed and then you found your timing mark? If so, that's great. Proceed to the next step.

Once you're at that point, pull the dizzy cap and check the position of the rotor. The rotor should be relatively close the the mark on the dizzy. It doesn't have to be pointed *exactly* at it, but 10-15 degrees give or take.

If at this point that mark on the dizzy is pointed almost totally towards the rear of the car, then your dizzy is either not fully seated in the slot in the distributor drive gear...

OR

You distributor drive gear is 180 off.

Now, before you go pulling the distributor drive gear and turning it 180, verify the following:

The drive gear has a slot in the top (that you can see from the pics in the classic thread mentioned earlier) that is offset slightly from centerline. The dizzy can drop into the hole only partially and not be seated in the slot but yet still get 'hit' by the slot in the gear and the car will run, albeit not well. You need to make sure that the dizzy is fully seated in the slot. Look at the slot offset, and the cog offset on the bottom of the dizzy and gauge the relative postion of the dizzy to the slot and then refit and make certain the the dizzy is fully seated in the drive gear slot. If this checks out OK and the dizzy #1 notch is still pointed at the rear of the car rather than somewhere towards the front of the car, then your distributor drive gear is definitely off 180 degrees.

Clear as mud?

I had my dizzy 180 degree out when I installed my new Jake motor. When I hit the sterter button a 4 foot flame would jump out of the header/stinger. Man that was cool. I believe I had it on TDC for #3 and #1 exhaust valve was open when it fired. And no it wouldn't start, it just farted flames.

OK, back on topic....

I guess it would be a good idea to open my garage door then, huh? I don't think the insurance company would like that claim!