Hey guys, did a parts store rebuild (A1-Cardone) electronic distributor just to placehold until I get Duster Idiot's distributor in the mail.. Figured it'd be an easy swap since the car (73 dart with a '60 slant 170 in it) was already set up for the e-dizzy..

First, got it all set pretty much the same way the points distributor was, but forgot the negative coil wire and tried firing it.. Doh.. No spark.. oh, duh. There's one more wire taped up..

Hooked that up, no start.. Hmm..

Repeat about 5 times: cap and wires, pull #1 spark plug, crank until pressure felt under finger puffs (should be close enough to TDC), index distributor back in, rotor points at #1 spark plug.. try it..

...no start..
...backfire (whoa. cool.)
...no start..
finally get it started because I was not 180 out..

Revs up just fine.. Cool.. Time it to about where the marks were..

Do the button up.. Get in the car, put it in drive.. bleh..

Low fire miss.. doh.

It cleans up a bit at speed, but it kicks into 2nd gear and whoa.. it's missing fiercely.. Well, it's got enough to parking space surf..

Don't have access to a degree wheel (or space to use it).. Association frowns on people working on their cars in the parking lot.. :\

Trying to keep this engine together while I get more details about the 225 that is likely to replace it..

So, it brings me back to the original question.. In talking with Pishta68 via email, he says many folks are running around 28 degrees BTDC.. If I unbolt the dizzy, yank it up a bit, and turn the rotor one notch on the distributor gear teeth, how many degrees am I going to net out of that? Right now I'm right at the corner of the adjustment slot, so I figure I'm coming in late.. Twisting the distributor makes it start choking and coughing bad.. So, rotating the rotor one tooth counter clockwise is probably my next shot..

And, forgive me-- I'm not able to visualize, so most of the time I end up having to do stuff like this-- bump the distributor over by a tooth.. hehe..

Thanks guys,

Raj
'73 Slantillac

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Raj
73 Plymodgillac http://www.flickr.com/photos/57785272@N ... 353884166/
67 Valiant V-100 (170ci, 3-on-the-tree, and in exploded view - suspension)
67 Barracuda Coupe (RIP 04-01-2001 to 04-25-2009)

You can always count teeth and divde 360 by that to get the degrees (+/- the adjustment slot on the dizzy mounting plate).

If indexing a distributor without precision instruments:

1) Pull #1 spark plug
2) Pull valve cover or pull oil fill cap
3) Insert finger into #1 plug hole and crank engine over until
finger is forced out dur to compression pressure buildup
4) Check Timing location on damper and tab (hopefully both are
intact)
5) Check Both Rocker arms are loose on #1 (if the plug is firing on #1, both valves are closed, cam is on the base circle and the lash is "loose")
6) insert small wire (6" long-coathanger type) into sparkplug hole, watch the position of the wire, it will tell you where the piston is and if you overshoot TDC
7) once you figure out TDC, check the damper mark and you may need to remark it if old and it has slipped, if 'spot on'...you can roll the engine back to a BDTC amount you are looking for a 'static' setting (0-12BTDC)
Insert distributor and set the rotor to line up with #1 on the cap (should be close to 4 o'clock when looking over the fender)
9) Lock it down, put it all back together and hopefully it's all good (if not you'll be looking for other issues: loose/slipped timing chain, old coil, bad carb, faulty vac. advance pod causing a vacc leak, etc...user error)

-D.Idiot

P.S. your dizzy is on the way...

Thanks, D.I... I'll bring her around tomorrow and yank the valve cover..

Since this is a '60 model year slant, I believe I may have a press-fit dampener on there.. I felt around on the front of the engine and ... there's no bolt.. What's a good way to roll the engine over other than using my remote-starter button and using the starter (minus the coil wire of course)..? I don't think I have a spare v8 harmonic balancer bolt.. I read that I can use a 3/4-16 bolt and washer, but as I recall the crankshaft bolt has a pretty sizable face on it.. I know finding a socket for it was a special purchase.. I'd hate to try to roll the engine over using a hardware store bolt and sheer it off..

Looking forward to seeing the recurved dizzy.. The rubber piece that holds the wiring in place on the parts-store dizzy tore already (might have caught on the rotor.. not sure..) so I'll probably end up having to caulk it with silicone to seal it..

Anyway, thanks again! I hope to get this girl running as well as she did on points, hopefully better..

Raj

_________________
Raj
73 Plymodgillac http://www.flickr.com/photos/57785272@N ... 353884166/
67 Valiant V-100 (170ci, 3-on-the-tree, and in exploded view - suspension)
67 Barracuda Coupe (RIP 04-01-2001 to 04-25-2009)

Most Slants do not have a bolt in the crank. A hardware store bolt will not shear off. If it does, you have way more serious problems to deal with.

Yes, it is 3/4" fine thread.

_________________
Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

Hmm.. Well, got everything set up for 12 degrees BTDC and she still has a bad stumble.. Feathering the throttle helps, but she's still relegated to parking space surfing.. doh.

Any thoughts on what might be causing this? New plugs, plug wires, cap and rotor.. All Slant six dot org recommended goodies.. The coil is an unknown, but I'll be doing the HEI swap as soon as I can figure out why the e-dizzy isn't playing nice..

Would lacking a grounding strap from the body to the engine be a cause? I snagged one off a v8 car last time I was at the yard because it appeared my engine didn't have one.. But, it ran without stumbling with the old points distributor.. Is it possible I got a poorly done rebuild? (I know.. I know..).. In that case, a swap to the junkyard fresh distributor I sent to Duster Idiot should cure that?

Scratching my head a bit on this one..

As always, thanks

Raj
73 slantillac

_________________
Raj
73 Plymodgillac http://www.flickr.com/photos/57785272@N ... 353884166/
67 Valiant V-100 (170ci, 3-on-the-tree, and in exploded view - suspension)
67 Barracuda Coupe (RIP 04-01-2001 to 04-25-2009)