Dan Juday Posted August 26, 2001 Share Posted August 26, 2001 What's the easiest way. Way back in January when I slid the motor in I pulled the distributor so as not to damage it. Guess I should have marked it. Oh well, help me out guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLKMGK Posted August 26, 2001 Share Posted August 26, 2001 Okay... I've had a HELL of a time doing this on a SBC. Pull #1 plug - forwardmost driver's side plug. Place finger over hole. Crank the motor until you feel compression build and stop cranking. Turn motor over until TDC is indicated on the damper. Insert distributor such that rotor points to #1 plug wire. Note that it will turn about 1/4-1/3rd of a turn as it goes in and make sure the oil pump driveshaft is lined up with the distributor as it goes in. This is how I've done Fords and how I tried my Chevy. I couldn't get it right! I suspect that my damper may not be indicating TDC or that I'm looiking at the wrong mark. IT's not got numbers but is an SFI damper so not a piece of junk. My next step is to order a TDC "stopper" from Jeg's or Summit and a timing tape. I'll get it one way or another... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike C Posted August 26, 2001 Share Posted August 26, 2001 Take off the drivers side valve cover. Rotate the engine either by hand or with starter. When the intake valve closes, it is on the compression stroke. Rotate the engine around until the mark on the balancer aligns with the TDC mark on the cover. Install distributor. Wherever the rotor is pointed can be #1 or you can rotate the oil pump driveshaft with a big screw driver and continue stabbing the distributor until #1 is where you want it. Whether on compression stroke or exhaust stroke, their will be air pressure against your finger, just using the "finger in dike" method is no guarantee you are on compression stroke, you have to make sure of what stroke you are on, thus removing valve cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Juday Posted August 26, 2001 Author Share Posted August 26, 2001 How about this: Pull #1 spark plug. Rotate the motor until balancer is at tdc. Put a rubber hose (like fuel line) into plug hole and blow on the other end. If you can hear air blowing through the intake or exhaust manifolds rotate the motor 360* and try again. If you are on the compression stroke both valves will be closed, right? If on the exhaust stroke both vales will be open at tdc (overlap), right? What do you think? will this work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Night_rider_383 Posted August 26, 2001 Share Posted August 26, 2001 Mike C... I got to call you on that one bud. The compression stroke will force air out the plug hole while the exhaust stroke will try to suck your finger (i use my thumb) into the hole. Also please help me to understand this "Wherever the rotor is pointed can be #1" From my understanding of engines on a chevy #1 is on the right hand side just below the power, tach plugs on an HEI dist. If that rotor tip is pointing at #8 next one below #1 the engine will afterfire, backfire, drag when starting, will not crank, etc and this i know cause i have done it many times in the past Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
labrat Posted August 26, 2001 Share Posted August 26, 2001 I think what mike c is trying to say is as long as the firing order is correct, you can just send that wire to number one, nextone to 8, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike C Posted August 26, 2001 Share Posted August 26, 2001 Correct. If the piston is at TDC on the compression stroke, whatever terminal on the distributor the rotor is pointed at can be #1. Then in order 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 for the rest. On the exhaust stroke with the spark plug out, air will go out both the open valve and the spark plug hole, but pressure will be less on your finger because it is split between the two. The intake stroke and the power stroke will pull your finger in, but how could that happen as the piston is going up on the compression or exhaust stroke? I stand by my original post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLKMGK Posted August 26, 2001 Share Posted August 26, 2001 I've always been told that when you fwelt pressure it was the piston coming up on compression but since I've had so much trouble with this myself I'm obviously NO expert. As for the #1 position on the cap - it can be ANYWHERE - usually. The ONLY time this matters is when the engine uses a cam sensor fo rEFI firing. Some setups are sequential and sequential setups need to know where the cam is. Often times this will be done with the distributor but NOT always. If it's a carb you can do whatever you want on the cap. In fact if the wires are long enough and you're off by a tooth on the distributor you can move the wires around to get it right without removing the distributor again. One other way to do this - ASSuming the TDC mark is correct. Bring engine up to "TDC" and stab in the distributor. Crank engine. If it backfires through the carb then it's 180 out, remove distributor, turn the rotor 180, reinstall. It SHOULD be right however this didn't work in my case and we had to play "distributor bingo" to get things "right. PITA Chevy! Ford has always been easier fo rme an dI've never had to pull out a distributor on a small block Ford changing intakes either... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Juday Posted August 26, 2001 Author Share Posted August 26, 2001 Hey, Mike C. No argument on the distributor alignment. But what about my proposal? Is it a fool proof way without removing the valve cover? Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike C Posted August 26, 2001 Share Posted August 26, 2001 I don't know for sure Dan, but it seems reasonable as long as your hose sealed tight to the spark plug hole...and you have good lungs and hearing I have always done it the way I described, by pulling a valve cover. One thing about all of these methods is we are assuming the TDC mark on the balancer is correct and that is not always so. Proform makes a cover for the stock balancer that is degreed and bolts to the damper between the pulley which should guarantee location of TDC mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Juday Posted August 26, 2001 Author Share Posted August 26, 2001 Well, I have a couple things working for me. I don't have the exhaust system on yet. I have to pull off the left side header anyway (have to drill and tap the hole for my temp sender to 1/2"npt. Later motors like mine were 3/8"npt. Should have done this when the motor was out.). And, my motor is bone stock. So, I'm assuming that GM got the marks right on the balancer. Given that, what do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike C Posted August 26, 2001 Share Posted August 26, 2001 With the header off, you can probably see the exhaust valve and tell if it is open or not. I would think you could make it work. Boy, you really don't want to pull that valve cover, huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Juday Posted August 26, 2001 Author Share Posted August 26, 2001 It's glued on with the factory silicone and not leaking. Let sleeping dogs lie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted August 27, 2001 Share Posted August 27, 2001 I hear ya Dan, I havn't even replaced my stock goodwrench valve covers with something chrome/aluminum that looks nicer because of that very thing. The car doesn't leak anything and I'd like to keep it that way. In regards to the TDC question, either a thumb over the hole, a whistle you can buy or a TDC stopper will all do the trick. I'd buy a TDC stopper for probably as much or less than some good valve cover gaskets. Regards, Lone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Juday Posted August 27, 2001 Author Share Posted August 27, 2001 Hey guys, I did it today. This is what I did. Pulled off left header and looked inside port with a mirror and flashlight. I just watched the valve open and close while a friend rotated the crank with a ratchet wrench. I took 2 or 3 complete cycles to be sure. You have to talk to yourself while it's going on,"exhaust stroke, valve open, intake stroke, valve closed, ect.". You feel kind of silly, but it works. One more item off the countdown list! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted August 28, 2001 Share Posted August 28, 2001 i know I'm kinda late in repling here, but another way to do it is just rotate the engine and look at the valves. Pull the driver side valve cover, rotate the enine till the rocker arms "rock", or i guess it would be that the valves are closed. When you have one and three exhaust doing this and one, five, seven intake it's at top dead center. sean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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