[Guest]

I pulled the distributor this

I pulled the distributor this weekent to clean and lubricate the advance mechanism and clean up the inside of the distributor cap. When I re-installed it I did so with the rotor 180 deg backwards. No biggie I caught that when it would not start.

So now I have lost my starting point.

I moved the flywheel to the PM1-6 mark which indicates TDC and installed the distributor so that the "lower rotor" was pointing to the No.1 plug mark on the distributor. OK, so far so good.

Well the car will not start; will backfire but not start. It's very humid outside today and the plugs probably got wet the first time around; always a little hard to start when this happens.

I have spark; checked a plug on each bank with a spark plug checker as my wife turned the car over.

I decided to step back, have a cold one and ask for help.

I am going to recharge the battery, install new plugs tomorrow and have a go at it.

My question is have I set the timing correctly enough for it to start or should I have set it to the AF10 mark. I think what I have done is correct so far which is that the PM1-6 mark on the flywheel is now ligned up with the No.1 plug mark on the distributor.

Correct?

Thanks gentlemen,

Drew

 

[Guest]

Hi Drew,

turn the engine ba

Hi Drew,

turn the engine back to PM 1-6, this time insure that the cam marks are aligned with the pointers (or pointing out, visible if pointers missing). This insures engine is actually on 1 TDC and not 6 TDC.

After insuring the enigine is on 1 TDC as indicated by cam reference marks, turn flywheel to AF10, then pull distrib and align red marked rotor tip (scribed) to red marked scribe on distrib bogy edge. Try to start.

Regards, JRV

 

[Guest]

Ok, I think I'm understand

Ok, I think I'm understanding what has happened. When setting the mark at PM1-6 I have no way of knowing whether I am at 1 or 6 TDC. I have to check the cam pointers. So far so good.

Where are the cam pointers. My cam covers are on. Where do I look. Sorry to be so helpless.

Drew

 

[Guest]

Drew: On the TR there are mar

Drew: On the TR there are marks on the inside cam covers, and the cams...........to check TDC with valve covers on.

I am not sure on the BB, but you may want to check the "inside" of the cam sprocket area for any alignment marks.

Or, you could wait to hear from David.

 

[Guest]

Hi Drew,

Boxer Cams have sc

Hi Drew,

Boxer Cams have scribe lines on the cams themselves on the outside of the cam covers.

If the pointers are missing it's no big deal as all you need to see is the scribe lines pointing towards where the pointers used to be to indicate cyl. # 1 TDC rather than 6 TDC. The scibe lines will point striaght sideways to the right when the engine is at 1 TDC.

Regards, JRV

 

[Guest]

Hi Drew,

Here's how I &

Hi Drew,

Here's how I "find" TDC for the number 1 cylinder, with the valve covers on. On the 365BB, there are no external pointers, or marks on the cams, so the pointer method won't work.

-Remove #1 cylinder spark plug (front most plug on RHS of car, as viewed from the rear).
-Turn engine over by hand, or with remote starter until PM 1/6 mark is aligned with flywheel pointer.
-Look down #1 plug hole to verify piston top is visible (or use a pencil (eraser end) to touch the top of the piston)...If the piston is "up", you're on #1.
-If not, you're on #6. If on #6, remove pencil first...and turn engine over once until the PM 1/6 mark is aligned again.
-Verify #1 piston position again...It now should be "up".

Now..
We know that the engine is at TDC on #1. And, if we had the valve covers off...all the cam timing marks would be aligned.

Next...
Remove pencil, if applicable.
Contunue turning the engine over until the AF 10 mark is aligned.

Install distributor, with lower rotor aligned with "Red" mark scribed in distributor body. (The lower rotor arm should be pointing to the #1 cylinder on the cap.

Install cap...start engine...and set the final timing at AF 18 a 5000 rpm.

Regards,
David

 

[Guest]

Thanks everyone. Got it.

W

Thanks everyone. Got it.

Will give it a go tonight.


Drew

 

[Guest]

David made a typo I believe.

David made a typo I believe.

The max timing advance should be AF 29 degrees at 5K rpms.

 

[Guest]

Ahhhh, Yes.
A typo, indeed.

Ahhhh, Yes.
A typo, indeed.

Thanks JRV.

Regards,
David

 

[Guest]

OK, getting there but not quit

OK, getting there but not quite.

Got TDC at PM 1-6 on No.1 cylinder; cam pointers aligned.

Moved from PM1-6 to AF10. Set distributor lower rotor to scribed line pointing to No.1 lead; no red mark but it's where it should be.

Started car. Runs but very very rough. Got the timing light on it and could only see past the AF32 and AF35 marks. Got way too much advance.

So much advance that you cannot mechanically rotate the distributor clockwise to help out.

Is this right, in that rotating the distributor clockwise retards?

I assume that by rotating clockwise (as viewed from the rear) I am retarding.

I think what I need to do is pull the distributor and move the rotor a couple notches counterclockwise?

Help!

Another thought, the more I think about ther way that this works I believe I should have initially set the distributor to the No.1 plug at PM1-6 and not AF10. The advance should take care of this for me, right?

Regards,

Drew Altemara

 

[Guest]

drew,

you're close, the

drew,

you're close, the rest doesn't matter.

Reset to TDC and retard the distrib 1 notch and try it. You don't have to put the bottom nut & washers on until you have the disrib indexed within range. Sounds like you are very close.

Regards, JRV

 

[Guest]

Just a check.

To retard I r

Just a check.

To retard I rotate the rotor counterclockwise as viewed from the rear.

Correct?

Drew

 

[Guest]

I'm at home without books

I'm at home without books and rather not confuse the isues here by trying to pull from memory. the easiest way to determine is to turn the flywheel in the running direction of rotation with the cap off.

Regards, JRV

 

[Guest]

Hi agian Drew,

just grabbed

Hi agian Drew,

just grabbed a Boxer Distrib off the shelf to have a look. The arrow on the Distrib tag indicates running direction of rotation is clockwise, therefore, to retard timing the rotor would be moved counter clockwise.

I can't remember exactly however the splines are indexed at something like 16 or 18 degrees of timing apart and the range of motion on the ditrib housing is something in the range of 12 degrees. With that combination I think 1 spline might put you back to where you want to be.

Regards, JRV

 

[Guest]

V I C T O R Y.

Finally foun

V I C T O R Y.

Finally found the right spline. Fired right up and timed right in. Jeeezz, is that sensitive. Although I guess it has to be since every change on the distributor is doubled on the flywheel.

Thanks JRV.

Drew

 

[Guest]

Like the Willie Nelson song &#

Like the Willie Nelson song "back on the road again"

CONGRATS!