Re: [Amc-list] How do I install a distributor

[Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx>]

On Saturday 18 August 2007 13:34:29 mariclairemccall@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> but my wires didn't match up
> to the the firing order listed (I marked my wires prior to removal). So,
> since I am a rookie and didn't mark where the thing went how do I install
> it so I don't blow up my brand new motor??

It's easy if you go step by step. This applies to any motor, not just AMC, and 
6 and 8 work the same.

Pull the coil wire. With a piece of wire or a test lead, short from the 
battery post to the START post on the starter solenoid momentarily. This will 
crank the engine over, even with the key off. Tap the wire, the engine should 
turn over just a tiny bit; watch the fan move.

Pull out spark plug #1. Stick your finger into the hole. Loosely! :-) Tap the 
wire on the solenoid to turn the engine over; at some point it will fart your 
finger out of the hole. This happens only at the top of the compression 
stroke.

*** Now you have cylinder #1 at TDC, or close to it.

*** You should see the timing mark on the pulley line up with the ignition 
timing comb thing on the timing cover, or close. If it's within 20 degrees, 
good enough.

Now you can arrange to install the distributor correctly.

Figure out where #1 cylinder plug wire goes on the distributor cap. Put the 
rotor on the distrib, and rotate it to point to the #1 contact in the cap. 

A technical detail complicates installing the distributor: the distrib also 
drives the oil pump, via a tang off the end of the shaft. You have to get 
that to line up while you line up the ignition timing. It's not hard, but if 
you dont' know what's going on it will seem mysterious.

Now stick the distributor into the hole, aligning the body of the thin where 
it ought to go (you can point it any way that's convenient to you, but the 
factory does a good job choosing...). Two things will "go wrong" here, don't 
freak out: 1) it won't go in all the way (probably) and 2) notice the 
distributor shaft rotates as it goes in the hole. This is normal; the helical 
gear does that.

fix 1): Pull the distrib out but don't turn the shaft, keep the current 
position. Note the tang on the bottom of the distrib shaft; that drives the 
oil pump. Look into the hole in the block; the socket for that tang is down 
there. Use a long screwdriver and turn the oil pump shaft until the 
distributor drops all the way into the hole.

fix 2): When you ahve the distrib going in all the way, chances are the rotor 
will  not point exactly to the #1 contact in the cap. If you can align it by 
rotating the body of the dist a bit, you're done. Otherwise, you have to pull 
the distributor up, rotate it back to compensate for the error and the 
helical gear business, and re-insert. Sigh, you'll have to poke the oil pump 
with that long screw driver to get the tang to line up.

Once you've done this it's quite easy, what I described in the last two steps 
you can do in one (as you'll see when you do it). I literally did all this 
yesterday; I re-curved my distributor and it required repositioning, so I 
pulled #1 plug and started from there. Took not even 5 minutes to re-set.


Once you get it approximately right, use a 3/4" wrench and set the pulley 
timing mark between TDC (0) and 10. Rotate the distributor such that the 
rotor is exactly centered on the #1 spark plug wire contact. It should now be 
close enough to start. If it seems "hard to start" (engine turns slowly) 
retard it (turn slightly in same direction that it rotates), if it "wont 
catch" try advance (turn opposite to distrib rotation). "A bit".

> I beleive I have made every 
> ameture mistake I can make.

Oh I bet there's a few more... how's that saying go, better to make your first 
1000 mistakes now and get them over with!
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