iSAY, THE ONLY WAY TO GET 180 OUT is to line up the timing mark @ zero and not check to see if it's on the compression stroke... I say if you pull the cap and see where the rotor is pointing... stab the distributor with the rotor pointing in the same spot... and put the number one plug wire in the same spot it will be close enough to run....but I was told today that thats how you get 180 out.... I said I have always done it that way,,, but was told that I just got lucky....lol,,, vec doesn't have a timing mark... and I said I've done it with no mark, or timing light...one guy cranks it and the other move the dist a little till it runs and idles... then test.. if it labors the starter too much advance.... back it up... then road test... if it pings back it off... if it doesn't give it a tad more... then do the starter test again... right or wrong.... also.... I said the crank turns 2 to one on the dist.. right or wrong...new techs loose it with dist. and carbs..
the other way I do it is on a motor with no dist...put my finger on the #1 plug hole and feel for the compression,.. then to get more spot on if theres no timing mark.. put a zip tie in the plug hole and watch for it to go as high as it will go... thats TDC... and it doesn't matter where the #1 plug wire is, where ever the rotor is point ing is #1...
my flat head doesn't have the******* on the crank..... so no timing mark... this guy that says he knows flatheads was going to help me put a new distributor in... while I was waiting for it... he stopped by and was looking around.... when I told him there's no timing marks... he said I have to pull the head... and when I told him how to do it he dis agreed... said it will never work,,, need less to say... I'll be doing it my self.. my distributor has no advance... verified by a vacuum pump. the vacuum advance won't hold vacuum ,.. it leaks... so I got a new distributor.. the motor is real lazy next... I've read that flats go clock wise @ the dist.... gonna have to check that today....is this diagram right???
another ... never heard before,.. worked on motors all my life... been to 10 county fairs and a goat rope'n.... what the hell is a rover cover???
soon as day light hits vegas I'm putting this dist. in..I will not remover one thing from the motor but the dist.... and it will run.. or I will be eating crow toe rims off my 32
if it is something that already runs, why can't you just remove the dist and install the new one so it is pointed the same way and start it up and adjust from there? why is this thread about flatheads in the off topic area???
I figured with the china billet dist??? but feel free to move it anywhere you want... I hired a guy off face book.. a flathead mech... told him I want him to put the dist in,.. I said what you said..and said there's no timing mark. he said can't be done correct and it will be 180 out...that the head has to come off
well , I guess he was right.. I can't just buy a dist... pull the old one out and put a new one in... everybody else can... I can't... what a***** show...
so this was supposed to be a job so easy even I could do it... lol wrong... took out the dist.. mark a diagram where the rotor was pointing, and where #1 plug wire is... also verified that the distributor does go clock wise.. pull the dist... and pull the coil.... thats when the***** show started...it has a 6v coil????? 12v battery... so I verified that the gen is 12v....also the solenoid is 12v so thinking that the 12v dist isn't gonna work... put the old stuff back in... under the dash there is 2 what look like ballast resisters,,, could one be a volt drop...???? volts at the coil are only 9v when running... it's 14v at the battery when running.. but the voltage reg says 7&???? to run the electroiic dist... you have to use a 45v coil and remove the ballest...needs 12v at the coil... one of the resistors under the dash gets hot which makes me think it a volt drop??? puzzeled..
so I got her done... runs like a mouse in slippers... the what I thought was a ballast resister turned out to be a volt drop....i by passed it and got 12v to the coil.. stabbed the dist... fired right up.... but pullin to the advance side it was hitting... so I pulled it out went over one tooth and bam runs perfect... a joy to drive runs easy with traffic... up the same grade that I went up floored in 2nd @ 35 mph... I now pull high gear @ 45 with lots of peddle left....happy camper right now..
see what you started??? the thread was timing in general... on any motor with a dist. and plug wire....LOL... but thanks for posting... I got her done... and even though no one will dare say I was right.... they all know...
DOES ANYONE HAVE A FLATHEAD CRANK PULLEY off the motor that shows the*******??? I'm wondering if it lines up with the key way, and if it even has a key way..... there's something going on with the pulley.... maybe off a different year??? motor runs and starts spot on... be nice to know what amount of timing it has all in... no ping... no hesitation. .pulls hard through the gears..??? probley have to do the zip tie trick
Just trying to Help , This is what I would do , With heads On. Pull #1 plug , bring #1 Piston up To Close to full lift , Does not Matter if Compression stroke or exhaust stroke. Use a Dial indicator with extension, To find Full lift of stroke rod piston . Then Mark on Block & the balancer pulley . just like you would do with Head Off & on Engine Stand .. Now you have a Timing reference to go by, The more care you take The better!! On dial indicator Needle. You will / should be With in -1 " 0" +1 Deg's I do not know if being sarcastic ! ? I do not see why , as in Looking where rotor position is pointing / facing dropping New distributor in As long as its in timing Now , I have seen oil pump engagement some times being issue , not clocked in same way as other/ Old .
thanks for posting... been at the shop all day ,just got home.. drove the 51 flat there and back no issues
I wanted to add this.... the timing mark is what it is... no mater where the dist is put in....the timing mark never changes... I keep hearing the dist is one tooth off or two...or the # has to be at 12 oclock... no such a thing... the timing mark is just a reference to where top dead center is'''' all you have to do is find out where top dead center on the compression stroke is and have there when you put the distributor in.... with out the cap on, you look at where the rotor is pointing , that where you put number one spark plug wire...and it will run, thats what timing is...you could do the same with any of the plugs with a degree wheel.... TDC of number one will never change no mater where the #1 is on the dist...when you drop the dist in on some motors you have to deal with the oil pump.might have to with a long screw driver , turn the oil pump to line up.. not on flatheads... but yes on SBC...or just bump the starter and it will fall in.....but remember . once you tap the starter you loose your base...you still have to put # 1 plug wire where it was before you tapped the starter.... some times # 1 has to be at say 12 oclock.... with the motor at top dead center drop the dist. in to where the rotor is at 12 oclock.... and thats where you start your firing order on the cap with #1.....what happens is this ,say they say put #1 at 12 oclock and you put it at 6 oclock..... now you go to time it and the vacuum hits the water outlet and you can't get enough advance. that would be the only reason that it won't work... where the rotor is pointing will never ever change where TDC is on the crank.... period.... is anyone ever tells you this.... they are wrong.... period
still wonder about this as I also have a 34 flathead...does the 34 dist spin this way... my 51 is clock wise????
The rotor on the early Ford flathead v8 with the front mounted distributor rotates counterclockwire. The later 8BA or 8RT engines ('49 to '53) have the rotor rotating clockwise. The added gear that runs the later distributor reverses the direction of rotation.
the dist is run directly off the front of the camshaft. the dist turns counter clockwise on the early flatheads
That's what I said. I must be being ignored. Oh well, the info is good for anyone else that is interested.
@ALLDONE @twenty8 @Moriarity @squirrel Just to bring more confusion 49-53 turn's ""Clock Wise "" & 289-302 & all other with distributor upfront turn C.C.W & pre 48 Direct to Cam No gear . But look @ gear on 49-53 , gears cut Top Right to Left , C.W. 1st & 2nd Pic 's Then 3nd 4th 5th pic's Same gear cut Top Right to Left with 289, 302 , 351 & so On C. C.W Let me know what I am missing , I might learn something,, Cam Gear on Cam 289-302 cut opposite? I do not think So? I have had both 38 F-H & 50 F-H Had Distributors out but New one spun CW other CCW . & of corse 289,302 351 & other's CCW.
As far as I know the difference comes from how the cam is driven off the crank, and the fact that the cam runs in opposite directions in the two engines. 8ba flathead Crank rotates clockwise. Cam rotates counterclockwise because it runs off an intermeshing gear with the crank gear. Therefore, distributor will rotate clockwise. 289-302 ford Crank rotates clockwise. Cam rotates clockwise because it runs off a timing chain between crank and cam gears. Therefore, distributor will rotate counterclockwise.
Thank you was Not thinking that . Now I will be looking deeper into Why the change , Crank driven Vs Cam driven . Not just for F-H, for other thoughts Of different engines modifications .
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