SBC locating #1 on cap

hi everyone, i have done a few searchs on what i need, but still a little confused. if i understand correctly when dropping the distributer in the vacuum module should be about 7 o'clock and the rotor pointing to 5 o'clock #1 cylinder. my cap is not marked for #1 but is marked for #6. counting back that makes #1 lug straight up on the right side of the points window. if i have that right in my head, then my problem is that the points window hits the carb pad on the intake (dual quad offy). this means that the point window will be in the 8 o'clock posistion and #1 will be pointing to #2 or 4 cylinder. any problem with this? thanks, pkj

 

1. Sure about the firing order? It is 18436572.
2. the distributor rotates clock wise, looking at it from the top.
Wherever the rotor points when cylinder 1 is almost at TDC, that is the #1 terminal. You can change it to whichever you want. as long as they are in the right order and #1 comes up in the right phase (not 180 out)

You are over thinking it. Find the spot where you have room to adjust timing and make the rest happen. Best of luck.

 

thanks 53sled. start thinking about something to much and you overthink it. but what do you mean "almost TDC"? i thought you set it TDC, mark to mark. i only have one mark on my balancer and one on my pointer. i will have to use a adjustable degree timing gun once i get fired up. i want to start with about 8 degrees.

 

If every thing else is correct, you have the distributor 180 degrees out. Remember it is a 4 cycle engine, the crank rotates twice for every one turn of the cam and distributor. Pull the number one plug and put your thumb over the hole (or a rag in the hole) turn it over until you feel pressure (or it blows the rag out) and then stop on your timing mark. Your rotor should now be pointing at #1. If it's not, lift it up and rotate the rotor and drop it back in where you want it. Or like 53sled says it is not that important to match what the book says. Once you get the engine on TDC of the #1 firing stroke you can switch the plug wires around. Put the #1 wire where the rotor is pointing and then put the rest in the firing order. Either way it will work because the cap doesn't care which wire goes where.

 

I think what he means by 'almost TDC' is that your timing will actually be set at some BTDC value so if you have limited movement of the distributor then set #1 with the timing mark advanced a little bit. After all your not going to be setting the timing at zero degrees but at 6 to 12 degrees initial.

 

He said "almost TDC" because your base timing should be about 6-10 degrees BTDC.

 

There is no #1 on the cap. There is a #1 that the factory chose to use for consistency on their m*** produced cars. When you install the dist for the first time, the ****** that the rotor is looking at can be used for #1 or you can pull the dist. up until it clears the cam gear, rotate the rotor until you find the one you want and slip it back in. The curve of the cam gears will cause the rotor to turn some so you might have to pull it up and move it over a tooth until you get the ****** that you want. Any good shop manual will show you which one the factory used which can be a good idea if you are using factory ***embled plug wires.

 

here are some pics of how Chevy did it back then. You can put the wires whereever you want around the distributor cap...it might make things neater to have them set up so that the wires for one side of the engine are mostly on that side of the cap. I try to do it the factory way so it's easier to work on, having worked on a lot of Chevys I expect things to be a certain way.

 

Seems like everyone is forgetting that when putting the distributor in "wherever you want" you need to turn the intermediate o/pump shaft so the slot lines up with your intended location on the circle. The OP's problem is not unique when swapping intakes to something the crowds the distributor area - but as long as he understands (as has already been pointed out) that he can make any one of the towers number one as long as that's the one that the rotor is pointing at (or within a few degrees) when the #1 piston is up on its compression stroke (near TDC). Getting the oil pump shaft to align with the slot in the distributor is sort of 'trial and error'.

dj

 

This is true. After doing so many I don't give that much thought. When the oil pump drive doesn't line up, I just pull the distributor out and turn the oil pump with a long screw driver and then drop it back in. Some times it takes a few tries but it will go in.

 

We just bump the engine over until it drops the last 1/4" and then add the hold down.