Been trying to get my Studebaker started. It hasn’t been started in two years. It has a hei distributor and a 500 cfm edelbrock carb. The carb is new to the car and the distributor was out of the car. I am trying to get it to run by myself and am in no way a mechanic. I have had the valve cover off and have watched the #1 intake valve open and close as I am told this is tdc. Then I put the rotor pointed at the #1 post on the cap. I have people that will help me but not until this stay at home order is done. The closest I have gotten to it starting is it will now fire up but won’t stay running if it doesn’t get gas and after a little bit it backfires through the carb. It has new fuel lines and fresh gas. It will only start if the distributor is adjusted all the way counter clockwise otherwise it turns over hard. Hope all are well and thanks.
Thanks for your reply and I misspoke I hand to turn the distributor clockwise for it to start. I will try tomorrow to rotate the distributor 180
Leave the dist where its at. Rotate your spark plug wires one terminal at a time until it will run. the engine will not care how the dist is installed.. as long as you get number one spark plug wire located where the rotor is pointing when number one piston is at TDC it will run perfect.
Old wolf's method will save you from pulling the distributor, trying to turn it a tooth or two and then stab it back in and get the oil pump shaft moved the right amount, etc.. I have done what he said several times, and it saves a lot of hair pulling. You may even have to go two holes over, but that will let you move the distributor back around a little and get the vac. advance off of the manifold. Be sure you get the firing order and the plug wires to agree.
I'd fix it right the first time, both valves closed on #1, piston up, rotor points to #1, sometimes ya gotta move the oil slot in the distributor shaft with a big screwdriver to get it right.....
We used to get those Pontiac 350s in for a "tune up" at work. Yup, skipped time on the chain. I saw them with the distributor cranked to an extreme, wires rotated on the cap... they would come in hissing and chugging. Good old days...
bobss396 yep, bought a Pontiac wagon cheap because it wouldn't run. It would turn over and almost start as if the timing was extremely retarded. Bought and replaced timing gears.
Sounds like you are close. If it runs as you stated, then the timing is close. Move the plug wires (as suggested above) where they attach to the distributer cap counter-clock-wise one post, then you will gain some adjustment in the timing. The back fire is a lean condition, I believe, and possibly related to the timing being a little off. Since you say you aren't a mechanic, don't pull the distributer or mess with the oil pump drive. Leave that for another day.
Thanks again. I moved the wires two spots counter clockwise and I believe it made it worse. Tomorrow I will have more time to play with it and I will definitely report what happens. Thanks again. I may take the valve cover off and watch the #1 valves ,then see where the rotor is and arrange the wires from there. My understanding is that when the intake moves down then up it is at tdc. Is that right
You should be able to see the TDC timing mark on the pulley as you roll the motor over and if you watch the intake valve at the same time when it closes it should show TDC on the pulley, shouldn't it?
Moving the plug wires around is just for someone who can't get the dist in right . It looks so goofy to look at car with the distributor all jacked over when you can spend a few minutes getting it and the wires installed correctly. you might be able to get it running like that ,but the next guy that gets to work on it will say who was the dumb ass to do this. I had a 455 Buick that jumped time in a parking garage and I managed to figure out how far it was out by moving the wires until it started. Took it home and replaced the timing chain and put the plug wires back where they belonged.
Bill, when the intake valve closes, the piston is just coming up on the compression stroke. You need to continue turning the crank until the timing marks line up on the pulley like Gordon mentioned. Then make sure the distributor rotor is pointing at no. 1 wire. Also, if you have points ignition, the points should be just opening at that point.
I agree 100% moving plug wires is for those who can't get it right or are too lazy to do it right. Find the timing mark on the damper and clean it off so you can see it good. a little white chalk or soapstone in the groove works good too. Clean the timing tab on the timing cover off so you can read the numbers. Pull # 1 plug and have someone bump the engine over with the starter until it blows air against your finger that you have plugging the plug hole. It make a good number of tries before you get it right or close enough. You can crank it over and watch the valves but you STILL HAVE TO line the timing marks up on the damper and the tab. No matter how many times you do it the marks have to be lined up. Once the marks are lined up drop the distributor in as shown below. with the rotor pointing to number one should be on the housing. To set Hei Correctly the rotor is slightly clockwise from where it is on a ponts distributor. I usually take a marker and mark the distributor housing where number one wire lines up on it to make it a tad easier. You don't have it 180 out because you would have shot nice flames to the ceiling if it was 180 out. If you put gas in a little bottle that you can pour gas in the float bowl vent tubes in the air horn to fill the float bowl the engine will often run long enough to start pumping gas if you haven't done that. Some times it takes several goes to get the gas up there though. A little side note, Back when I was teaching auto mechanics in the 80's we had a 289 Ford training aid engine on a stand that as a class activity to teach the guys and girls how to bring the engine up on number one, drop the distributorin, wire it (plug wires were pulled out of the cap) and fire it up. Most two person teams got to where they could do it in under two minutes and one pair did it in around a minute and thirty seconds. It's not real hard to do it right. NOTE: PER fastcar1953, they have the cap reversed in this diagram below. The plugs for the ign wire and tach wire (that cube thing) should be directly opposite of what they show it as he shows in post 16. That is what I get for getting in a frigging hurry, dig up a diagram that has something wrong with it the hold down on the cap he shows actually shows the firing order on it. That is flat embarrassing.
Also, it helps to number your plug wires on both ends, that wat you don't have to trace each wire every time.....
Hi again. Yes I am from America. Upstate NY. I fooled around a bit with the car. I looked for tdc found it and reset the distributor. I had it wrong. It now starts but runs rough but at least it’s running. Reminds me of a car that the firing order is wrong. I will check everything tomorrow and will probably leave it as is until my friend can come over. He will be able to diagnose it for me. I think I may still be off a little with the distributor because the didn’t seem to be much i could do to adjust it. If I turned it clockwise it would stall and want to backfire. The pcv valve restricts moving it counterclockwise much. Thanks again and any suggestions are appreciated. As it gets better I will post updates.
Turn your engine so the balancer mark is at 8 deg [283 timing covers have that mark] Get a sharpie pen and draw a mark on the distributor body directly below #1 and #6 posts on the cap. Pull the cap and the rotor should correspond to one of these marks [depending on whether the crank being at 0 or 360 deg] With points it is easy with a test light. but with an HEI try and eyeball the rotor to one these marks. Sometimes the dist/rotor is out a couple of teeth on the dist drive, so use a screwdriver to line up the oil pump drive when you re-install. With an HEI , I always use timing tape on the balancer and a timing light and set it at full advance [283's are 32 deg total at 3000 rpm, and 8 deg at idle] The firing order is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 If you get it 180 deg out simply change the firing order to 6-5-7-2-1-8-4-3 with the dist rotor in the same position. When the crank turns 360 deg and the rotor is 180 deg opposite, it is the original firing order . If everything is correct, make sure the HEI is grounded. And [I've seen this before] make sure a ballast resistor is bypassed or removed [HEI's need full 12 volts from the Ign switch]
Reach down and grab the front crank pulley. wiggle it nacj and frth to see how much slack there is in the timing chain. you can feel when the cam and valve train starts to move.
Hi no slack in the pulley. I have it running by moving #1 plug wire two positions counter clockwise on the distributor. I had the rotor at the 5 o’clock position but it wouldn’t fire with the #1 wire in its right position. I found tdc center of #1 by putting my finger near the #1 plug hole and feeling the air coming out of it. Now it stays running but only with the idle pretty high (I don’t have a tach). Guessing maybe around 1200 rpms any suggestions are appreciated and I will text again when it gets better.
Is this a '65-66 McKinnon 283 that was installed in Studebakers at the end or a newer motor with HEI installed? You need to get the factory shop manual for the engine application to see where #1 is in the distributor. Then go from there.
Worked on it today. I got the distributor in right and found a vacuum port that wasn’t plugged. It runs good now . I am going to get the timing checked and put in new plugs. Thanks again and stay well
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