Timing help

[CBlake]

Hi all-
I’m chasing a timing issue on my 66 with the waterproof distributor. I can only turn it CCW enough to get to the first timing mark, which I believe is 0 degrees. I’m trying to get to the second mark which I think is 10 degrees.

So I removed the distributor to move a tooth and remembered that’s not possible since it keys into the bottom with a slot.

I set the engine at TDC on #1 by cranking the engine with the hand crank to the timing marks. Then I removed the valve cover and made sure cylinder 1 had both valves closed. That puts the rotor at the tick mark on the distributor at about the 10 o’clock position assuming the front of the engine is 12 o’clock.

Since I wasn’t able to get enough throw on the distributor at that position, I decided to rotate the distributor and bottom gear 180 degrees. When I put the distributor back in, it puts #1 about 4 o’clock. So after redoing my spark plug wires starting there and going CCW 153624, it fired up. It had a little more movement toward the second timing mark, but not quite enough.

Am I overthinking this? Could I just start #1 at the next spot on my distributor cap (about 2 o’clock) and redo my wires again?

Thanks!

[moore_rb]

I removed the distributor to move a tooth and remembered that’s not possible since it keys into the bottom with a slot.

There is a diagram in the P engine service manual (page 94) that shows how the correct orientation of the slot on the distributor drive rod should look when the engine is at TDC on the #1 compression stroke.

If yours is off, then you might need to remove the distributor base, re-orient the drive rod to the proper orientation, then bolt the base back up.

[CBlake]

The picture shows the slot running 3-9 o’clock. Mine is about 90 degrees off from that. The drive gear only drops in 2 ways, so how do I change it?

Thanks for your reply!

[Esteban]

The picture shows the slot running 3-9 o’clock. Mine is about 90 degrees off from that. The drive gear only drops in 2 ways, so how do I change it?

Thanks for your reply!

With the distributor base removed, you raise the drive gear, and then with a screwdriver rotate the oil pump shaft the 90 degrees your want, and then reinsert the drive gear for the distributor, also turning the same 90 degrees.

By the way, when you rotate the engine, the first mark to arrive is 15 degrees, the second 10, the third is 5, and the last one to arrive is 0 degrees.

[CBlake]

Awesome! That’s easier than I thought it was going to be. I’ll give it a try tonight.

Thanks for the mark correction as well.

[CBlake]

Yeah, that worked perfectly. The acceleration is much better! Thanks!