This is a 350 W-31 ... see picture for current distributor cap and wire orientation.

I'm preparing to pull the distributor out to do a points conversion, recurve the advance curve, and a good inspection. Before I do that though ... I was documenting rotor position and cap position and I BELIEVE the distributor is 180 degrees out?

I'm a bit rusty on my distributor knowledge but from previous experience in my youth, I remember that #1 distributor tower on GM stuff usually points to the #1 cylinder?

In this car, the #1 is way in the back near the firewall and #6 looks to point to #1. In my mind that's 180 out? The car runs really well, so I think that's not important (because the rotor must 180 out too?) I'm thinking I want to mark everything (rotor position, body, cap) and then when I reinstall, turn everything 180?

Just want to double check before I tear everything down, make a bunch of changes and then chase my tail because I made an assumption.

My thought is:

1. Mark rotor to dist. body position
2. Mark body/advance canister to block position
3. Pull the dist, do the work
4. Reinstall and make sure body and rotor are 180 from current position

BTW, the advance can is WAAAY in the back up really close to the firewall (pointed kind of towards the driver's side).

THOUGHTS?

 

It doesn't matter where the #1 plug wire is attached to the distributor as long as the rotor is pointing at that plug wire when #1 piston is at TDC on the compression stroke.

Since the engine runs properly, nothing is really "180 out", but you can certainly pull the distributor and install it 180º from where it currently is, then reattach the plug wires 180º from where they currently are as well. That would make things look like the illustrations in the book, but it won't change how anything operates.

 

Yup, confirms what I thought but good to have confirmation. Thanks!

I think turning stuff 180 makes the advance canister easier to see/reach so I think I'll just do that when reassembling. Again, thanks!

 

Put the engine at #1 tdc on the compression stroke. the rotor will be pointing to the #1 plug wire on the cap and remove the distributor. Then when you reinstall you can rotate the body anywhere you want as long as the end result is that #1 is where the rotor is pointing after its installed and wired accordingly.

 

Cool. Thanks!

 

To make sure that you are on the compression stroke, put your thumb over #1 plug hole, crank the engine, when on the compression stroke it will "blow" your thumb off of the hole

 

Thanks guys ... not a newbie to engines ... just haven't done a dizzy in a long while (most of my stuff revolves around ECUs and DIS).

Thanks again for all the info!