simple simple ignition tech
- Thread starter matthew thomas
- Start date
Michael Mayben
IHPA Tech Moderator - Retired & No Longer Online
For the plug cable orientation in any distributor cap, #1 can be any hole ya wanna make it, that depends upon the exact position the distributor is stabbed in to begin with.
So ya first need to stab the distributor as described in this thread:
http://www.forums.IHPartsAmerica.com/ignition-tech/640-new-guy-clueless-about-ignition.html
We must use cylinder #8 as our reference point because of the design of the crank hub that contains the timing Mark. And cylinder #8 must be on it's compression stroke, not exhaust stroke. That is real easy to visually identify if the valve cover on the passenger side is removed for observation of the rocker arm positions for cylinder #8.
Then...you determine which plug cable terminal is #1 and then wire the cap in the firing order sequence, that distributor rotates clockwise when the engine is running.
But! Those delco hei converted distributors can be a real bitch to orient correctly since they have a very limited/no range of adjustment for base timing once installed. Has this distributor been installed in any of your engines before and has the water neck/thermostat housing been modified to allow fitment? If not, ya got some additional work ahead of ya that is a real pita!
As for the bushing...good thing ya found that!
You can see the serrations on the circumference, the bushing was originally just tapped into the receptacle in the block when it was new and the serrations "crushed" enough to retain it. What I do on the bushings now is clean 'em to a point of sterility (same for the hole in the block), and then use loctite red on the bushing and push into place. Once the distributor is stabbed, the bushing cannot move.
You will find more information regarding the fitment of the hei-converted distributor if you use "dui" as a keyword in the search engine on the ignition sub-forum. We sell the "dui (davis unified ignition)" version of these distributors for IH engine applications. Over the years, other vendors have also modded the delco hei sparker by adding an "extension" adapter to the drive section, I have one of those here now and those are just as problematic (if not more-so) to deal with as the dui version.
So ya first need to stab the distributor as described in this thread:
http://www.forums.IHPartsAmerica.com/ignition-tech/640-new-guy-clueless-about-ignition.html
We must use cylinder #8 as our reference point because of the design of the crank hub that contains the timing Mark. And cylinder #8 must be on it's compression stroke, not exhaust stroke. That is real easy to visually identify if the valve cover on the passenger side is removed for observation of the rocker arm positions for cylinder #8.
Then...you determine which plug cable terminal is #1 and then wire the cap in the firing order sequence, that distributor rotates clockwise when the engine is running.
But! Those delco hei converted distributors can be a real bitch to orient correctly since they have a very limited/no range of adjustment for base timing once installed. Has this distributor been installed in any of your engines before and has the water neck/thermostat housing been modified to allow fitment? If not, ya got some additional work ahead of ya that is a real pita!
As for the bushing...good thing ya found that!
You can see the serrations on the circumference, the bushing was originally just tapped into the receptacle in the block when it was new and the serrations "crushed" enough to retain it. What I do on the bushings now is clean 'em to a point of sterility (same for the hole in the block), and then use loctite red on the bushing and push into place. Once the distributor is stabbed, the bushing cannot move.
You will find more information regarding the fitment of the hei-converted distributor if you use "dui" as a keyword in the search engine on the ignition sub-forum. We sell the "dui (davis unified ignition)" version of these distributors for IH engine applications. Over the years, other vendors have also modded the delco hei sparker by adding an "extension" adapter to the drive section, I have one of those here now and those are just as problematic (if not more-so) to deal with as the dui version.
matthew thomas
New member
Gotchya, thank you for that...
I believe I now have a much better understanding of what needs to be done now, and why.
I had my wife watch #1 piston come up in the cylinder while I turned it over slowly by hand and then stop me when it just began to go back down. My plan was to stab the distributor and identify the contact the rotor lined up with as #1...
But, I now realize that I don't know if this is the compression stroke or the exhaust stroke as the crank hub/timing Mark are no help because I'm looking at cylinder #1. Right? Lol. I know just enough to be real dangerous, so thank you very much for filling those large Gaps.
Yes, I had this dui distributor installed on my 345 and it is a pita initially, but once on there, it was nice for someone with my limited experience level to just sort of plug and play and have it work. I called performance distributors today to make sure that I wouldn't have any problems using this same distributor in this 392 and they said it should be just fine, no problem. I'm also going to install my temp sending unit into the water neck 'extension' this time around so I can get my temp gauge back. They really should come that way. Imho.
Yes, my coveted bronze bushing. I put this in a safe place when I first found that it had come out when I pulled the distributor. I read the other posts about how important it is, and I thank you for the info on how to properly clean and seat it.
Thank you yet again mr mayben. You are a gentleman and a scholar.
I'm back at it.
I believe I now have a much better understanding of what needs to be done now, and why.
I had my wife watch #1 piston come up in the cylinder while I turned it over slowly by hand and then stop me when it just began to go back down. My plan was to stab the distributor and identify the contact the rotor lined up with as #1...
But, I now realize that I don't know if this is the compression stroke or the exhaust stroke as the crank hub/timing Mark are no help because I'm looking at cylinder #1. Right? Lol. I know just enough to be real dangerous, so thank you very much for filling those large Gaps.
Yes, I had this dui distributor installed on my 345 and it is a pita initially, but once on there, it was nice for someone with my limited experience level to just sort of plug and play and have it work. I called performance distributors today to make sure that I wouldn't have any problems using this same distributor in this 392 and they said it should be just fine, no problem. I'm also going to install my temp sending unit into the water neck 'extension' this time around so I can get my temp gauge back. They really should come that way. Imho.
Yes, my coveted bronze bushing. I put this in a safe place when I first found that it had come out when I pulled the distributor. I read the other posts about how important it is, and I thank you for the info on how to properly clean and seat it.
Thank you yet again mr mayben. You are a gentleman and a scholar.
I'm back at it.
Michael Mayben
IHPA Tech Moderator - Retired & No Longer Online
Here's some more info regarding this same topic from about a year ago matthew:
http://www.forums.IHPartsAmerica.co...all-345-stock-2bbl.html?highlight=timing+Mark
A few weeks ago I responded in some thread about why we have to use cylinder #8 as our reference point (and timing Mark location), but even I can't find it right now so I don't have to write it up again! edit! I found the thread, look at post #28 in this link:
http://www.forums.IHPartsAmerica.co...utaholic.html?highlight=#8+compression+stroke
Also, your question points to the need for having a stickee here regarding why we use #8 and how to stab a distributor. I'll work on that today, thanks for the stimulus!
http://www.forums.IHPartsAmerica.co...all-345-stock-2bbl.html?highlight=timing+Mark
A few weeks ago I responded in some thread about why we have to use cylinder #8 as our reference point (and timing Mark location), but even I can't find it right now so I don't have to write it up again! edit! I found the thread, look at post #28 in this link:
http://www.forums.IHPartsAmerica.co...utaholic.html?highlight=#8+compression+stroke
Also, your question points to the need for having a stickee here regarding why we use #8 and how to stab a distributor. I'll work on that today, thanks for the stimulus!
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