CrossPost: 67 Coronet 318 Question

[Joseph Halstead]

While trying to get the 318 started I noted I had spark from the ignition coil but it would not fire or even really try. After pulling the distributor cap I noted the position of the rotor and tried to turn the engine over again. The rotor did not move. I am going to assume the distributor gear is destroyed but ever distributor I have found seems to not have the gear. So what am I missing? Also what do I do about the destroyed gear?

 

[Photon440]

How did you find that you had spark from the coil without a turning distributor? Don't worry about not seeing a gear, it stays in the block and the tang on the dist. shaft fits into it. Look into the distributor hole in the block with a flashlight and see what's in there.

 

[Joseph Halstead]

I plugged an old spark plug into the end of the ignition coil and grounded the spark plug threads to the block. I saw the spark jump.

So any ideas as to why the distributor is not turning then? Could it be the gear or something else?

 

[Mike67]

What Photon is sayin is that you would not have gotten a spark of the rotor did not turn...if by some chance the rotor landed on and maintained contact with the cap terminal the spark would be constant and never break/ stop until the ground was broken or the contact in the cap was...

 

[Joseph Halstead]

Ok but more importantly what would prevent the rotor from turning? I did try and grab the rotor and turn it by hand but it does not turn.

 

[miller]

Rotor won't turn at all? Even with the motor not running, the rotor should swing through the advance.
Rotor the right one??? Pull the rotor, and look inside the bore that fits onto the shaft. Should be a knob, or the like, so it goes on one way only.
Try to turn the shaft itself. It should turn, but only the advance amount. Advance device that the rotor fits onto, is separate from the main distributor shaft. It fits on the main shaft, only rotating the advance amount built into the distributor.
Something could be busted in that link-up, or main shaft broke.

 

[Mike67]

If it won't spin while spinning the motor over, it could be only a couple of things...but here are some pics of the components to help you understand how they work together...mopars use a tang on the dizzy ( like a common screwdriver)The gear is on the oil pump input shaft which is turned by the cam which is spun in turn by the crank via the timing chain...if the motor is spinning and the rotor is not it's has to be one of these companents and I would think if either have failed it would definitely be audible.
The one pic just shows how the cam and pump shaft gear engage..The only other thing could be your timing chain.
If you want put a mark on your distrib shaft and a reference on the block, then mark you rotor position and remove you distributor and inspect it..