New Distributor Problems

[toearley]

1971 440 4 bbl
Just installed a new (refurbished) electronic distributor, rotor and cap. Made note of the rotor and distributor body when I removed it. Did not turn or move the car in between removal and install. When trying to start the car turns over for a second or two and then I hear a "clunk" and the starter seems to stop. I did this 2 or 3 times and quit. Thought I may be really screwing things up. Again, I'm a newbie to this, and doing my best at researching everything before I attempt. Wanted opinions on what may be going on and if I'm tearing up the engine.
Thanks.

 

[440roadrunner]

First, not all distributors have the drive tank referenced to the rotor "the same way." This means that even though you carefully duplicated the new from the old, the rotor may be trying to fire the wrong cylinder.

Next, rebuilts have a HORRID reputation. I would pull it back out and inspect carefully. Look for a bent shaft...........rotate the shaft with the body lightly clamped in a vise, etc, and look for wobble. Feel the shaft for bearing play. "Wiggle" the top shaft for play in the advance mechanism.

Above all, inspect the reluctor and pickup for strike damage and debri

It would pay to hook the dist. pickup connector up, "rig" your coil wire for a gap, and turn the key "on" "run." Twirl the new one and confirm that it triggers the system.

IF the two are indexed differently re: the tang drive and rotor relationship, you have a couple of ways around this.

1....Put the new one in just as you did after re--checking which cylinder (cap tower) the old one indexed to. Just rotate the plug wires in the cap to reflect the change.

alternatively.....

2....After determining "how far" it is wrong, between the two, you can rotate the dist. gear by 'walking' it up out of the helix with a screwdriver. Me? I'd just move the plug wires.

==============================

Side notes Learn to static time your engine, learn to deal with this, so you "can."

Learn to determine firing stroke so you KNOW the dist. is in right. Two ways. If the valve covers are off, rotate the engine till the marks are at TDC and find out whether 1 or 6 has the valves both closed. That cylinder is going to fire.

Second way is pull the no1 plug, stick your finger in the hole. Bump the starter around while feeling for compression. When you start to feel it, look at the marks, Bring the marks "up" with a wrench until they are NOT at TDC, but rather, "where you want" timing, say, 12-15 degrees on mild cam, 15-20 BTDC on a real thumper.

Set the dist. in, rotor in whichever direction you want, and vacuum advance with plenty of "swing" clearance

Move the vacuum can "retard" (CCW on a B / RB) and slowly move it back advanced (CW). STOP when the points open, or when the reluctor is centered in the pickup coil.

Now plug the no1 wire into whatever tower the rotor "is just approaching" remember, B/ RB rotates CCW.

Get a timing light and hook it up. You can check the timing "on the starter."

If you learn to do this right, the engine will fire right up, no problem,

===============================

Another note: Factory / rebuilt distributors made 66 (CA) and 68 (federally) are smog distributors, and get worse every year. In other words they don't have a performance 'curve'. Either consider getting your dist. re-curved, or buy the kit from FBO known as a "limiter plate."

 

[jimt1971rr]

I'm sure you are aware that the big block distributors rotate counter clockwise instead of clockwise like most others do. Since you said you were new at this, just thought I would mention it.

Good Luck.

 

[toearley]

Roadrunner ... used your directions and things are better. Engine turns over smoothly but does not want to start. As it turns I hear a pressure release coming up from the carb. Removed the air cleaner and it appears to be spitting some gas too. Almost like no spark at all now. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[440roadrunner]

Roadrunner ... used your directions and things are better. Engine turns over smoothly but does not want to start. As it turns I hear a pressure release coming up from the carb. Removed the air cleaner and it appears to be spitting some gas too. Almost like no spark at all now. Any ideas? Thanks.

Hmmm. have you done anything (revved it really high) that might have damaged a valve or the valve gear?

any thoughts on how old the cam drive (chain, etc) is?

Why is it that you decided to change the distributor?

Was it actually running OK, previously?

Depending on your answers we can "go from there"

Might be time to run a compression and or leakdown test. You can easily make a leakdown tester, google it. You can also buy them cheap at Horrid Freight.

I would just re-check your work

Make sure the marks are "up" and on the compression stroke, so "pretend" you are starting over.

1....Remove the no1 plug and stick your finger in. Bump the starter and "feel" for compression. You may have to go round a couple of times to get "the feel" for what you are looking for. As soon as you start to for certain, feel compression, stop.

2...Ease the engine around further either with starter or wrench. If you "go too far" with starter, you can bump all the way around but keep track. 1 more turn means no 6 is firing, so 2 turns puts you back on "1"

3...DON'T set the marks AT TDC, but rather where you want timing, depending on cam, 10-15 degrees for "stocker, 15-20 for a pretty hot cam.

4...Look at the dist. It turns CCW, so you want the rotor "approaching" the corner of the no1 tower

5...Re-check timing. Move dist. body CCW (retard) and then slowly back CW (advanced) until the reluctor tip is centered in the pickup coil. (When you get good at this you can ACTUALLY turn the key on, and "wiggle" the rotor or dist. body, and make the reluctor trigger a spark!!!

6...Install/ remove the cap and make sure which tower the rotor is coming TO going CCW. That is no1 wire.

7...1 8 4 3 6 5 7 2 CCW around the cap. Double -triple check no 5 and 7 LOL. "The best of us" switch those, once in awhile

8...If you want, set the timing "on the starter."

If you did all this right, it should start and run.

 

[bigmanjbmopar]

Sounds like you are off by a few cylinders, are you sure you clocked the distributor correctly, lining the rotor in the distributor up with the number 1 cylinder then routing the plug wires around the cap per the firing order? just sounds like you are still one or two off.

 

[HEMI-ITIS]

If you verified that the plug wires are installed in the proper order and it spits up the carb,retard the distributor a little and try again.

Spits out the carb,,,,,,,too advances
Farts out the exhaust,,,,too retarded

 

[toearley]

Roadrunner, started all over again and bam -- she started right up as soon as I hit the key. Very happy, thanks for your help, everyone's help. Now, that she's running, I'll work on fine tuning the timing. Thanks again!

 

[440roadrunner]

Very good. I was lucky, I learned this early on. The first I heard of the "stick your finger in" trick was about 1970.

The first car (Chev) I ever pulled the dist and replaced, I didn't even know there "was" a by the book "way." I just plugged it in and put no1 where the rotor was. If it backfire, I put no1 in 1/2 turn away. This was about 67

Some service station jock (back in the days when we had these) as' me "how does that run, it's out of time?"

I said "How do you know it's out of time?"

"Plug wires are in the cap all wrong"

LOL. Ran fine, thank you very much. This was a 57 Chev, 265