VetteMan55

On a 64 corvette, standing in front of the engine where are the numbers on the distributor cap? I know the order is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2
I need to know where those numbers are in relation to the distributor cap. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Buddy

P.S. Thank y'all for your help last time. I set the gap and it cranked :-)

Joel 67

From the front of the engine 1 should be at around the 7 or 8 o'clock point. The #1 cylnder would be the one closest to the front on the driver's side. You are better off tracing the wires to this cylnder vs counting on the distributor being properly indexed.

Dave McDufford

There is a red x on number 1.

Dave

JOESL8

I had a similar question, check out this thread!




http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...ghlight=joesl8

johnoblizlo

And they count from that red x clockwise 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8.

project63

Using a clockwise rotation, I usually locate #1 cylinder wire on the first post following the dwell set window.

tc

62fuelie

In theory, distributor doesn't care where you start, so long as the proper relationship is preserved between the rotor and the camshaft/piston position. On a Corvette, in order to line up the tach drive and get the vacuum can to clear everything, most folks use the first tower clockwise from the point adjustment window as #1. I usually ends up at about the 7:00 position when everything is in alignment. Most of the MY AIM's I've looked at have a diagram showing this. Look at the distributor lower gear. There is a dimple on it which must be aligned with the rotor. Otherwise, everything will be a "half tooth off".

SpartyGW

To answer the original poster's question, you can't assume the location of #1 for your cap to be anywhere. You're going to have to pull the cap, and pull a valve cover to make sure.

Bump the engine over until the timing mark comes around to the timing tab. If you pull the right valve cover and see a rocker arm moving on #6 as the timing mark approaches the timing tab, then #1 will be firing on this stroke. If no valves move on #6 then rotate another 360 degrees. If you pull the left cover, just the opposite (if no valve movement on #1 as the piston moves from BDC to TDC then you are firing on #1).

The comments about Bubba intrigue me. I'm all for restoration, but are you guys seriously saying that if the oil pump/distributor gear/rotor are not aligned such that #1 is to the left of the window on the cap that it's somehow a hack job? Geez.

I'm a drag racer, and I probably pulled my distributor 10 times this last year to check wear on my bronze distributor gear. I've never really cared where #1 was on the cap and just thought it was amusing that anywhere other than that 1 location is somehow considered a hack job.

JohnZ

For anything but a restored car with full ignition shielding, plug wire support brackets, and a vacuum advance, it doesn't matter - you're quite right; however, if the engine is dressed as original with all the shielding, supports and vacuum advance, it has to be configured to design in order to avoid interference problems while setting the timing.

VetteMan55

I've tried setting the plugs on the cylinder according to the order in the pictures in another post. That won't work at all. What is the correct order for the plugs on the cylinder? The car is cranking. I think they're set right on the distributor now but I think they're messed up on the cylinder.

waynec

Driver's side front to rear: 1 3 5 7
Passenger side f to r: 2 4 6 8

Brutal64

I don't want to come off sounding like a smarta$$, but you need to get some manuals. Get an AIM (assembly manual), Service manual, even a Chiltons manual will help with a lot of these basic questions. The manuals are full of pictures which as the saying goes can be worth a thousand words.

VetteMan55

I have a manual and I've tried setting things by that but it still runs extremely rough.

62fuelie

Also not wanting to sound like a smart***, you're probably overlooking something. Sounds like something is wrong For one thing, it's real easy to get a plug wire crossed, or simply attached to the wrong cylinder. You probably need to start over from scratch and verify that you have everything correct. Pull the distributor, verify that the dimple lines up with the rotor, verify that you are at TDC on #1, and then reinstall everything, double checking that you have the correct firing order and the plug wires are all hooked to the plug that you think they are. The diagram in the book will work, you just have to hook it up exactly that way and verify that everything is as it's supposed to be. Don't get too wrapped up in what the "initial" timing number is. Once the engine runs fairly decently, the timing needs to be set with a dial back light to achieve arounfd 36* total timing with the vacuum advance disconnected and plugged. The vac can should add another 16*+/- to the total at a steady throttle setting. You should be seeing 25-30* at idle with the vac can attached.

JohnZ

Set it up so it looks like this, with the #1 cylinder at TDC (both valves closed) and the rotor pointing at the #1 wire tower on the cap, and it'll run; then you can tweak the timing setting.

GRTaylor

I don't know what kind of work you did to the engine, but if you have adjusted the valves since the engine was run the last time you may have a couple of the rocker arms turned down too tight. That will cause the engine to run rough, assuming it will even crank.