What are the symtoms of having a distributor in 180 degrees off? Search didn't answer my question. 
baronbors
Backward distributor
What are the symtoms of having a distributor in 180 degrees off? Search didn't answer my question.
The car doesn't care whether the distributor is correct or 180 degrees out as long as you hook up the spark plug wires accordingly.
Not starting and backfiring through the carb.
If it is 180 out either pull the distributor and set it correctly or swap the wires to match it being 180 out and it will run fine.
Harold
If it is 180 out either pull the distributor and set it correctly or swap the wires to match it being 180 out and it will run fine.
Harold
It is starting great and no backfiring so I have the plug wires OK- but I am not sure about the vacumn lines. I have two vacumn lines- one to the manifold orfice and one to the carb. Since I am 180 dregrees out of sync, I think the advance now faces the firewall and the retard faces the radiator. Should the manifold orfice go to the firewall side of the distributor or the radiator side?hrcollinsjr said:
Two cannister distributor? If you don't get it figured out soon I'll try to look at the one that I have. It may be a day or two, surely someone can tell you before then. I usually only hook up the advance.baronbors said:I think the advance now faces the firewall and the retard faces the radiator. Should the manifold orfice go to the firewall side of the distributor or the radiator side?
Harold
Open the distributor's cap.
Locate the linkages that connect the two cannisters at the breaker plate, and figure out their movement (they both pull their linkage towards the cannisters). The one pulling the breaker plate in an clockwise direction is the retard cannister, and should be connected to the manifold. The one pulling the breaker plate in an anti-clockwise direction is the addvance cannister and should be connected to the carburettor.
Hope this helps you!
Locate the linkages that connect the two cannisters at the breaker plate, and figure out their movement (they both pull their linkage towards the cannisters). The one pulling the breaker plate in an clockwise direction is the retard cannister, and should be connected to the manifold. The one pulling the breaker plate in an anti-clockwise direction is the addvance cannister and should be connected to the carburettor.
Hope this helps you!
As already said, there are no symptoms other than the rotor pointing opposite the distributor mark at cylinder #1 firing position and the wires being in nonstandard locations.
There are three marks that need to be lined up to have the factory setting.
First, get the ball on the flywheel to align with the pointer at cylinder #1 firing position. You can remove the #1 plug wire and watch for the spark while cranking to do make sure of this.
The second mark is the one you see on the edge of the distributor where the cap mounts. The rotor should point there when the distributor is replaced. Because the drive gears are not straight cut, you have to turn the rotor out of position so when assembled it will align itself. The other complication is the oil pump slot which has to be turned with a long screwdriver. It usually takes a few tries for it all to come together.
The third mark is the one most people don't know about. If you look at the flange on the base of the distributor there is usually an assembly mark made with a chisel that corresponds to a mark on the timing cover. The mark is on the front side of the engine near the alternator bracket-to-timing cover bolt, usually covered with grease. These marks should be aligned when the distributor is replaced. If done correctly, the distributor boot will align perfectly and the opening for the wires will point towards the #1 plug, just like in all the service manual photos. Of course, you will change it slightly when you set the timing, but it should still be close to the mark.
There are three marks that need to be lined up to have the factory setting.
First, get the ball on the flywheel to align with the pointer at cylinder #1 firing position. You can remove the #1 plug wire and watch for the spark while cranking to do make sure of this.
The second mark is the one you see on the edge of the distributor where the cap mounts. The rotor should point there when the distributor is replaced. Because the drive gears are not straight cut, you have to turn the rotor out of position so when assembled it will align itself. The other complication is the oil pump slot which has to be turned with a long screwdriver. It usually takes a few tries for it all to come together.
The third mark is the one most people don't know about. If you look at the flange on the base of the distributor there is usually an assembly mark made with a chisel that corresponds to a mark on the timing cover. The mark is on the front side of the engine near the alternator bracket-to-timing cover bolt, usually covered with grease. These marks should be aligned when the distributor is replaced. If done correctly, the distributor boot will align perfectly and the opening for the wires will point towards the #1 plug, just like in all the service manual photos. Of course, you will change it slightly when you set the timing, but it should still be close to the mark.
Fsm!
Just refer to your Factory Service Manual!
..or this thread: http://www.opelgt.com/forums/6a-eng...ngine-mechanical/1587-installing-distributor.html?highlight=Distributor+install
Just refer to your Factory Service Manual!
..or this thread: http://www.opelgt.com/forums/6a-eng...ngine-mechanical/1587-installing-distributor.html?highlight=Distributor+install
Once, I was building a Dodge slant 6 engine, and it had one of Mopar's performance cams in it, and I inadvertantly put the distributor in 180 degrees backwards. I tried to start the engine, and it kept popping, and oddly enough, it actually started running, although very badly.
The first thing that tipped me off that something was bad wrong was when the entire cast iron exhaust manifold began to glow cherry red.
While the subject of the dual-canister vacuum chamber on the distributor is up, let me toss out how I understand that it works, and you all tell me whether you think I'm wrong or not.
The optimum ignition timing is firing slightly before the piston top dead center, but when the engine is cranking over to start, that actually kicks the piston back at that slow speed.
The vacuum advance allows the timing to fire at exactly TDC when cranking, then pulls the timing into the more efficient advanced mode before TDC once the engine starts. Correct so far?
Now the the vacuum retard line (the hose attachment on the distributor's vacuum canister that points towards the distributor) also is supposed to serve a useful function.
It is connected to a full manifold vacuum source, rather than the ported vacuum where the advance should be connected. As you may already know, the ported vacuum is created by the venturi effect of the air velocity rushing down the carburator, so the more air the engine is drawing in (higher rpm), the more vacuum there is. The manifold vacuum, however, is created by the engine pulling air against the resistance of the throttle plate. So manifold vacuum is in inverse proportion to the throttle position - the more open the throttle is, the lower the vacuum. So, therefore, the vacuum retard pulls the timing retarded slightly when the vacuum is high, when the engine is idling or cruising lightly loaded. When you put a load on the engine, either by opening the throttle to accelerate, or by going up a hill, the manifold vacuum drops, and the pressure to retard the timing eases, therefore advancing the timing and giving the engine a little extra burst of power. It's supposed to function as a sort of a load balancing govornor effect.
Of course, this will only function if the base distributor timing is right on the money...
The first thing that tipped me off that something was bad wrong was when the entire cast iron exhaust manifold began to glow cherry red.
While the subject of the dual-canister vacuum chamber on the distributor is up, let me toss out how I understand that it works, and you all tell me whether you think I'm wrong or not.
The optimum ignition timing is firing slightly before the piston top dead center, but when the engine is cranking over to start, that actually kicks the piston back at that slow speed.
The vacuum advance allows the timing to fire at exactly TDC when cranking, then pulls the timing into the more efficient advanced mode before TDC once the engine starts. Correct so far?
Now the the vacuum retard line (the hose attachment on the distributor's vacuum canister that points towards the distributor) also is supposed to serve a useful function.
It is connected to a full manifold vacuum source, rather than the ported vacuum where the advance should be connected. As you may already know, the ported vacuum is created by the venturi effect of the air velocity rushing down the carburator, so the more air the engine is drawing in (higher rpm), the more vacuum there is. The manifold vacuum, however, is created by the engine pulling air against the resistance of the throttle plate. So manifold vacuum is in inverse proportion to the throttle position - the more open the throttle is, the lower the vacuum. So, therefore, the vacuum retard pulls the timing retarded slightly when the vacuum is high, when the engine is idling or cruising lightly loaded. When you put a load on the engine, either by opening the throttle to accelerate, or by going up a hill, the manifold vacuum drops, and the pressure to retard the timing eases, therefore advancing the timing and giving the engine a little extra burst of power. It's supposed to function as a sort of a load balancing govornor effect.
Of course, this will only function if the base distributor timing is right on the money...
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