1964 Vette distributor timing question URGENT

[vigman]

So considering I do not have enough room with the 461 to bring the engine into correct timing by just doing the " twist ".
AND the mission today is to put the chrome doghouse on AND have the timing correct!
( trying to get 4~10 degrees of range ), because there isn't much swing with the doghouse, tach cable & 461
Facts:
The vac advance CAN is hitting the intake and we are at "0" TDC W/O vac hooked up...
The distributor rotates clockwise..
Twist the distrib CCW to advance

Research"

I read " somewhere "

the distributor is off at least one tooth. Each tooth is ~27 degrees.

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and IF you divide 360 by 8 that's 45 (I assume degrees)
so I would want to move the the distrib 1 tooth clock wise to make it work properly....

But then I over think things and consider that the 6 degrees target is BTDC ( to make it happen earlier ) and that leads me to think 1 tooth CCW...
Since advance is twisting the Distrib CCW.. and 1 tooth would advance things ~ 27 degrees causing me to back off on the distrib CW ( pulling the Vac advance can so it ins't hitting intake runner ) ...

AND

Moving the wires gets me WAY to advanced ( over 30 degrees )

HELP ?

Mike

 

[Tom Bryant]

I sounds to me like it's off a tooth. Take the cap off to verify that the rotor is pointing at #1 cylinder with the piston at top dead center on the compression stroke. Take the clamp off and rotate it clockwise one tooth. You should be able to walk the oil pump shaft by dropping the distributor back in and gently tapping it up and down to rotate the oil pump until it drops in. I have had to walk it all the way around before. Once it drops in and is pointing in the right direction set your timing again and see how that works.

Tom

 

[vigman]

So is 1 tooth equal to

the position on the cap of 1 full move between positions wire holes
EG IF i went 1 tooth clockwise ( and I was on 1 ) would the rotor now be on 8
OR
Would it be 1/2 way between those 2 points ??

 

[Tom Bryant]

Yes. Halfway allowing the can room to turn and stay on 1. You are turning the Dist counterclockwise to try to set your advance but are running out of room. You need the rotor to arrive at 1 sooner so you need to rotate the shaft one tooth clockwise. That should allow you to set the initial timing before the vac can hits the intake.

 

[vigman]

OK That's what I'm talking about!

16 teeth brilliant!!!!
Now to get this clear in my head..
I need MORE advance ( now at 0 or a hair after with no vac hooked up )

Since the distrib rotates CW.... I need to go 1 tooth CCW (more advance) and that will allow a CW backoff ( retard to taste ) on the distrib housing..
16 div 360 = 22.5 degrees a tooth!
8 div 360= 45 degrees ( to get from 1 hole in the cap to the next )

Hooooo YA

 

[JohnZ]

Actually, the drive gear has 13 teeth, so one tooth will change the distributor housing position by 27*. If that will put the can too close to the plug wire support and coil, then you need to pull the distributor, remove the rollpin in the gear, rotate the gear 180*, re-install the pin, and re-install the distributor. That will move the distributor housing 13*, half as much as moving it one tooth.

 

[vigman]

More great info

Well I know what I'm doing this weekend!
THANK YOU ALL!

 

[vigman]

1 tooth CCW + 1 plug wire move CCW

Got me to 8 degrees BTDC ( with a 2 ATDC to 12 BTDC range ) ... Run heap good now~

 

[Tom Bryant]