Hot rodding the HEI distributor

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Number 1 plug wire should be at the front of the distributor just to the driver’s side of centerline. On a Chevy V8, the vacuum advance can should be pointing roughly at the passenger side front tire. If that's not your #1 plug wire, or your vacuum can is pointed in another direction, the distributor may be installed one or more teeth off. It won't hurt performance as long as the timing can still set correctly (vacuum advance can doesn't hit the firewall or intake) but plug wire routing might be more difficult.
 
Number 1 plug wire should be at the front of the distributor just to the driver’s side of centerline. On a Chevy V8, the vacuum advance can should be pointing roughly at the passenger side front tire. If that's not your #1 plug wire, or your vacuum can is pointed in another direction, the distributor may be installed one or more teeth off. It won't hurt performance as long as the timing can still set correctly (vacuum advance can doesn't hit the firewall or intake) but plug wire routing might be more difficult.
  
Pay close attention to the firing order at the distributor cap and at the plugs themselves. In the case of the SBC, #5 and #7 are next to each other on the cap, at the head and in the firing order. The engine will run, although will have a miss and will detonate, with the #5 and #7 wires swapped. See [[Chevrolet V8 distributor installation]] for more on how to install a Chevy V8 distributor.
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Pay close attention to the firing order at the distributor cap and at the plugs themselves. In the case of the SBC, #5 and #7 are next to each other on the cap, at the head and in the firing order. The engine will run, although will have a miss and will detonate, with the #5 and #7 wires swapped. See [[How to install a distributor]] for more on how to install a Chevy V8 distributor.
  
 
WATCH YOUR IDLE RPM WHILE YOU SET INITIAL ADVANCE TIMING!!! If you try to set your initial timing with the engine idling ABOVE the RPM that the mechanical advance has started to come in, getting a correct reading will be all but impossible. So always start adjusting initial timing without the mechanical advance adding any timing. You can temporarily add a heavier spring just for the initial timing adjustment if you cannot lower the idle enough.
 
WATCH YOUR IDLE RPM WHILE YOU SET INITIAL ADVANCE TIMING!!! If you try to set your initial timing with the engine idling ABOVE the RPM that the mechanical advance has started to come in, getting a correct reading will be all but impossible. So always start adjusting initial timing without the mechanical advance adding any timing. You can temporarily add a heavier spring just for the initial timing adjustment if you cannot lower the idle enough.
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*Several articles on [http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/wiki/Category:Adjust_valves valve adjustment].
 
*Several articles on [http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/wiki/Category:Adjust_valves valve adjustment].
 
*[[Carb vacuum port ID]]
 
*[[Carb vacuum port ID]]
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*[[How to install a distributor]]
 
'''Return to: [[Hot rodding the HEI distributor#Distributor shaft end play adjustment|Distributor shaft end play adjustment]]'''.
 
'''Return to: [[Hot rodding the HEI distributor#Distributor shaft end play adjustment|Distributor shaft end play adjustment]]'''.
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[[Category:Electrical]]
 
[[Category:Electrical]]

Revision as of 14:58, 20 June 2012

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