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Back fire issue

SFEbody

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hello friends,

I am having a big problem with setting the motor to run. I switched from a HEI distributor to get back to a mopar electronic Dist. Problem now is when I try to fire her, she is sputtering and running rough. When the HEI was in, of course there was NO eco and no ballast. Here is what I have done.

*pulled number 1 plug and bumped engine until the piston was TDC and pushed out air.
* pulled the dist, turned the oil pump gear so the rotor would point as close to #1 as possible.
*Oh and I have a new wire harness with the volt reg and eco world in but no ballast

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Brian
 

Adam

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It’s the timing. Double check the wires and firing order... remember, big block distributors rotate the opposite way from small blocks.

At 10 degrees btdc, with the ignition in the run position, you can hook up a timing light and rotate the dist back and forth, when it fires approaching #1 you should be good to start..
 

rklein71

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I remember the first time I helped my brother-in-law with his Ford. I hooked up his plug wires to the distributor and tried to fire it up. Turns out Ford numbers their cylinders different than Mopar. This probably is not the case for your problem, but it could be if you are not used to Mopars. Rod
 

Adam

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Yes, that is common, but the dist can be installed anywhere as long as it fully engages, and the wires are wired from #1, at the rotor, with the engine at tdc on the compression stroke.
 

cudabob496

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would be tempted to trace down the wires again.
at least that is what saved me once. good luck!
 

Don Gould

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From the tech section of our Website
Distributor Removal and Installation


Removal:

1. Remove #1 spark plug and pull the coil wire off

2. Place your finger over the spark plug hole

3. Have an assistant bump the motor over until you feel air pushing your finger off the hole.

4. Use a socket (1.25" usually) and manually bring the engine dampener mark to zero on the timing tab.

5. Remove the distributor cap, the rotor should be pointing in the general vicinity of #1 cylinder.

6. Note the location of the vacuum canister.

7. Remove the distributor and write your name on it with a Sharpee.

8. Do not rotate the engine, leave it right where it is.

Installation:

1. Clock the rotor so it's pointing at #1 cylinder and hold the housing so the vacuum unit or cover plate is in the approximate position as in #6 above.

2. Drop the distributor in and jiggle the rotor and housing slightly until it drops into the oil pump drive, be sure that it drops all the way down.

3. Determine the correct rotation of your distributor, SB Mopars rotate clock wise, 383/400/440 all rotate counter clockwise.

4. Look at the reluctor (Star wheel on your distributor shaft) see #6 above and turn the housing to the approximate location, one of the paddles on the reluctor should now be very close to the magnetic pickup center. Adjust it now so it lines up dead center on that contact point.

5. You now have set the distributor to zero timing and the rotor should line up centered on the cap contact for #1 plug wire. You can use a Sharpee to mark the housing so when you position the cap it's easy to confirm that #1 cap terminal is directly in line with the rotor.

6. Of course at Zero timing the motor will have a hard time starting so we need to advance it to about 15*-20* , so if we think about this the position we have it set at the distributor should have already fired #1 plug so study your rotation and think about which direction it rotates and turn the housing so that it indicates that the distributor has already fired #1. On a Clockwise distributor (SB) you would turn the housing COUNTER CLOCKWISE a BB you would turn the housing in the clockwise direction. Always remember that "Rotation Retards" so to advance the timing you turn it counter rotation.

7. How far?
Just rotate the distributor to about 1/8 to 3/16" past the contact point with the reluctor paddle, this will put enough timing in the motor to fire it off, even close will fire the motor and allow for final tuning with a good timing light. see #6 for correct direction to rotate the housing.

8. Snug down the clamp just enough so you can grab the cap and turn the distributor with a strong arm, we just don't want it to slip when we're trying to start it and time it.

9. Turn the key and light it off, bring it up to temp and set the initial timing as per your specs. We recommend that you also bring it up to about 100-200 RPM above where we set the total at and with a dial back light check to be sure that it doesn't exceed the total timing we have determined as Max timing for your application.

10. Your all done, tighten down the distributor clamp, double check it and "Happy Motoring"

Caution:

Poor wires or a bad cap will load your body with about 25,000 volts at idle if using our ignition system and remove all doubt that our ignition system puts out extreme voltage. Be sure the entire system is in top condition before grabbing a handful of ignition wires, failure to do so may cause your head to slam into the hood and or painful bruising of the elbow when it makes rapid contact with the inner fender.

Firing order: 1843 6572
 

Adam

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Don at 4secondsflat.com, thank you for the tech. I have used a couple of your ignition kits with great results.... also your tech pages are very helpful.
 

Daves69

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Big block?
...........
DistAlign.jpg
 

cudabob496

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From the tech section of our Website
Distributor Removal and Installation

Removal:

1. Remove #1 spark plug and pull the coil wire off

2. Place your finger over the spark plug hole

3. Have an assistant bump the motor over until you feel air pushing your finger off the hole.

4. Use a socket (1.25" usually) and manually bring the engine dampener mark to zero on the timing tab.

5. Remove the distributor cap, the rotor should be pointing in the general vicinity of #1 cylinder.

6. Note the location of the vacuum canister.

7. Remove the distributor and write your name on it with a Sharpee.

8. Do not rotate the engine, leave it right where it is.

Installation:

1. Clock the rotor so it's pointing at #1 cylinder and hold the housing so the vacuum unit or cover plate is in the approximate position as in #6 above.

2. Drop the distributor in and jiggle the rotor and housing slightly until it drops into the oil pump drive, be sure that it drops all the way down.

3. Determine the correct rotation of your distributor, SB Mopars rotate clock wise, 383/400/440 all rotate counter clockwise.

4. Look at the reluctor (Star wheel on your distributor shaft) see #6 above and turn the housing to the approximate location, one of the paddles on the reluctor should now be very close to the magnetic pickup center. Adjust it now so it lines up dead center on that contact point.

5. You now have set the distributor to zero timing and the rotor should line up centered on the cap contact for #1 plug wire. You can use a Sharpee to mark the housing so when you position the cap it's easy to confirm that #1 cap terminal is directly in line with the rotor.

6. Of course at Zero timing the motor will have a hard time starting so we need to advance it to about 15*-20* , so if we think about this the position we have it set at the distributor should have already fired #1 plug so study your rotation and think about which direction it rotates and turn the housing so that it indicates that the distributor has already fired #1. On a Clockwise distributor (SB) you would turn the housing COUNTER CLOCKWISE a BB you would turn the housing in the clockwise direction. Always remember that "Rotation Retards" so to advance the timing you turn it counter rotation.

7. How far?
Just rotate the distributor to about 1/8 to 3/16" past the contact point with the reluctor paddle, this will put enough timing in the motor to fire it off, even close will fire the motor and allow for final tuning with a good timing light. see #6 for correct direction to rotate the housing.

8. Snug down the clamp just enough so you can grab the cap and turn the distributor with a strong arm, we just don't want it to slip when we're trying to start it and time it.

9. Turn the key and light it off, bring it up to temp and set the initial timing as per your specs. We recommend that you also bring it up to about 100-200 RPM above where we set the total at and with a dial back light check to be sure that it doesn't exceed the total timing we have determined as Max timing for your application.

10. Your all done, tighten down the distributor clamp, double check it and "Happy Motoring"

Caution:

Poor wires or a bad cap will load your body with about 25,000 volts at idle if using our ignition system and remove all doubt that our ignition system puts out extreme voltage. Be sure the entire system is in top condition before grabbing a handful of ignition wires, failure to do so may cause your head to slam into the hood and or painful bruising of the elbow when it makes rapid contact with the inner fender.

Firing order: 1843 6572
My friends son was standing outside on wet ground, and got cross-ways with the coil on his engine. Two days later he died in the hospital. They concluded the shock from the coil had passed through his heart.
 
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